Austin Film Festival's On Story

This week on On Story we’re talking to Hustle & Flow producer, Stephanie Allain for a conversation on producing. Stephanie Allain is a producer, known for her work in both film and television. Her work includes Hustle and Flow, Beyond the Lights, and Dear White People, a political commentary turned dramedy.  Hustle & Flow follows a street hustler’s attempt to make it in the hip-hop industry, featuring several BET award-winning performances and appearances by rappers like Ludacris and Juicy J.  Beyond the Lights tells the story of a mentally-unstable woman who has been shoved toward stardom by her domineering mother and finds her trajectory changed when a young cop stops her from taking her own life.    Dear White People follows the stories of a group of black students trying to navigate life at a predominantly white, elite university.   In 2021 Allain attended the Austin Film Festival, where she received the Polly Platt Award for Producing.   Moderator Casey Baron sat down with Stephanie Allain for a panel about her work at the Austin Film Festival.   Clips of Hustle & Flow courtesy of Crunk Pictures LLC. Clips of Beyond the Lights courtesy of Blackbird Productions, LLC. Clips of Dear White People courtesy of Homegrown Pictures.

This week on On Story we welcome screenwriter Eric Roth as he talks about about his process of adapting stories from beloved properties.   Eric Roth is a producer and writer, best known for penning the screenplays for 2021’s Dune, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the Academy Award® winning adaptation, Forrest Gump.  Dune, tells a sci-fi driven hero’s journey of a young man traveling to the most dangerous planet to save his family’s future. The film took home 6 Oscars during the 2022 Academy Awards. Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt, follows the heart-wrenching story of a man living his life in reverse. The critically acclaimed film Forrest Gump, adapted from the Winston Groom novel of the same name, and which starred Tom Hanks, itself won 6 Oscars and became the top- grossing film in America during its theatrical run.   Clips of Forrest Gump courtesy of Paramount Pictures Clips of Dune courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Clips of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button courtesy of Paramount Pictures

This week on On Story we’re joined by Lipscomb University filmmakers Melissa Forte & Sumner McMurtry talking about their journey from a chance encounter at Austin Film Festival to collaborating on a short film born out of a Ghost Story writing competition. Later, we’ll sit down with Bogle Family Vinyards VP of Consumer Relations, Jody Bogle, and get her insight on producing a film rich in family history and spooky occurrences.  Melissa Forte is a filmmaker and current chair of Lipscomb University’s Department of Cinematic Arts. After six years of industry work with the Walt Disney World company, Forte spent eight years at Tenessee State University (TSU), earning tenure and building a strong program. After that time, she made the move to Lipscomb University when she was invited to chair the Department of Cinematic Arts. The skills she gained through her years of production work gave her the ability to easily transition into leading academic teams including faculty and staff. Forte is an advocate for instilling the idea that we are part of a larger society and should work to use our gifts and talents to give voice to the underestimated and often overlooked members of our communities.   Sumner McMurtry is an award-winning filmmaker from Nashville, Tennessee. His short thriller, NOT CLICKBAIT, took home the grand prize in Lipscomb University's Five Minute Film Festival and was later screened at the Nashville Film Festival, the oldest running film festival of the south. His latest short film, THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, premiered at the Austin Film Festival in 2022. Sumner has had a passion for storytelling for as long as he can remember. He spends a great deal of his time creating an array of projects for clients across the Middle Tennessee area.   I recently spoke with Melissa & Sumner about their experience creating the short film Phantom which premiered at the Austin Film Festival and working with the Bogle Family as producers. They've Been Waiting For You is the story of the resident spirit which inhabits the cellars of the Bogle Family Vineyards and the rich family history that accompanies the legend.    Next, we’re talking to Jody Bogle, who served as producer on the film THEY’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU produced in collaboration with the Libscomb University Department of Cinematic Arts.   Jody Bogle is the Vice President of Consumer Relations, at Bogle Family Vineyards. In her role, she oversees hospitality at the family’s Home Ranch tasting room, direct-to-consumer sales, and internal and external communications and leads the winery’s international sales efforts in 40 countries around the globe. After a chance encounter with members of Libscomb University, Bogle set her sights on producing a short film in celebration of Phantom Wine from her family’s vineyards. I recently spoke with Jody about her experience producing the short film with the Libscomb University crew.

