Stephen Frears' Lance Armstrong Film THE PROGRAM to Close Austin Film Festival

Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing the writers' contributions to film, television, and new media, released today their final program additions, including new marquee films and special guests. The 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, October 29 and runs through Thursday, November 5.

The Program joins the Festival as the 2015 Closing Night Selection, held at the historic Paramount Theatre. From Academy Award-nominated director Stephen Frears (The Queen, Philomena), comes the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most CELEBRATED and controversial men in recent history: Lance Armstrong, the world-renowned Tour de France champion. Written by John Hodge (Trainspotting), The Program features Ben Foster, Chris O'Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Dustin Hoffman, and Jesse Plemons.

The Festival revealed new marquee titles, including Love the Coopers and The 33, and a retrospective screening of Lone Star presented by AFF's Extraordinary Contribution to Film - Actor award recipient, Chris Cooper.

Confirmed guests recently slated to attend the 2015 Festival & Conference:

• Mary Kay Place will present AFF's 2015 "Outstanding Television Writer" award to Norman Lear
• Kristen Connolly joins the cast for the staged script reading of Rosaline, an unproduced screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars)
• James Moll (Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, The Last Days) joins the Conference's Independent Filmmaking Track for a discussion on documentary filmmaking
• Steve Nicolaides will present the 2015 "Extraordinary Contribution to Film" award to John Singleton
• Caroline Thompson (writer Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas) will participate as a panelist in the Screenwriters Conference

Austin Film Festival will also present a special Skype conversation with TV Legend Carl Reiner, focusing on his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show, on Saturday, October 31 during the Screenwriters Conference.

The full Film and Conference schedule, and more information on Badges and Passes, can be found at www.austinfilmfestival.com.