Austin Film Festival's On Story

This week on On Story,  a conversation with director Juel Taylor and writer-producer Tony Rettenmaier on the making of their debut, genre-bending feature, They Cloned Tyrone. The science fiction-comedy-myster-thriller stars John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx (who also served as producer) as this unlikely trio attempts to uncover a government cloning operation. The film first premiered at the American Black Film Festival before a successful Netflix release. Ever since, the film has wowed audiences and critics alike with its poignant socio-political commentary and ability to break out beyond typical genre boxes.  Longtime writing partners, Taylor and Rettenmaier met during their time at the University of Southern California’s graduate School of Cinematic Arts before co-writing the feature screenplays for Creed II and Space Jam: A New Legacy.   AFF moderator Alex Mitchell sat down with the writer-director due to talk process and collaboration. They Cloned Tyrone clips courtesy of Netflix.  

This week on On Story, a conversation with science-fiction extraordinaire Ronald D. Moore on his process creating and showrunning the Battlestar Galactica series. The 2004 Syfy episodic is a fresh take on the 1979 series created by Glen A. Larson. Set in a distant star system, a civilization of humans live among a group of planets known as the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. Together, they must navigate attacks from their enemies, the Cylons, whose primary goal is to eliminate the human race. Through four critically-acclaimed seasons, Moore crafted the series for a modern audience all while paying homage to the original source material.  Moore's early writing career started in the writers room of Star Trek: The Next Generation, during which he co-wrote twenty-seven episodes. In 1994, Moore joined the writing staff of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a supervising producer, and was elevated to co-executive producer the following year. Now, through an overall deal with Sony, Moore's production company Tall Ship Productions produces the lauded series Outlander and For All Mankind. I sat down with Ronald D. Moore, a recipient of Austin Film Festival's Outstanding Television Writing Award, to discuss his journey reimagining Battlestar Galactica. Battlestar Galactica clips courtesy of Universal City Studios, Inc.

This week on On Story,  a conversation with screenwriter Guinevere Turner on her process writing American Psycho. Though polarizing upon its release, for over two decades American Psycho has remained a cornerstone of horror cinema.   Turner herself has a dynamic career as a writer, director and actor.  Beyond American Psycho Turner wrote the films The Notorious Bettie Page, Charlie Says and her upcoming feature The Highway that Eats People. Turner also served as a story editor and played the recurring character Gabby Deveaux on Showtime’s hit queer television series, The L Word.  AFF Moderator and journalist Michael MacCambridge sat down with Turner to discuss her process adapting the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, capturing zeitgeist within the script, and blending a unique and pioneering tone of satirical horror.  American Psycho clips courtesy of Starz Entertainment.  

This week on On Story, AFF Senior Film Programer Andy Wolk sits down with writer-producer Clint Bentley and producer Monique Walton to deep-dive into the making of Sing Sing. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation through the Arts program at New York’s Sing Sing Maximum security prison, the powerful film follows a group of incarcerated men who find purpose and creativity through their prison theater troupe. The feature earned wide-spread critical acclaim, not only for the feature’s moving portrayal of change and exploration of human expression, but also for the cast’s inclusion of real-life formerly incarcerated men who were alumni of the program. The formerly incarcerated men perform alongside starring actor Colmon Domingo.  Clint Bentley co-wrote Sing Sing with the film’s director, Greg Kwedar. Bentley is known for his previous feature screenplays, Transpecos and Jockey which was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. Monique Walton is a leading indie producer and a recipient of a Film Independent Spirit Awards Producers Award. Prior, Walton produced Annie Silverstein’s award-winning debut feature Bull which premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.  Bentley and Walton discuss their process of crafting and capturing a story based on authentic life experiences and having faith the project will come together.  Sing Sing Clips courtesy of A24.

This week on On Story, a conversation with writer, director, producer and industry frontrunner, Craig Mazin. Mazin is perhaps best known for his Emmy award-winning historical Drama, Chernobyl. The HBO miniseries captivated audiences with its story of the aftermath of the 1986 disaster and earned Mazin the Emmy for Outstanding Writing on a Limited Series. Prior to his television work, Mazin gained recognition as a sharp comedy writer through features such as Scary Movie 3 and 4, Superhero Movie, The Hangover parts 2 and 3, and Identity Theif.  The prolific writer is a long-time friend of Austin Film Festival and often hosts live recordings of his industry-insider podcasted, Scriptnotes,  co-hosted with fellow writer John August, during AFF’s Annual Writers Conference each October. Eager to inform and support up-and-coming writers, the podcast discusses all things current in screenwriting. The Last of Us Clips courtesy of HBO Max.

