Action! Austin Film Festival Begins

The 16th annual Austin Film Festival kicked off yesterday. Each year, this festival brings a dearth of A-list talent together, including screenwriters, directors, actors, and agents, for screenings, panels, and parties. Director Ron Howard will be there this year accepting the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award. The caliber of panelists is astounding; they include Shane Black, the writer/director of Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang; Paul Feig, director of Weeds, 30 Rock, The Office, and Mad Men; and Damon Lindelof, producer of Star Trek and creator/writer of Lost.

If you love film, you can purchase the full conference badge for $375 and participate in nearly everything. You can also just show up to individual screenings and buy a ticket without a badge or pass, though you might not get in. If you plan to go to several films but don't want to attend the actual conference, buy the Film Pass, which will give you priority access to the more than 190 film screenings, plus several premieres. The films range from local to international, and many of the films are in the film festival's competition.

The regular Film Pass costs $42. The other option is the Lone Star Badge; this costs $95 and gives you priority over regular attendees AND Film Pass holders. It also includes admission to an entire day of panels at the Screenwriters Conference on Saturday and admittance to the Pitch Finale Party Saturday night. People with these passes can also purchase Pitch Competition tickets ($15, limit two), which are not available to regular Film Pass holders. You can buy these passes online. Will you be attending the Austin Film Festival this year? What are you most looking forward to?

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