This Special Presentation of On Story is a closer look at some of the incredible films chosen to screen at the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival. We talked with the filmmakers whose work represent some of the most original voices in filmmaking from around the world about the challenges they faced in their creative process, and the breakthroughs that led them to The Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story, director, Elizabeth Coffman, discusses her documentary feature which chronicles the life and work of acclaimed author and novelist Flannery O’Connor. O’Connor was a Southern writer who often wrote in a Southern Gothic style that relied heavily on regional settings and characters. Coffman spoke about developing the documentary and the connections between the O’Connor’s writing and personal experiences.

Flannery premieres at the Hideout Theatre on Sunday, October 27th. 

This Special Presentation of On Story is a closer look at some of the incredible films chosen to screen at the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival. We talked with the filmmakers whose work represent some of the most original voices in filmmaking from around the world about the challenges they faced in their creative process, and the breakthroughs that led them to The Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story, director, Zach Lamplugh, discusses his comedy, The Vice Guide to Bigfoot. The film tells the story of a Vice clickbait reporter sent to the Appalachian foothills to follow a crypto zoologist on the trail of the infamous Bigfoot.  

I spoke to Zac ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Alamo Drafthouse Village on Friday, October 25th. 

This Special Presentation of On Story is a closer look at some of the incredible films chosen to screen at the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival. We talked with the filmmakers whose work represent some of the most original voices in filmmaking from around the world about the challenges they faced in their creative process, and the breakthroughs that led them to The Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story, writer and director, Danish Renzu, discusses his film, The Illegal. The film stars Life of Pi actor Suraj Sharma and explores his journey living as an immigrant in Los Angeles and chasing the American Dream. A native of Kashmir and an alum of UCLA, Danish Renzu has directed several award-winning short films.

I spoke to Danish ahead of the film’s premiere at the Rollins Theatre on Saturday, October 26th. 

On this Special Presentation of On Story we're taking a closer look at some of the incredible films chosen to screen at the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival. We talked with the filmmakers whose work represent some of the most original voices in filmmaking from around the world about the challenges they faced in their creative process, and the breakthroughs that led them to The Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story, co-writers and directors Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder discuss the process of making their feature film, The Planters. The film is a whimsically stylized comedy about a woman who buries treasure in the desert and  befriends another young woman with a multitude of personalities. Kotcheff and Leder both star in the film.

This Special Presentation of On Story is a closer look at some of the incredible films chosen to screen at the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival. We talked with the filmmakers whose work represent some of the most original voices in filmmaking from around the world about the challenges they faced in their creative process, and the breakthroughs that led them to The Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story, Man Camp writer and actor, Daniel Cummings. Daniel’s best-known performances come from his recurring and guest star roles on TV shows such as NCIS and General Hospital. Cummings currently stars in Man Camp and plays one of three adult brothers who discovers their mother is engaged to a man very different from their late father.

Semi-Finalist Stories is a new series from that highlights past Script Competition Second Rounders and their experiences attending the Festival & Conference.

This week, we hear from Chance Muehleck is a writer, filmmaker, and theatre artist based in Los Angeles. His work is primarily in the genre space (sci-fi, thriller, satire). He’s a two-time semifinalist at AFF and a finalist for the Warner Brothers Television Writers Workshop. He wrote and directed the award-winning short films Sponge and Advent. He’s currently creating story content for a gaming app based on his original pitch, and has a feature in development with a director and producer attached. Chance's audio drama Dreamland reached 10,000 unique downloads in its first month of release, placing it in the top 5% of all podcast debuts. He’s co-founder of The Nerve Tank, an acclaimed independent theatre company that develops new work. His plays have been commissioned and produced by Primary Stages, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Dixon Place, and La MaMa, etc.

On this special presentation of On Story, we’re taking a closer look at some of the incredible films chosen to screen at the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival and the filmmakers behind these films. We spoke with filmmakers whose work represents some of the most original voices in filmmaking from around the world and the challenges they faced in their creative process as well as the breakthroughs that led them to Austin Film Festival.

On this week’s On Story, writer/director Van Ditthavong discusses his feature film Sleeping in Plastic. The film tells the story of a high school wrestler who becomes ensnared by an alluring drifter. Desperate to escape her sadistic lover, he is drawn deeper into the dangerous underside of his small Texas town.  

Van Ditthavong was born in Vientiane, Laos and immigrated to the US when he was 4-years-old. He began his career as an award-winning still photographer before transitioning to filmmaking. His short films have been screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, The Independent Filmmakers Showcase, The Atlanta Shortsfest, and The Pasadena International Film Festival. 

Sleeping in Plastic stars Alex MacNicoll, Addison Timlin, Nick Chinlund, and Dash Mihok and is produced by Red Entertainment and goPOP FILMS. This is Van Ditthavong's first feature directing debut.