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Friday, October 25
 

1:30pm CDT

A Thin Line Between Love & Hate: Exploring Character Dynamics
Friday October 25, 2024 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
Austin Club
Both Succession and Challengers expertly depicted unbreakable bonds between rivals, inescapable conflict cycles, and ever-evolving character relationships that kept viewers guessing. Learn from the writers behind these beloved projects on how they design complex character dynamics, and introduce conflict that puts those relationships to the test.
Speakers
avatar for Susan Soon He Stanton

Susan Soon He Stanton

writer/producer Succession, Dead Ringers
Susan Soon He Stanton is a playwright, television writer, and screenwriter originally from ‘Aiea, Hawai‘i, and now living in New York and London.Susan has worked on all four seasons of HBO’s SUCCESSION, as a writer/producer, for which she has received multiple Emmy (2x), Golden... Read More →
avatar for Justin Kuritzkes

Justin Kuritzkes

writer Challengers, Queer
Justin Kuritzkes is a playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Kuritzkes most recently wrote CHALLENGERS, directed by Luca Guadagnino, produced by Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Connor, and starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. The film was released in theaters and Prime Video... Read More →
Friday October 25, 2024 1:30pm - 2:45pm CDT
Austin Club 110 E 9th St, Austin, TX 78701
  Conference, Playwriting Track

3:15pm CDT

On Vida: A Conversation with Tanya Saracho
Friday October 25, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel Capital Ballroom
Heartwarming family drama Vida became a critical darling upon its release, charming critics and audiences alike. Hear from creator and showrunner Tanya Saracho on exploring gentrification, fraught family dynamics, and sexuality from an authentic point of view.
Moderators
avatar for Marcelena Campos Mayhorn

Marcelena Campos Mayhorn

AFF moderator; writer DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Selena: The Series
Marcelena Campos Mayhorn most recently worked on the final two seasons of DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (The CW). She previously wrote on SELENA: THE SERIES (Netflix), and has had work published in places such as Shondaland.com and Texas Monthly.Originally from Seguin, TX, she currently... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Tanya Saracho

Tanya Saracho

creator & showrunner Vida, Founder of Ignition Lab & Untitled Latinx Project
Tanya Saracho is a playwright and television writer who most recently served as creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the critically-acclaimed series, Vida, on Starz. The show featured all Latine writers and directors, including Saracho, who made her television directorial... Read More →
Friday October 25, 2024 3:15pm - 4:30pm CDT
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel Capital Ballroom 701 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, USA
  Conference, Playwriting Track
 
Saturday, October 26
 

12:30pm CDT

On Adapting The Piano Lesson: A Conversation with Virgil Williams
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Pennybacker Room
Adapted from the award-winning August Wilson play, The Piano Lesson explores a dark and complex family history entwined with the supernatural. Screenwriter Virgil Williams (Criminal Minds, Mudbound) joins us to dissect his creative process adapting the play into a feature.
Moderators
avatar for Casey Baron

Casey Baron

AFF moderator; programmer, Tribeca Festival
Born and raised in the small island of Dominica located in the West Indies, Casey Baron moved to Austin after graduating from Florida State University with a degree in English – Editing, Writing, and Media. Casey was a part of the Austin Film Festival family for seven years running... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Virgil Williams

Virgil Williams

writer Mudbound, A Journal for Jordan, The Piano Lesson
Virgil Williams is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter who most recently adapted August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson for Netflix, which will be released in November of this year. He co-wrote the script with Malcolm Washington, who is also making his feature-film directorial debut. Samuel... Read More →
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Pennybacker Room 700 San Jacinto St, E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701
  Conference, Playwriting Track

12:30pm CDT

On Challengers: A Conversation with Justin Kuritzkes
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel Capital Ballroom
Challengers took over theaters this summer with its tangled tale of friendship, lust, and competition. Join the film's writer as he walks us through his inspiration for the film, crafting complex character dynamics, and creating impossibly high stakes in a surprisingly grounded world.
Speakers
avatar for Justin Kuritzkes

