The highly anticipated 18th annual Austin Film Festival begins today, October 20, and runs through October 27, 2011. The festival kicks off with the Screenwriters Conference and continues through next week with documentaries, shorts and feature films. This year’s list of celebrity appearances includes Johnny Depp, America Ferrera, James Franco, Oliver Stone, and Luke Wilson, among others.
Passes for the festival range from $50 for a Film Pass to $650 for a Producer’s Badge, and are on sale on the Austin Film Festival website. Individual film tickets are also available. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy eight days of film screenings, most of which are happening in downtown Austin.
The Alamo Drafthouse and Parkside are presenting a free Rolling Roadshow screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off this Sunday, September 11th on 6th Street in downtown Austin. The evening will begin with a street party between Fifth and Sixth Streets in the 500 block of San Jacinto, which will include beer and food, and the screening begins at 9p.m. Lawn chairs and
A $5 donation is recommended and will benefit the 6ixth Street Austin Association, a nonprofit working to preserve the Sixth Street Entertainment District.
Due to the drought, the Annual Symphony and Fireworks at Auditorium Shores has been cancelled. That said, there’s still plenty to do in downtown Austin to celebrate this year’s Independence Day weekend. The Downtown Austin Alliance put together the following list of family-friendly weekend events:
The Paramount Theatre’s Summer Classic Film Series is continuing through July and offers a weekend of classic films. Beat the heat and spend the weekend watching classics like “The Leopard.”
The Scottish Rite Children’s Theatre invites the little ones out for Peter Pan. Participate in this interactive production while children help Peter defeat Neverland’s Captain Hook.
The Dinner Detective is running a special Independence Day weekend presentation of the “Give Me Liberty or Death” show.
Adventurous types can also enjoy a picnic at Zilker Park after a day of canoeing or kayaking on Lady Bird Lake.
The Austonian luxury high-rise condos in downtown Austin are located within walking distance of downtown attractions including Arthouse, The Paramount Theater and the Texas State Capitol.
Congress Avenue, known as the main street of Texas (and the first street in Austin), is dotted with significant buildings including the Texas State Capitol and The Paramount Theatre. The theatre, built in 1915, began as a vaudeville theatre known as the Majestic, and was changed to The Paramount in the 1930s when film overcame vaudeville as the entertainment art of choice.
The historically significant Paramount Theatre has thrived over the years and featured noteworthy films and performers including Katherine Hepburn, Willie Nelson, Sarah Bernhardt, Sarah Vaughan, among others. The theatre continues to screen films and is a main attraction during the Austin Film Festival and SXSW.
This summer, Austinites can enjoy The Paramount Theatre Classic Film Series, which features 80 classic films including new prints and restored foreign films. For more information about the series and tickets, visit the website.
The Austonian high rise condos at Second Street and Congress Avenue are also home to a piece of Austin’s past. The façade of the Brown-Dumas Blacksmith Shop has been restored and integrated into The Austonian along Second Street. Read more about historic preservation at The Austonian here.
A construction photo showing the entrance to the theater, which is next to BoConcept in the 2ND Street District. Photo credit: Violet Crown
Violet Crown Cinema, a small theatre specializing in documentaries, art, indie and international films, will open its doors in downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District on Friday.
The theatre features four screens, with 50 seats or fewer in each screening room. A lobby bar and patio will serve heavy appetizers to the general public (no movie ticket required). A full menu is available here. Tickets are $9 for a matinee, $11 weekdays and $13 weekends, and customers may reserve seats online.
For more information, visit the theater’s website.
The Austin Parks Foundation “Movies in the Park” series begins this Wednesday (April 13) with a screening of Spy Kids and continues on three additional Wednesday evenings in April and May in downtown Austin’s Republic Square Park.
“Movies in the Park” is free and open to the public; kids and dogs (on leash) are welcome. Shows begin at dusk, but there will be an Imagination Playground for kids and additional pre-show entertainment each week. People are encouraged to bring picnics and blankets. Food vendors and public restrooms will be on site. Additional movies (all rated PG) and dates for the series are below.
Wednesday, April 27: Casablanca Wednesday, May 11: The Hudsucker Proxy Wednesday, May 25: Napoleon Dynamite
South by Southwest (SXSW), taking place March 11-20, will bring thousands of out-of-towners to Austin and will involve more than 90 downtown venues. The festival mirrors Austin’s creativity by holding film, interactive and music festivals and conferences, each running independently with separate start and end dates (Interactive, March 11-15; Film, March 11-19; and Music, March 15-20). The three industry events reflect the increasing convergence of entertainment and media outlets by bringing people together from all over the world to meet and share ideas.
SXSW is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with more than 2,000 musicians. Though the festival is a national, industry-based event, SXSW Music links to the local music community by showcasing many of Austin’s musicians at downtown hotspots including Auditorium Shores, Stubb’s and The Paramount Theatre.
The next installment of Movies in the Park, taking place on Thursday, December 16, is a night of holiday classics in Republic Square Park. The 1960s animated versions of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” will begin at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Dogs, picnics and lawn chairs are welcome. Refreshments will be available for purchase at the park. This Movies in the Park evening is sponsored by the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Austin Parks Foundation and Alamo Drafthouse.
The 17th Annual Austin Film Festival (AFF) takes place October 21-28 in downtown Austin and beyond. The festival will showcase the very best that Austin has to offer: convenient downtown venues, fun parties at Austin’s fine bars and restaurants, and community partnerships. Over 180 films including narrative, animation and documentary feature and short films, will be shown at this year’s festival. Attendees can also look forward to premieres and advanced screenings, as well as full-feature independent films, accompanied by Q&A sessions with cast members and filmmakers.
AFF is dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television, and new media.
AFF kicks off with the annual Film & Food Gala at the historic Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin on Wednesday night. Proceeds from this evening filled with food and auctions goes to AFF’s Young Filmmakers Program.
On Wednesday, September 1st the Downtown Austin Alliance’s “Movies in the Park” will begin in the newly revamped Republic Square Park. Each Wednesday, a different film will screen on Alamo Drafthouse’s full-size inflatable screen. The Movies in the Park series is free and open to the public. The full schedule follows:
September 1 - Raiders of the Lost Ark September 8 - The Wizard September 15 - Last Starfighter September 29 - PeeWee's Big Adventure October 14 – Poltergeist
Movies will start at dusk following pre-show contests and prizes. Dogs, picnics and lawn chairs are welcome. For more information, visit http://www.downtownaustin.com/.