This week on On Story, a conversation with legendary producer, Katheleen Kennedy on her impressive producing career.  Kennedy has produced or executive-produced more than 70 feature films, which have collectively garnered 120 Academy Award nominations and 25 wins. Among her credits include blockbusters and classics such as Jurassic Park, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, The Sixth Sense, the Back to the Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Goonies, Poltergeist, Empire of the Sun,  Schindler’s List, and The Color Purple….just to name a few! Not to mention, Kennedy has collaborated with some of Hollywood’s most infamous directors including Steven Spielberg, David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, and Clint Eastwood.  Today, Kennedy is the president of Lucasfilm where she produced Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the highest grossing domestic feature of all time.  I sat down with Kennedy, AFF’s 2024 Recipient of the Polly Platt Award for Producing, to discuss her vast career trajectory. Kennedy reflects on her journey from a green, yet visionary, producer to one of the most successful and respected producers in the film industry today. Kennedy outlines how she continues to find inspiration for each of her projects even after decades of experience.  Listen closely, it’s time to learn from one of the best.    E.T. The Extra Terrestrial clips courtesy of Universal pictures Empire of the Sun clips courtesy of Warner Brothers The Acolyte courtesy of Disney  

This week on On Story, AFF moderator Casey Baron speaks with leading TV writers Damon Lindelof and Dan Erickson on the art of world building. Damon Lindelof is a three-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer, best known for creating and showrunning hit supernatural and science-fiction dramas such as ABC's Lost, the HBO series The Leftovers and Watchmen, as well as Peacock's limited series Mrs. Davis. Prior to showrunning, Lindelof wrote on the crime dramas Nash Bridges and Crossing Jordan. One of television's most prolific and pre-eminent writers, Lindelof has created some of TV's most captivating worlds, such as the disturbing island backdrop of Lost, or the world with two percent of the population missing, The Leftovers. A true television mastermind, AFF was honored to give Damon its renowned Outstanding Television Writer Award, created to recognize unparalleled achievements from television creators. Lindelof was joined in conversation by Dan Erickson, the showrunner and producer of Severance, the science-fiction and psychological thriller series directed by Ben Stiller and starring Adam Scott. Severance premiered on Apple TV in 2022 and has since captivated audiences through the world of the biotechnology corporation, Lumon Industries, with its extreme employee policies. Lindelof and Erickson discuss their process of building a series world from the ground up. Severance clips courtesy of Apple TV.

This week on On Story, a conversation with lauded TV writer, Noah Hawley, whose expansive writing career includes creating and showrunning the FX series Fargo and Legion. Fargo, the award-winning anthology series, is Hawley's adaptation of the 1996 film of the same name. Each season of the comedy-crime series follows murder investigations in various midwestern towns. Since the series debuted in 2014, the star-stacked cast has included Jon Hamm, Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Ben Wisham, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor, Patrick Wilson, Jean Smart, and Kirsten Dunst, to name just a few. The series, now with five seasons released, has earned six Emmy awards and an impressive fifty-five nominations. Both the acclaimed series Fargo and Legion are produced under Noah Hawley's 26 Keys Production banner. Hawley sat down with AFF moderator and TV producer Barry Josephson for a conversation focused on Fargo. Hawley discusses his approach to finding the essence of the film when adapting it for the small screen. Fargo clips courtesy of FX. Legion clips courtesy of FX. Bones clips courtesy of Fox.

This week on On Story, AFF moderator Harrison Glaser speaks with Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof and writer Cord Jefferson about the collaborative process of adapting the beloved comic book and writing the series' Emmy Award-winning episode. Watchmen, a critically and commercially celebrated limited series, tells the story of racially motivated violence and vigilantism in the world of Alan Moore’s graphic novel by the same name. Damon Lindelof is a WGA, PGA, and Emmy award-winning writer who has created some of television’s most iconic shows, including Lost and The Leftovers. A master of smart, character-driven science fiction, Lindelof shares his perspective on breaking story and building mythology. Cord Jefferson began his writing career as a journalist. Since transitioning to television, he has worked on some of the medium’s most formative shows in recent years: Master of None, The Good Place, Succession, and Watchmen. His debut feature, American Fiction, won the Audience Award at the 30th annual Austin Film Festival. Cord discusses bringing his own perspective to well-known material and honing in on character motivation. Watchmen clips courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

This week on On Story, a conversation with the up and coming visionary, So Young Shelly Yo.  Shelly is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been supported by HBO, CAAM, SFFILM, the Sloan Foundation and others. Shelly's feature film, SMOKING TIGERS, was the winner of Tribeca x AT&T’s Untold Stories and was awarded best screenplay, best performance and a special mention for the Nora Ephron prize at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Prior to SMOKING TIGERS, Shelly wrote and directed many short films including SOFT SOUNDS OF PEELING FRUIT and MOONWALK WITH ME. She is currently in development for her next project. Shelly will discuss transitioning from writing and directing short films to her debut feature, the visually stunning and emotionally rich multi-language film Smoking Tigers. Clips of Smoking Tigers courtesy of Max.