Austin Film Festival to Share Preview of John Ridley's AMERICAN CRIME, Premiering on ABC This Spring

Austin Film Festival (October 23-30), the premier film festival recognizing writers' and filmmakers' contributions to film, television and new media, released today new television programming and the lead cast for their annual staged script reading.

Austin Film Festival (AFF) will present a special preview of ABC's American Crime at the State Theatre, starring Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and W. Earl Brown among others in a talented ensemble cast. American Crime was written, directed and executive produced by Oscar winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and is produced by ABC Studios.

Whit Stillman (Damsels in Distress, Metropolitan) will present excerpts from The Cosmopolitans, a Paris-set original program from Amazon Studios starring Adam Brody and Chloë Sevigny.

American Crime and THE COSMOPOLITANS join a television slate that includes a preview of Bravo's first original scripted series, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, with creator Marti Noxon in attendance. AFF's Screenwriters Conference, held the first four days of the Festival, will include panels featuring the director of True Detective, creators of Mad Men, Masters of Sex, Fargo, Better Call Saul, My So-Called Life, Turn, Hemlock Grove, and writers/producers behind Bob's Burgers, Breaking Bad, Justified, Nashville, Archer, and more.

The 2014 annual staged script reading will feature the comedy Flarsky, by Dan Sterling (writer The Office, The Interview) in a live event co-presented by The Black List. Featured cast includes Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me), Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), and Austin Nichols (One Tree Hill).

Flarsky is a romantic comedy about a decent guy, battered by misfortune and his own self-destructive ways, who endeavors to romantically pursue the most powerful woman on earth.

Past readings have included staged presentations of unproduced screenplays such as Vince Gilligan's 2 Face, Shane Black's The Nice Guys, Maggie Carey's The To-Do List, and an unaired episode of David Milch's Luck, written by Eric Roth.

Find the full Film and Conference schedule at www.austinfilmfestival.com.

ABOUT AFF:

AFF is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft, and business of filmmakers and screenwriters. 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/passes are available for purchase at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.

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