As if there haven’t been enough festivals this month, the 17th annual Austin Film Festival starts later this week The festivals runs from Thursday Oct. 21 to Thursday Oct. 28 and showcases over 100 films at venues all over the city.
One of the biggest movies showing at the festival this year is “127 Hours.” Starring James Franco, “127 Hours” is about a man’s struggle to make it back to civilization after a boulder falls and crushes his arm while hiking in an isolated canyon in Utah. The film is directed by Danny Boyle who won the 2008 AFF Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award and an Academy Award for his film “Slumdog Millionaire.” The one and only screening of this film is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 26a the Paramount, and if you want to see this one, you better get in line early!
Another popular movies at AFF this year is “Blue Valentine” starring the smoking hot Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. “Blue Valentine” tells the story of a married couple who’s marriage has gone stale. In effort to rekindle their marriage, the couple goes to a theme hotel where years ago, they experienced a happier time in their love. The movie tells the story by switcheing between scenes of the younger, more in love couple and the present-day, older couple. Director Derek Ciamfrance is scheduled to be in attendance at the only showing on Friday Oct. 22 at 9:30 p.m. at the Paramount, and with 281 people who’ve already added it to their AFF calendar, you better show up early for this one too.
“Black Swan” is also one of the film’s getting a lot of hype at this year’s festival. The movie centers around a two ballerinas named Nina (Natalie Portman) and Lily (Mila Kunis). Both girls are trying to win the role of the swan queen in their production of “Swan Lake,” and as the girls compete with each other, they begin to create a twisted friendship, kind of like the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Ballet Austin Artistic Director Stephen Mills will introduce the movie at the only showing at 7 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 27 at the Paramount.
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