Hey podcast listeners, This week on On Story we’re joined by Mare of Easttown writer Brad Ingelsby for a conversation on writing for the critically acclaimed television series.   Brad Inglesby is a screenwriter and producer known for 2013’s Out of the Furnace, 2020’s The Way Back and the subject of today’s episode, the HBO crime drama series, Mare of Easttown. Mare of Easttown follows the story of a police investigator who tries to get to the bottom of a shocking murder, all while trying to keep her life together as personal drama begins to spiral out of control. A limited series consisting of 7 gripping episodes, Mare of Easttown packs a powerful punch through its tightly-crafted story spearheaded by a career-defining performance by Kate Winslet.   We sat down with Brad Inglesby for a conversation about his work at the Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story we’re joined by Jurassic Park and Spider-Man writer David Koepp for a conversation on adaptations, collaborating with Steven Spielberg, and creating blockbusters. David Koepp is a screenwriter and director. His screenplays for Jurassic Park, a science fiction film about a wildlife park inhabited by dinosaurs, and Spider-Man, a superhero film adapted from the Spider-Man Marvel Comics series, helped the films set numerous box office records, becoming some of the highest grossing films of their time. In 2013, Koepp received the Ian McClellan Hunter Award for career achievement from the Writers Guild of America, East for his contributions to cinema.   Moderator Harison Glaser sat down with David Koepp for a panel about his work at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of Jurassic Park courtesy of Universal City Studios. Clips of Bad Influence courtesy of Epic Productions. Clips of Ghost Town courtesy of DreamWorks Films. Clips of Spider-Man courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

This week on On Story we’re joined by Westworld co-creator, writer & director Lisa Joy for a conversation on writing science fiction. Lisa Joy is a screenwriter, director, and producer. Her recent work includes Westworld, a dystopian science fiction thriller, and HBO mega-hit. Westworld has received an outstanding 54 Emmy Award nominations, including 9 wins, and Joy’s writing and producing have earned her 3 Emmy nominations. Joy attended the 2021 Austin Film Festival’s Writers Conference. Westworld is set in a futuristic amusement park where wealthy visitors are given the opportunity to experience their wildest fantasies through a mode of artificial consciousness and centers on a group of robot “hosts” who begin to diverge from their programmed scripts and exhibit abnormal behavior. Moderator Casey Baron sat down with Lisa Joy for a panel about her work at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of Westworld courtesy of Home Box Office Television Clips of Reminiscence courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures Clips of Burn Notice courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Hey podcast listeners, I’m Barbara Morgan and you’re listening to Austin Film Festival’s On Story Podcast. This week on On Story we’re joined by The Man in the High Castle and Underground Railroad writer Jihan Crowther and King Richard writer Zach Baylin for a conversation on fact vs. fiction. Jihan Crowther is a TV writer and playwright. Her work as a writer on The Underground Railroad, a powerful historical drama following runaway slaves in the old South, earned her a Writers Guild of America Awards nomination. She also helped write The Man in the High Castle, a dystopian take on what humanity would look like if the Axis powers had won World War II.  Zach Baylin is a screenwriter. He received an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay King Richard, a biographical drama about how Serena and Venus Williams’ father Richard pushed them to achieve their full potential on the tennis courts.  Moderator Casey Baron sat down with Jihan Crowther and Zach Baylin for a panel about their work at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of The Underground Railroad and The Man in the High Castle courtesy of Amazon Studios Clips of King Richard courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Hey podcast listeners, I’m Barbara Morgan and you’re listening to Austin Film Festival’s On Story Podcast. This week on On Story we’re joined by Shang-Chi and Wonder Woman 1984 writer Dave Callaham for a conversation on writing blockbusters intertwined with personal experiences. Dave Callaham is a screenwriter and producer. He co-wrote the screenplay for the highly praised Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a superhero film adapted from the Marvel comic series, and Wonder Woman 1984, a superhero film based on the DC Comics character. Callaham attended the Austin Film Festival in 2021. Shang-Chi tells the story of a martial arts master who is forced to revisit his past when he is confronted by members of a secret organization called the Ten Rings. A mix of action, adventure, and fantasy, Shang-Chi was not only an outstanding commercial success, but also a huge breakthrough in cinema as it marked Marvel’s first film with an Asian lead, director, and predominantly Asian cast. Moderator Casey Baron sat down with Dave Callaham for a panel about his work at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings courtesy of Marvel Film Studios. Clips of Doom courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

This week on On Story we’re we’re taking a look at the work of screenwriter Chase Palmer who co-wrote It: Chapter One.  Chase Palmer is a screenwriter and director known for co-authoring the screenplay for IT: Chapter One with Cary Fukinaga, as well as 2021’s Naked Singularity starring John Boyega. His two award-winning short films, Neo-Noir and Shock and Awe, have played at film festivals worldwide with his feature film debut being the adaptation of the PEN-prize winning book A Naked Singularity by by Sergio De La Pava, with Ridley Scott as a producer.   I sat down with Chase Palmer for a panel about his work at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of It: Chapter One courtesy of Warner Brothers Entertainment Clips of Naked Singularity courtesy of 150 Degrees Pictures

This week on On Story we’re joined by the showrunner behind The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Michael Schur. Michael Schur is a screenwriter, producer and character actor. He got his start writing for Saturday Night Live before becoming a producer and writer for the comedy series The Office. Schur then went on to co-create Parks and Recreation with Office producer Greg Daniels for seven seasons, ending in 2015. Later, he created The Good Place, and co-created the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Schur was also a producer on the Netflix series Master of None, starring Aziz Anzari. I spoke with Michael Schur about his work at a panel at the Austin Film Festival.   Clips of The Office, The Good Place, and Parks & Recreation courtesy of National Broadcast Company