23rd Annual Austin Film Festival to Honor Paul Feig and Nancy Meyers

Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference (AFF), the premier festival that champions the writers' contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today two of its 2016 award recipients, Paul Feig and Nancy Meyers, who will be honored at the Festival's 23rd anniversary this October 13-20.

Paul Feig will accept the 2016 "Extraordinary Contribution to Film" award. Most recently, Feig wrote, directed, and produced Spy, and served as the executive producer and director for The Heat and Bridesmaids. His work on Bridesmaids garnered Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay. Feig's next film is an all-female reboot of Ghostbusters, to be released in July 2016, which he directed from a script he co-wrote with Katie Dippold. Prior, Feig wrote, produced and directed the AFF Audience Award winning film, I Am David.

Feig created and executive produced the critically acclaimed Yahoo! original series Other Space, which premiered in the spring of 2015 and marked Feig's return to television. A three-time EMMY nominated writer/director and DGA Award winner, Feig is also known for creating the beloved and critically acclaimed series Freaks and Geeks and serving as director and co-executive producer of The Office. Feig has directed multiple episodes of the television series Arrested Development, The Office, Nurse Jackie, Bored to Death, Weeds, 30 Rock, and Mad Men.

Nancy Meyers will be presented with the "Distinguished Screenwriter" award. Meyers' first film was Private Benjamin, which she co-wrote with Charles Shyer. The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, as well as earning the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen. Meyers and Shyer's additional writing credits include Irreconcilable Differences, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, and Father of the Bride Part II.

Meyers made her directorial debut with the highly popular update of the Disney Classic The Parent Trap, which she also co-wrote, and next directed the blockbuster romantic comedy What Women Want. She went on to write, direct, and produce Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday, and It's Complicated, the latter receiving three Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. In 2015, Meyers wrote, directed, and produced The Intern. Meyers was the recipient of the 2004 ShoWest Director of the Year Award; she is the first woman ever to receive this prestigious honor.

AFF also revealed new panelists confirmed to speak at the Screenwriters Conference. The full list can be found at www.austinfilmfestival.com.

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL: AFF is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin's future. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by calling 1-800-310-FEST.

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