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Austin Film Festival

Monday, October 31, 2022 6:39 PM

I just returned today from a five-day stay in Austin, TX for the Austin Film Festival. I attended because I was chosen as a Second Rounder for the second year in a row. The festival gets over 10,000 entries per year and only choose 20% of them are designated as Second Rounders. Two percent get the honor of being Semi-Finalists. This year’s Second Rounder honor went to my feature screenplay The Forbidden Edge. Last year my feature The Loss of Silence was so chosen. 

Because of COVID, I had virtually attended the festival last year, but this year I decided to attend in-person even though COVID is still around. The festival, with its numerous panels of successful screenwriters, kept me very busy as the events are scheduled throughout the day in downtown Austin in seven or eight different buildings. Oftentimes, you only get a few minutes to grab something to eat and get to another building. Thank goodness for Kind bars! I sat with other participants to soak in all the advice unselfishly shared to us. The panels and panelists were varied but I kept hearing the same things over and over. Be yourself, keep writing, if you’re a good writer you WILL be found by the industry - so don’t give up and stay motivated, if you’re here you’ve already accomplished much. 

So, hopefully I will get to return to the festival in coming years and I thank all those who shared their business cards and stories with me.