Exclusive: Austin Film Festival Announces Second Wave of Film Premieres

World Premieres With Texas Ties

Located in the heart of Texas, it’s fitting that the fest would pull a selection of authentic Texas narratives, offering an interesting slice of life look into what has become a heating-up film location over the past few years.

• Bite To Bite - A compelling documentary from Austin filmmaker Kelly Lipscomb that follows the journey of one giant Bluefin tuna from Nova Scotia to Japan.
• Pickleheads - The pickleball-centered comedy from Texas creatives Jared Bonner and Josh Flanagan that was shot in Austin.
• Armadillo Man: The Trips of Jim Franklin - The short bio-documentary about the iconic concert poster artist who helped establish the Austin music venue, Armadillo World Headquarters.
• Sell Out - A dramedy from Austin filmmakers and brothers Nick and Josh Holden about a struggling novelist.

AFF Second Wave

The following films will premiere alongside the rest of AFF’s Annual Writers Conference, which will feature awardees and panelists across all sectors of the industry.

Previously announced awardees include Rian Johnson (Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting), Christopher McQuarrie (Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking), Christine Vachon (Polly Platt Award for Producing), Yvette Lee Bowser (Outstanding Television Writer), and Greg Kwedar & Clint Bentley (Writer’s Writer Award).

NOT WITHOUT HOPE (US)
World Premiere
Written by: E. Nicholas Mariani and Joe Carnahan
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Cast: Zachary Levi, Josh Duhamel, Marshall Cook, Terrence Terrell, Quentin Plair, Floriana Lima, Jessica Blackmore, JoBeth Williams
Synopsis: Not Without Hope, based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name, tells the harrowing true story of a tragic 2009 fishing trip taken by four friends — including NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith — who are stranded at sea 70 miles off the coast of Clearwater, Florida after their boat capsizes. With the storm of the century fast approaching, the four friends are left to battle hypothermia, dehydration and the unrelenting elements in a fight for survival. As anxious families hold out hope for a miracle, U.S. Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close marshals every asset at his disposal to find the four men, resulting in the dramatic rescue of former University of South Florida football player and personal trainer Nick Schuyler.

JAY KELLY (US)
Texas Premiere
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Co-written by: Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer
Cast: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Emily Mortimer, Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Riley Keough, Isla Fisher
Synopsis: Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.

HAMNET (UK)
Texas Premiere
Directed/Co-Written by: Chloé Zhao
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn
Synopsis: From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

NO OTHER CHOICE (South Korea)
Original title: Eojjeolsugaeopda
Texas Premiere
Director: Park Chan-wook
Co-written by: Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar, Lee Kyoung-mi, Lee Ja-hye
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won
Synopsis: From director Park Chan-wook and based on Donald E. Westlake's novel THE AX, the story follows Man-su on his desperate hunt for a new job after his abrupt layoff from the paper company he served for 25 years.

TUESDAY'S FLU (US)
World Premiere
Written by: Brian Parri and Stephen Parri
Directed by: Daniel Roebuck
Cast: Ross Marquand, Jackie Earle Haley, Jon Gries, Daniel Roebuck, Tony Todd, Craig Conover
Synopsis: Drowning in debt to a ruthless bookie and blackmailed by his ex-wife, a recovering gambler sees one last chance to break free—but pulling it off means risking everything to win back his son.

BITE TO BITE (US)
World Premiere
Written/Directed by: Kelly Lipscomb
Synopsis: The fascinating story of one giant Bluefin Tuna on an unlikely journey around the world with two fishermen from Nova Scotia to the legendary Tsukiji Seafood Market in Japan and the underbelly of a lucrative but controversial global sushi industry.

PICKLEHEADS (US)
World Premiere
Written by: Jared Bonner
Directed by: Josh Flanagan
Cast: Pej Vahdat, Kristine Froseth, Jared Bonner, Harvey Guillén, John O'Hurley, Adrianne Palicki, Eric Nelsen, Ryan Cooper, Lindsey Morgan
Synopsis: A disgraced ping pong star is dragged back into the limelight by a documentary crew, hoping to capture his redemption tale in a plucky, new sport -- pickleball.

SELL OUT (US)
World Premiere
Written/Directed by: Nick Holden and Josh Holden
Cast: Nick Holden, Stephanie Hunt, Adrianne Palicki, Olivia Applegate, Jimmy Gonzales, Gabriel Luna, Temple Baker, Bill Wise
Synopsis: A neurotic novelist can’t tell if his biggest problem is the blank page, his Southern family —or his best friend’s off the rails political campaign.

ARMADILLO MAN: THE TRIPS OF JIM FRANKLIN (US)
World Premiere
Directed by: Emil Lozada
Cast: Jim Franklin, Leea Mechling, Billie Buck, Jason Mellard, Nakia
Synopsis: Armadillo Man: The Trips of Jim Franklin tells the story of Jim Franklin - the iconic concert poster artist who helped establish the Austin music venue, Armadillo World Headquarters, and is credited with making Austin “weird.”

SACRIFICIOS (Mexico)
US Premiere
Written by: Mauricio Chernovetzky and Alexander Ioshpe
Directed by: Mauricio Chernovetzky
Cast: Jorge A. Jimenez, Siddhartha Tonalli, Frida Astrid, Noé Hernandez, Costanza Andrade
Synopsis: After suffering a traumatic loss, Juan attempts to find solace in the vastness of the sea. There, a miraculous event promises to reverse everything...but at what cost?

If you’re curious to find out more about the Austin Film Festival, check out the fest’s website here.