Justin Kuritzkes

writer Challengers, Queer
Justin Kuritzkes is a playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Kuritzkes most recently wrote CHALLENGERS, directed by Luca Guadagnino, produced by Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Connor, and starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. The film was released in theaters and Prime Video... Read More →
Saturday October 26, 2024 12:30pm - 1:45pm CDT
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel Capital Ballroom 701 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, USA
  Conference, Playwriting Track

3:00pm CDT

A Conversation with Robin Swicord
Saturday October 26, 2024 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church
Acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Robin Swicord will walk us through her incredible body of work, which includes celebrated films Little Women, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Memoirs of a Geisha, Practical Magic, and Matilda.
Moderators
avatar for Erin Hallagan Clare

Erin Hallagan Clare

AFF moderator; Founder, Story Parlor; former Creative Director, Austin Film Festival
Erin Hallagan Clare is the Founder and Artistic Director of Story Parlor (www.storyparloravl.com), a narrative arts space dedicated to multidisciplinary storytelling based in Asheville, North Carolina. She is a certified creativity coach and holds a Masters in creative psychology, as well as a graduate certificate in Applied Mythology. A writer and storyteller, she has told st... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Robin Swicord

Robin Swicord

2024 Recipient of the Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting
Robin Swicord is primarily known for her work as a screenwriter for Memoirs Of A Geisha (Satellite Award for best screenplay); the 1994 Little Women (Writers Guild award nomination, Satellite award); Matilda (with her husband Nicholas Kazan); and the cult comedy Shag; The Perez Family... Read More →
Saturday October 26, 2024 3:00pm - 4:15pm CDT
Central Presbyterian Church 200 E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
  Conference, Playwriting Track
 
Sunday, October 27
 

1:15pm CDT

From Stage to Screen
Sunday October 27, 2024 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel Assembly Room
Learning how to write for the theater brings distinct advantages to the screen: compelling dialogue, strong pacing, and well-crafted characters. Come hear from panelists who have worked in both mediums and learn what one can teach you about the other.
Moderators
avatar for Samantha Levine

Samantha Levine

AFF moderator
Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Samantha Levine moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated in 2009 with a BA in Theatre & Dance, concentration in Radio, Television and Film. Samantha started as an intern at Austin Film Festival in 2013 and... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Pia Wilson

Pia Wilson

writer of the Webby Award-winning fiction podcast If I Go Missing The Witches Did It; tv writer: Genius: Aretha, Sacrifice; playwright: Sundance fellow, and member of The Public Theater’s 2008 Emerging Writers Group
Pia Wilson wrote the audio component in the Harriet Tubman Monument in Newark, New Jersey, performed by Queen Latifah. The audio - which won a 2024 Anthem Award - can be found on Audible as Monumental: Harriet Tubman and Newark's Liberation Movement. Pia is also a 2024 Johnny Mercer... Read More →
avatar for Susan Soon He Stanton

Susan Soon He Stanton

writer/producer Succession, Dead Ringers
Susan Soon He Stanton is a playwright, television writer, and screenwriter originally from ‘Aiea, Hawai‘i, and now living in New York and London.Susan has worked on all four seasons of HBO’s SUCCESSION, as a writer/producer, for which she has received multiple Emmy (2x), Golden... Read More →
avatar for Jason Neulander

Jason Neulander

writer/playwright/filmmaker The Intergalactic Nemesis, Fugitive Dreams
Jason Neulander is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and theater artist based in Austin, Texas. Neulander received his BA and MA in theater from Brown University. He founded and was the artistic director of Austin’s Salvage Vanguard Theater from 1994 to 2008. Over his tenure he... Read More →
Sunday October 27, 2024 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT
The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel Assembly Room 701 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, USA
  Conference, Playwriting Track
 
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