The Austin Film Festival is underway  and we are there. We will be bringing you capsule interviews, Red Carpet reviews, Red Carpet interviews and more with Writers, Directors and cast in films from films we have already screened and more as we see them.  Watch this space grow as we cover this writer’s festival. An * before the film title indicates we’ve already screened the film.

Full reviews of movies below as films were released post AFF at https://moviesandshakers.com/

CHRISTY – Sydney Sweeney in a committed, tough role based on the true story of the first competitive female boxer, Christy Martin. She not only fought in the ring but with her hate-filled promoter/husband (Ben Foster), and as well as her own family trying to make a name for herself. Written and Directed by David Michôd and co-writer Mirrah Foulkes, this film gets violent in and out of the ring. Watch our Red Carpet interviews with the real Christy Martin talking about working with Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster, her dog Champ and Co-writer Mirrah Foulkes.

*WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY –  From the detailed  detective mind of mystery Writer/Director Rian Johnson is 3rd installment, again, packed with a stellar cast and details you have to pay close attention to.  Daniel Craig is back as Benoit Blanc to sort out who did what to who, and when. Josh O’Connor is excellent as the wayward pastor sent to a very strange church where the caretakers and congregants all have significant backstories. Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church are all atwitter over the death of their wacked -out pastor played manically by Josh Brolin.

Watch our interview with Rian Johnson about writing misdirection and diversion, influence of his religious background writing the film, and asked writing about his  interest in Sci Fi, would he use AI as a subject, Johnson revealed he’s producing a movie with Joseph Gordon Leavitt about AI, but not using it to make films.

*HAMNET – Chloé Zhao directs, drawing a masterpiece of emotional, exceptional performances  Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as William and Agnes Shakespeare that starts with a love story and turns into a devastating family tragedy. When their young son, Hamnet, suddenly  dies, playwright father relives his heartache by writing and presenting the play Hamlet. Based on the 2020 book by Maggie O’Farrell. No one moved in the screening we attended.

*TRAIN DREAMS- – Train Dreams beautifully visualized is directed by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar (Jockey, Sing, Sing). It follows the life of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows up logging in the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, to help expand the railroad empire alongside unforgettable characters in breathtaking landscapes. He marries Gladys (Felicity Jones), building a life for her and their daughter, trying to over come being away when tragedy strikes. AFF conversation on writing with Kwedar and casting Joel Edgerton enlightening. Interview coming.

*DEAD MAN’S WIRE – Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting) directs Bill Skarsgård as an unhinged man who takes a hostage seeking retribution from a big Mortgage company. Writer Austin Kolodney told us about the   archival footage from 1977 available and how his worked it into the script. Colman Domingo plays a popular Indianapolis radio DJ who gets up caught in the chaos, and Al Pacino is the stubborn mogul whose son, played by Dacre Montgomery, is under the gun. Incredibly taut performances in a very disturbing. This film makes you wonder who is the criminal vs. the hero in our society, even now. Having worked in news, we white-knuckled this riveting film.

*SELL OUT – Nick and Josh Holden write and direct a fun film about a writer (Josh Holden) fighting himself and writer’s block who talks out loud, incessantly, to his friends, his ex and more family members, old and young, trying to decide whether to give up his artistic integrity to be successful commercially. Serious thought along with comedy make it fun to follow a list of characters as long as your arm. We also enjoyed the musical element from talented young songwriter/singer, Adeline Holden in the film. Red Carpet and interviews coming soon.

*FORELOCK – Writer/Director Caleb Alexander Smith create a dark comedy  starring David Krumholtz and Caleb as a Superman looking character hanging out amidst the high stakes hustle on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles. An ode to Los Angeles, they told us what it was like to work together, shoot the dark comedy there. Caleb also told us about the curl at the top of his forehead is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Red Carpet interview soon.

*RENTAL FAMILY – Award-winning Writer/Director creates a genuinely touching film, magnificently visual, set in modern-day Tokyo where a struggling actor, in a very unique role, works for a Japanese “Rental Family” agency. Brendan Fraser (Academy award winning actor for The Whale) has to play relatives in families he has never met. But when he begins to have emotional feelings, and attachments to his clients, he has figure out whether he’s really doing a service for families or for himself.