An independent filmmaker and Hollywood trailblazer who made his mark by writing, directing, producing and starring in films like Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats and Meteor Man. Robert returns to his theater roots in his one man show Living the Shuffle.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Film Festival and a co-founder since it’s  inception in 1993, Barbara has shepherded the festival from a single weekend of films and panels into a week-long celebration of storytelling through film, television, and other emerging forms of narrative media. Recognized as the prominent festival that champions screenwriters and media creators, the festival also boasts over a dozen internationally acclaimed film and screenplay competitions, diverse youth education programs, and a sprawling calendar of year-round events. Leveraging the vast amount of footage recorded at these events since its creation, Morgan created the festivals On Story Project in 2009, and serves as the project’s Executive Producer. On Story includes a PBS television show, radio show (distributed by PRI and NPR affiliated stations), podcast series, a three-part book series (published in partnership with UT press), and extensive public archive.  Barbara has received 2 Lone Star Emmy’s for On Story episodes, Breaking Bad: A Conversation with Vince Gilligan and for the Season 8 episode Script to Screen: Arrival in 2018. Morgan is an independent film producer, whose films have included Natural Selection, Antone’s: Home of the Blues, Portrait of Wally, and Spring Eddy. She serves on a number of boards, including Dell Children’s Blood and Cancer Center, and The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. Morgan lives in Austin, Texas with her daughter, Hannah, and two dogs.

The Grammy-nominated musical duo known as Trout Fishing In America. A genre-defying band with undeniable musicianship made up of a guitar, a bass and two vocalist with 25 albums to their name. 

The president and founder of Potter & Potter Auctions specializing in the sale of  rare books, paper Americana, vintage posters, gambling memorabilia and magic antiques and collectibles. Finding and auctioning rare and unusual objects is Gabe's passion. Widely regarded as an authority on magic history and collectibles, he co-founded the auction house in 2007, after conducting a not-to-be-believed appraisal of Jay Marshall's legendary collection. Since then, he's discovered and brought to market an astonishing variety of material, from original Houdini mementos, to rare posters, early books, circus & wild west, maps & atlases, photography, movie & music memorabilia, as well as historical documents, letters & autographs. 

Diane grew up immersed in the musical soul of New York City.  Garisto sang on her first recording at the age of eight, and went on to record with artist like Billy Joel, Nile Rodgers, George Benson, Carly Simon, Laurie Anderson and Malcolm McLaren. She provided background vocals for Paul Simon on his Grammy-winning Graceland and toured internationally as a member of Steely Dan, but her career peak came in the mid ‘90s when she became a member of Laura Nyro's celebrated Harmony Group. As one of Nyro's famed backing trio, Diane toured the world with Laura and sang on the albums Live: The Loom’s Desire and Live In Japan. “Performing these songs today with a band of Manhattan’s top musicians and singers is my way of keeping Laura’s spirit vibrant and alive,” Garisto says. “For us and for her fans, Stoned Soul Picnic is a celebration of the art and soul of Laura Nyro.”

Our creative seasonal jam with musical showcases from The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, Nicole Henry, Sons of Serendip, Maia Sharp, Trout Fishing in America, Larry Miller, Martin Burke, Middleman Burr & Aubrey Logan.

A finger-flicking French magician who is the winner of the Mandrake d’Or in France and the first French female magician to fool Penn and Teller in their famous American television show Fool Us. The daughter of Dominique Duvivier, a living legend in magic, she faced a double challenge: to make a name for herself under the shadow of her illustrious father and to become a highly respected artist in the predominantly masculine world of magic. Her father didn’t push her to become a magician like himself. As a child he never showed her any tricks: it was only at the age of 15 that Alexandra decided to become, little by little, the worthy heiress of her father’s empire. She has become a favorite artist of the biggest brands for their private events: Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and  L’Oréal. She has served as a hand double for some of the most famous names in the cinema.  Alexandra has eight shows to her credit: three solo stage shows, three shows performed as a double act with her father, a children’s show and a show performed entirely in English. With her sharp humor, her pure and engaging magic, her natural empathy with both young and old, she charms and amuses her delighted audiences.  She is the founder of a French Conjuring school and an instructor for the first ever diploma in magic recognized by the Ministry of Labor in France. In 2021, she and her father created the streaming channel www.doublefond.tv  to learn magic with the greatest masters. 

The artistic directors of Pilobolus a rebellious dance company that tests the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies. They bring this tradition to global audiences through their post-disciplinary collaborations with some of the greatest influencers, thinkers, and creators in the world. They bring their decades of expertise telling stories with the human form to show diverse communities, brands, and organizations how to maximize group creativity, solve problems, create surprise, and generate joy through the power of nonverbal communication. Pilobolus has created and toured over 120 pieces of repertory to more than 65 countries. They have been featured on CBS This Morning, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC’s TODAY Show, MTV’s Video Music Awards, The Harry Connick Show, ABC’s The Chew, and the CW Network’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Pilobolus has been honored with a TED Fellowship, a 2012 Grammy® Award Nomination, a Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Programming, and several Cannes Lion Awards at the International Festival of Creativity. In 2015, Pilobolus was named one of Dance Heritage Coalition’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures”. In 2024, the book “Pilobolus: A Story of Dance and Life” was written by author Robert Pranzatelli tracking the company from its counterculture origins through its pop-culture triumphs and contemporary global acclaim. 

Claire Keane, a visual development artist for Disney and children's book illustrator, shares insights from her artistic lineage. From her family's influence to her journey through art school, Claire reflects on storytelling's pivotal role in animation and illustration. She dives into her creative process for designing iconic characters like Rapunzel and discusses the intricacies of character creation in children's literature. Claire emphasizes the importance of authenticity, intuition, and artistic freedom while balancing personal responsibilities and inspiring the next generation.

Bassist, composer, educator and actor John Brown teaches at Duke University and currently serves as Vice Provost for the Arts, Director of the Jazz Program and Professor of the Practice of Music. He has performed internationally with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Cyrus Chestnut, Diahann Carroll, Rosemary Clooney, Nell Carter, Lou Donaldson, Slide Hampton, Nicholas Payton, Frank Foster, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Fred Wesley, Bernard Purdie and Mark Whitfield, as well as giving regular performances as a substitute with the North Carolina Symphony since 1992. He has performed for President Barack Obama, and at major national and international venues and festivals in Asia, Europe and across North and South America. John has a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon’s 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free, and he has an Emmy nomination for producing the first Duke Student Arts Showcase. He has also produced and performed on recordings for Nnenna Freelon and Linda Lavin. The film One Night in Kernersville (documenting the first recording session of John’s Big Band) won “Best Short Film” at the Full Frame Film Festival, “Best Cinematography” at the Charlotte Film Festival and was featured on the Documentary Channel. John has also served multiple times as a juror and as Chair for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and for various engagements with the National Endowment for the Arts.