Comedy Vanguard at Austin Film Festival 2011 [Film Preview]

There are four films in the Comedy Vanguard spotlight at this year's AFF. All of them are premiere titles for the festival and Freak Dance is actually making its World Premiere. We've got a preview of all four features to help you plan your festival picks!

FREAK DANCE - World Premiere
The mere existence of movies like You Got Served and the entire Step Up series already makes us laugh. Well, the Upright Citizens Brigade took it a step further and started mocking these flicks live on stage back in 2008 with a show they called "Freak Dance: The Forbidden Dirty Boogaloo." They've adapted this popular show into a movie that features the new UCB cast members alongside now legendary co-founders like Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz. We can't wait for the absurdity of these dance numbers. You can check out the trailer below.

[Screens at the Austin Convention Center on Friday, Oct. 21 at 10pm and again at the Alamo Ritz on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 7:45pm.]

FRED & VINNIE - Regional Premiere
The new film from director Steve Skrovan has also screened this year at the Slamdance Film Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival. It's a fictionalized version of the life of writer Fred Stoller and his friendship with Vinnie D'Angelo. Fred was a staff writer on "Seinfeld" and is, of course, also an actor himself. Vinnie isn't fond of even leaving his apartment, but is forced to go to L.A. to live with Fred after he gets evicted. Variety said the movie is "witty and heartfelt" and that "this modest indie surely deserves an audience." We know it will find an appreciative one here in Austin. [Screens at the Alamo Ritz on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 6:30pm and again at the Regal Arbor on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 9:15pm.]

HIGH ROAD - Regional Premiere
This one is a stoner comedy that also shares roots with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Director Matt Walsh (who appears in Freak Dance) brings together a strong cast that includes SNL's Abby Elliott, Joe Lo Truglio from The State, Ed Helms from The Office and even Tenacious D's Kyle Gass! After a bad drug deal, Fitz takes a road trip with his 16-year-old neighbor in tow. You can read a bit more about the movie and watch a trailer over at IFC.com. [Screens at the Austin Convention Center on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 9pm and again at the Alamo Ritz on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 10:15pm.]

TREATMENT - Regional Premiere
You may not recognize the name Sean Nelson, but you probably know and love something he's helped to create over the last few decades. He's been the frontman for the band Harvey Danger, co-owner of Seattle-based Barsuk Records and, as if that's not enough, he was also a writer/co-editor at alt-weekly paper The Stranger and authored a book about Joni Mitchell's classic album "Court and Spark." Clearly, the man doesn't like to have downtime, because he's now co-directed and co-starred in this feature film that features original music by Robyn Hitchcock. We don't need to hear anything else, we're sold on this one. [Both screenings of this film will take place in the Austin Convention Center: first on Friday, Oct. 21 at 7pm and again on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 6:30pm.]

The Austin Film Festival and Conference runs from October 20th to October 27th. For a complete listing of films and panels, click here.