Austin Film Fest Reveals 30th Anniversary Lineup: ‘The Bikeriders,’ ‘Saltburn,’ and More Head to Texas

Ryan Lattanzio
·5 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The Austin Film Festival has revealed the lineup for its 30th anniversary, running October 26 through November 2 — and IndieWire can share it exclusively here.

Highlights from the program include an opening night premiere of Emerald Fennell’s lusty Patricia Highsmith homage “Saltburn,” with Fennell attending, and the closing night bow of British actor-turned-filmmaker Jack Huston’s Venice premiere “Day of the Fight,” his feature directing debut starring Michael Pitt. Huston will head to the festival for a Q&A. Austin will also host a screening of Jeff Nichols’ freewheeling Midwestern motorcycle gang drama “The Bikeriders,” starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy. Writer/director Nichols will be in attendance for a Q&A. The festival will also bring Lena Headey to Austin for her feature film “The Trap.”

More from IndieWire

Other buzzy fall festival titles en route to Austin include “All of Us Strangers,” “Finestkind,” “Fingernails,” and “The Holdovers.” The film program for the 30th festival also includes the world premieres of the drama “Re: Uniting, the Texas film “ImPossible,” and “The Problem with People,” written by and starring Paul Reiser, who will be in attendance and will speak at the Writers Conference.

Austin will host a costumed (?!?) retrospective of “Iron Man 3” with writer/director Shane Black leading a discussion on the making of the movie post-screening. Other films scheduled include “The Promised Land,” “Sunlight,” “Studio One Forever,” and a screening of the pilot episode of the upcoming Paramount+ series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” executive produced by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan, Chad Feehan, who also created the show for television, and series lead David Oyelowo.

Austin Film Festival is also celebrating the launch of its new Writer’s Writer award, honoring both established storytellers and emerging voices. Austin Film Festival will present Cord Jefferson with the inaugural award to celebrate his breakout new film “American Fiction,” which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Austin Film Festival also revealed the full Writers Conference schedule, which will take place the first four days of the Festival, October 26-29. Also scheduled to appear at this year’s Conference are Dan Erickson, Tracy Oliver, Damon Lindelof, Lauren Shuler Donner, Lee Eisenberg, Celine Song, Karyn Kusama, Charmaine DeGraté, Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Joanna Calo, Scott Alexander, and Larry Karaszewski.

Marquee Features:

Saltburn – USA/UK 
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION 
Writer/Director: Emerald Fennell 
In Attendance: Emerald Fennell

The Trap – UK 
CENTERPIECE SELECTION/WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Lena Headey 
In Attendance: Lena Headey

Day of the Fight – USA 
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION 
Writer/Director: Jack Huston 
In Attendance: Jack Huston

The Bikeriders – USA 
Writer/Director: Jeff Nichols 
In Attendance: Jeff Nichols

American Fiction – USA 
Writer/Director: Cord Jefferson 
In Attendance: Cord Jefferson

Problem With People – USA/Ireland 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writers: Paul Reiser, Wally Marzano-Lesnevich 
Director: Chris Cottam 
In Attendance: Paul Reiser, Wally Marzano-Lesnevich, & Chris Cottam

The Holdovers – USA 
Writer: David Hemingson 
Director: Alexander Payne

All of Us Strangers – UK 
Writer/Director: Andrew Haigh

Finestkind – USA 
Writer/Director: Brian Helgeland 
In Attendance: Brian Helgeland

Not an Artist – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writers: Alexi Pappas, Jeremy Teicher, Matt Walsh 
Directors: Alexi Pappas, Jeremy Teicher

Smoking Tigers – USA 
Writer/Director: So Young Shelly Yo 
In Attendance: So Young Shelly Yo

Bucky F*cking Dent – USA 
Writer/Director: David Duchovny

Chestnut – USA 
Writer/Director: Jac Cron

Fingernails – USA 
Writer/Director: Christos Nikou

Last Straw – USA 
Writer: Taylor Sardoni 
Director: Alan Scott Neal

Lawmen: Bass Reeves – USA 
Writer/Creator: Chad Feehan 
Director: Christina Alexandra Voros

The Promised Land – Denmark 
Writer: Nikolaj Arcel, Anders Thomas Jensen 
Director: Nikolaj Arcel

Monster – Japan 
Writer: Yûji Sakamoto 
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu

Robot Dreams – Spain 
Writer/Director: Pablo Berger

Scab Vendor – USA 
Directors: Lucas de Barros, Mariana Robles Thome

The Disappearance of Shere Hite – USA 
Director: Nicole Newnham

Narrative Features

Grapefruit – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Chase Joliet

Autumn – Portugal 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: António Sequeira

Bolt from the Blue – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Jack Martin

Christmess – Australia 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Heath Davis

Invaders from Proxima B – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Ward Roberts

The Highest Brasil – Ireland 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Jeremy Curl

Re: Uniting – Canada 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Laura Adkin

Midnight at the Paradise – Canada 
Writer: Bill Robertson 
Director: Vanessa Matsui

Secret Art of Human Flight – USA 
Writer: Jesse Orenshein 
Director: H.P. Mendoza

Summer of Violence – USA 
Writer/Director: Nicki Micheaux

Sunlight – Ireland 
Writer: Ailbhe Keogan 
Director: Claire Dix

The Battle – Brazil 
Writer/Director: Vera Egito

Documentary Features:

Born To Fly – Sweden 
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE 
Director: Brennan Robideaux

Studio One Forever – USA 
Director: Marc Saltarelli

The Philadelphia Eleven – USA 
Director: Margo Guernsey

This Is Not Financial Advice – USA 
Directors: Chris Temple, Zach Ingrasci

First We Bombed New Mexico – USA 
Writer: Joel Marcus 
Director: Lois Lipman

Home Is A Hotel – USA 
Director: Kevin Wong

Susan Feniger. FORKED – USA 
Director: Liz Lachman

Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun – Canada 
Director: Banchi Hanuse

Dark Matters:

Wild Eyed and Wicked – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Gordon Shoemaker Foxwood

Inhabitants – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Matt McClung 

The Veil – USA 
Writer/Director: Cameron Beyl

Jonah – Canada 
Writers: Trevor Vandelac, Ben Van Kleek 
Director: Ben Van Kleek

Unfinished Business from Beyond – Mexico 
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE 
Writer: Eduardo Espindola 
Director: Ian Martin

Cannibal Mukbang – USA 
Writer/Director: Aimee Kuge

Comedy Vanguard:

Don’t Tell Larry – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writers/ Directors: Greg Porper, John Schimke

For When You Get Lost – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer: Jennifer Sorenson 
Director: Michelle Steffes 

Soweto Blaze – South Africa 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Brad Katzen

Egghead & Twinkie – USA 
Writer/Director: Sarah Kambe Holland

Villains Inc. – USA 
Writers: Matt Moen, Jason Gray, Jeremy Warner 
Director: Jeremy Warner

Sour Party – USA 
Writers/Directors: Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton

All the Wrong Ingredients – USA 
Writer/Director: Nicholas Livanos

Texas Features:

I’ll Be There – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer: Cindy McCreery 
Director: Andrew Shea

The Stars At Night – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writer/Director: Elizabeth Buckley

ImPossible – USA 
WORLD PREMIERE 
Writers: Brandon Lewis, Seckita Lewis 
Director: Seckita Lewis

Home Free – USA 
Writer: Lenny Barszap 
Director: Aaron Brown

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.