Three-Day Recap of the 2023 Austin Film Festival

Austin Film Festival 2023 was a whirlwind of eager and creative souls crammed into a burgeoning young city with terribly expensive parking. Beforehand, I assumed the event was to view films and attend a few talks with people I may or may not have heard of. In reality, AFF felt like a bridge to… something. Whether it was making connections with people in and around the film industry or a reason to be motivated to create, it was more workshop than play time (though there were many an opportunity to do that too).

There was electricity in the air (and humidity [wearing pants and layers was not the wisest choice]), and to punctuate the evenings, screenings were held for some of the most anticipated films of the fall and winter. I was fortunate to catch Saltburn, American Fiction, and The Holdovers, all films that have viable odds of awards consideration next year and rank near the top of my favorite movies of 2023.

SALTBURN

Courtesy of Amazon Studios

My first screening and the opening night film to kick off AFF was Saltburn, Emerald Fennel’s second feature film. The lower bowl of the Paramount Theatre was alive in anticipation. Even before the film started, I’d never attended any screening where the atmosphere felt giddy. Everyone was ready for an experience, and we got one.

We follow the new, lonely kid to school, Oliver (Barry Keoghan; The Banshees of Inisherin), as he continually grows infatuated with the popular kid Felix (Jacob Elordi; Euphoria). During the film, his infatuation turns into something more sinister. Saltburn isn’t afraid to bathe itself in wretchedness and color. Certain moments felt like a technicolor nightmare but in the best way possible. We can go from golden fields and skin to steely blue overcast to bloody red whenever the emotion calls for it. “Dark comedy” feels like too small of a label; it’s almost too easy to be seduced and repulsed by our characters and environment. The humorous way the Catton’s can reduce and dismiss people will make you question your morals as you laugh out loud. It’s more than fair to question if the film’s villain is the actual villain, even when you know they are entirely villainous.

Barry Keoghan’s performance as Oliver is arresting. We know that Oliver is deeply disturbed and unsettled, but we want to stay on this destructive journey with him. And the reward for staying with him is an incredibly jaw-dropping conclusion that may seem a step out of place but feels in line with how delectably twisted Saltburn is.

AMERICAN FICTION

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

My second screening the following night was American Fiction, a biting comedy adapted from the 2001 novel Erasure by first-time director Cord Jefferson. Before and after the screening, I was able to hear Cord talk about his journey from journalist to television writer to, film director. Much like American Fiction, Jefferson has a sharp wit; he balances humor and reflection while knowing the stakes of being a young Black person trying to make it in Hollywood. I can see why Thelonious “Monk” Ellison would be attractive to him.

Brilliantly acted by Jeffrey Wright, who should be considered for Best Actor at the upcoming Oscars, Monk is brilliant but understands his place, or lack thereof, within the literary world. In American Fiction, we see how he navigates shifting tides and compromised morals during the most volatile time of his life. How the characters communicate and use humor works as a defense for their real feelings, which seems true to life. And even though the comedy hits, dramatic moments establish tangible stakes for all our characters. For a young filmmaker, Jefferson is out the gate with a very strong start. Jefferson was honored with the inaugural Writers’ Writer Award, and his first feature, American Fiction, won the Audience Award for best Marquee Feature.)

THE HOLDOVERS

Courtesy of Focus Features

The final film I saw was The Holdovers, directed by veteran filmmaker Alexander Payne, and starring Paul Giamatti. The two teamed up in 2004 to craft Sideways, one of my favorite films. (No pressure, right?) In this film, we follow a boarding school teacher in charge of students seemingly abandoned by their parents over Christmas break.

Unlike Sideways, The Holdovers has three true leading characters: Paul (Giamatti), Angus (Dominic Sessa), and Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Each actor channels deep emotional performances along with comedic moments. Paul reckons with being a curmudgeon, Angus tries to hold it together after his parents’ divorce, and Mary mourns the loss of her son. The film knows how to traverse the light and the dark while wrestling with unfulfilled potential, loneliness, familial loss, and conflict in an endearing way. Giamatti, like Wright, should be a name that comes up for Best Actor consideration.

Conclusion

Over the last five years, there’s been a raging debate over the state of the film industry: Why aren’t people going to the movies? Are we at the end of the reign of the MCU? Will studios destroy us all? Did Nicole Kidman ever leave that AMC theater? Leaving the Austin Film Festival, that level of dread wasn’t apparent.

The writing workshops and contests, the roundtables and director talks, and the casual conversations you could have in line while waiting for the next event created a sense of hope for the future. I feel very confident about where the industry can go, and AFF is an excellent example of building and nourishing a true community and a new generation of creators.

A special acknowledgment and thanks to the wonderful, hard-working staff and volunteers at the Austin Film Festival. The great work you did and will continue to do does not go unnoticed. But we need some coupons for parking. The city of Austin owes me and you a big thanks.