What to Watch at This Year’s Austin Film Festival

The 32nd annual Austin Film Festival returns Oct. 23–30 with a robust lineup of 183 films from 32 countries, alongside a week of panels, premieres, retrospectives and industry conversations held at various theaters throughout downtown Austin.

AFF Executive Director Barbara Morgan, who co-founded the festival and has led it for over two decades, describes this year’s slate as the result of years of thoughtful refinement. “We’ve had the chance to really learn our audience,” she said, “and to highlight people who are trying to break into the industry through our various avenues like the film competition.”

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Sydney Sweeney stars as world champion boxer Christy Martin in “Christy,” the opening night film of the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

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Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet.” (Courtesy of AFF)

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Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller and Callum Turner star in “Eternity,” the centerpiece film of the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

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“Dead Man’s Wire,” has its Texas premiere at the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

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Will Arnett stars in “Is This Thing On?,” directed by Bradley Cooper, screening at the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

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Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” screening at the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

Austin Film Fest headliners

Among this year’s most anticipated features are “Christy,” the opening night selection starring Sydney Sweeney as world champion boxer Christy Martin; “Hamnet,” a historical drama from Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley; and “Eternity,” an A24 metaphysical afterlife romance with Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller.

Other buzzworthy titles include “Dead Man’s Wire,” featuring Bill Skarsgård and Al Pacino in a tense true-crime standoff; “Is This Thing On?,” Bradley Cooper’s directorial follow-up starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern; and “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” with Rian Johnson returning alongside Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc.

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Kristine Froseth and Jared Bonner star in “Pickleheads,” a locally shot comedy making its world premiere at the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

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Nick Holden stars in “Sell Out,” a dramedy from Austin-based filmmakers Nick and Josh Holden. (Courtesy of AFF)

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Ryan Hansen and Adrianne Palicki appear in “The Long Shot,” an Austin-based comedy. (Courtesy of AFF)

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Texas musician Charley Crockett is the focus of “Charley Crockett: $10 Cowboy,” a documentary feature premiering at the 2025 Austin Film Festival. (Courtesy of AFF)

Local films to look out for

Texas filmmaking takes a prominent role this year, with several world premieres by local artists. These include “Pickleheads,” a comedy shot in Austin by Jared Bonner and Josh Flanagan; “Sell Out,” a dramedy by Austin-based brothers Nick and Josh Holden; and “The Long Shot,” a laid-back comedy set at the city’s historic municipal golf course.

“Charley Crockett: $10 Cowboy,” a documentary feature, offers a close-up view of the Texas musician’s journey, while “Armadillo Man: The Trips of Jim Franklin,” a documentary short, explores the life of the poster artist who helped define the visual culture of Austin’s music scene in the 1970s.

This year’s retrospectives highlight enduring works by screenwriters. A 4K restoration of “A Knight’s Tale” will screen with writer/director Brian Helgeland in attendance. David Fincher’s “Se7en,” written by Andrew Kevin Walker, also returns to the big screen, accompanied by a Q&A with Walker.

A celebration of storytelling

The concurrent Writers Conference, running Oct. 23–26, gathers some of the industry’s most influential voices. Notable sessions include “The Art of Time Travel” with Rian Johnson (“Looper”) and Christopher McQuarrie (“Edge of Tomorrow”), as well as panels featuring Michael Arndt (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Tim Herlihy (“Saturday Night Live”) and others.

Morgan emphasized that the event is not just for aspiring screenwriters or insiders. “It’s really for the public to hear what drives these creators,” she said. “That’s inspiring, whether you’re in the tech industry or have an office job.”

For attendees crafting their own experience, AFF offers an online scheduling tool called SCED. Morgan encourages guests to take creative risks. “Pick a couple of competition films you know nothing about,” she said. “Those are the people who might be filmmakers you’ll know in the future.”

She also encourages festivalgoers not to overlook the short film programs. “Short films are a really incredible art form,” she said. “They can be quite powerful.”

The festival officially kicks off Oct. 22 with its signature Film & Food fundraiser at Distribution Hall. Featuring dishes from more than 20 Austin restaurants, the event supports AFF’s year-round educational programs, including high school screenwriting workshops and scholarships for students across Texas.

With attendance hovering around 14,000 annually, AFF remains a destination for filmmakers, audiences and writers from around the world. “People talk about how inspired they are when they leave,” said Morgan. “It’s just a big pool of inspiration here. They’re excited to talk about their ideas — excited to share.”

Individual tickets to select screenings are also available. For a full schedule, badges, or single-ticket information, visit their website.

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