Double Dose Of Culture In Austin With Books, Film

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Austin is getting a double dose of culture this weekend with the Texas Book Festival and Austin Film Festival staged in near proximity of each other.

Launched on Saturday, the Texas Book Festival draws thousands of book lovers to the State Capitol grounds and along Congress Avenue to what's considered the premier book festival in Texas. More than 280 authors arrived for this year's version for panel discussions and book signings. Among them:

• Pete Souza, the chief official White House photographer for President Obama and #1 New York Times bestselling author, will present Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, a new book of photographs contrasting the Trump and Obama administrations

• Cecile Richards will present her memoir, Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead – My Life Story

• Stand-up comedian and actress Phoebe Robinson will present her new essay collection, Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay

• Tayari Jones will present her new novel, An American Marriage, the instant bestseller which was picked for Oprah’s Book Club this year

• 2018 Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly will present her latest middle grade novel, You Go First

• Celebrated and highly-acclaimed poet and author Sandra Cisneros will present her new chapbook, Puro Amor, a bilingual short story that contains illustrations and line drawings by Cisneros herself

• David Grann, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon, will present his latest biography, The White Darkness

• New York Times bestselling author Celeste Ng will present Little Fires Everywhere

• Jose Antonio Vargas, journalist, filmmaker, and founder and CEO of the nonprofit Define American, who will be presenting his memoir, Dear America, Notes of an Undocumented Citizen

To view the full list of authors, please visit https://www.texasbookfestival.org/2018-festival-authors/.

There's still time to be intellectually stimulated at the festival this Sunday afternoon. For today's schedule, click here.

The 25th annual Austin Film Festival runs until Nov. 1, with thousands of film makers and mavens descending to various points in Austin to screen and watch films. Among the crowd there are many Texas independent features and screenings still happening this week. Among them:

Also Starring Austin

Writer: Mike Blizzard, Laura Colwell, Lala Morgan

Director: Mike Blizzard

Next screening: Mon. Oct 29 @ 6:30 pm | The State Theatre

*** This doc uses scenes from locally shot Austin films as a lens to explore a community’s rapidly changing landscape and unique, enduring culture (From Tobe Hooper's first film Eggshells, to classic films from Richard Linklater and Robert Rodriguez, to underground rarities and star-driven Hollywood fare).

The Iron Orchard

Writer: Gerry De Leon

Director: Ty Roberts

Cast: Lane Garrison, Austin Nichols, Ali Corbin, Lew Temple

Next screening: Tues. Oct 30 @ 7:15pm | The State Theatre

** Set in the oil fields of Texas, The Iron Orchard is a vibrant, brutal story of the men who labored, lusted and gambled their money in search of a prize few were lucky enough to find.

Jules of Light and Dark

Writer/Director: Daniel Laabs

Next screening: Wed. Oct 31 @ 6:00 pm | The State Theatre

** Set against the backdrop of a vibrant Texas Rave Culture

Texas Cotton

Writers: Tyler Russell, Jameel Khaja

Director: Tyler Russell

Next screenings (2): Sunday, Oct 28 @ 3:45pm @ Rollins Theatre and Mon. Oct 29 @ 9:15pm @ The State

**Tyler Russell is an Austin-based writer/director

Waiting for the Miracle to Come

Writer/Director: Lian Lunson

Cast: Sophie Lowe, Willie Nelson, Charlotte Rampling

Next screening: Mon. Oct 29 @ 7:00 pm

** Set in a magical timeless world with colors reminiscent of an old storybook, and filmed at Willie Nelson’s ranch in Texas.

For the full Austin Film Festival schedule, click here.

Here's a list of Texas shorts scheduled to be screened:

TEXAS SHORTS 1
Tuesday, October 30 • 6:15 p.m to 8:15 p.m at The Rollins Theatre

• Atlantic City: (USA, 15 min) Director/Writer: Miguel Alvarez. A drifter sets off to find his estranged mother but finds a new mission when he meets a teenage runaway who needs his help.
• By Dan Jenkins: (USA, 20 min) Directors: Kelly Lipscomb, Matt Tisdale. After a life filled with covering the most prestigious tournaments in the world; renowned golf and football expert Dan Jenkins sheds further light on his beginnings and how the two sports have shaped his life.
• Muerte: (USA, 13 min) Writer/Director: Harold Fisch. On the night he seeks to dive head first into his work, an artist discovers hidden secrets of his lineage and begins to learn his true purpose.
• Goodbye Sirena: (USA, 7 min) Writer: Tracee Beebe. Director: Melissa Dalley. Molly and her mother navigate memory and grief as they find an unexpected way to say goodbye.
• Lovers at Night: (USA, 5 min). Director: Alexander M. Rosales. A man awaits his date, but is met with something else: rejection.
• Tightly Wound: (USA, 10 min) Writer/Director: Shelby Hadden. A woman recounts her experience living with chronic pelvic pain and how health professionals have failed her, men have rejected her, and complex emotions have plagued her body.
• The Wilderness: (USA, 15 min) Writer: Zachary Jones. Director: Agustin Navarro. Three soldiers on the battlefield deal with the raw emotions of taking a life.
• Tempestad: (USA, 16 min) Writer/Director: Daniel E. Garcia. It's opening day of The Tempest at Alex's prestigious high school, but he and his brother must first accomplish a colossal tree service project to keep the family business alive.

TEXAS SHORTS 2
October 30 • 9 p.m to 11 p.m. at The Rollins Theatre

• Nobody Knows: (USA, 20 min) Writer/Director: Nolan Wilson Goff. In the wake of his brother’s death, a quiet high school student navigates his small Texas town, all while knowing he is responsible for the accident.
• My Friend Shokat: (USA, 12 min) Writer/Director: Bita Ghassemi. All a young boy wants to do is save his family's goat, but between his sister's desires and their family’s financial troubles, Shokat may have to go.
• A Lucky Man: (USA, 24 min) Directors: Jared Moossy, Shaul Shwarz, Christina Clusiau. Following a decade and a half of dodging bullets in war zones, a death-defying photojournalist faces his greatest hardship: losing his memory and his life as he knew it.
• Personal Trainer: (USA, 10 min) Writer/Director: Alex Shultz. A young college student takes an eventful trip to the gym and finds himself exposed in more ways than one.
• Clean Break: (USA, 12 min) Writer/Director: Isaac Burns. Nancy goes to her friend to take her mind off a breakup, but his romantic overtures endanger their friendship.
• Pepito: (USA, 15 min) Writer: Isaac Garza. Director: Eman Esfandi. While being lovingly coerced by his mom to go to confession, Pepito is infantilized to the point of suffocation in this bilingual comedy.

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL

Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established writers and filmmakers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, once more this year championing writers’ contributions to film, television, and new media.

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