The Austin Film Festival (AFF) kicks off each year with its Writers Conference, a four-day event of panels and parties exploring the craft and business of screenwriting. For screenwriters, this is heaven, where they can celebrate and commiserate with their peers and idols as they learn, network, and bond.
I attended for the first time last year, and quickly honed in on the things I wish I had known before arriving in Austin. I’ll be attending again this year, where my screenplay BIGGER IN TEXAS is a Second Rounder in the Drama Feature Competition, a hard-earned win that I will be shamelessly flaunting on my badge, as any self-respecting AFF attendee should! More on that below.
The festival has its own FAQ page, but here are ten tips for how to get the most out of the conference.
[ID: A selfie of Laura, a woman with white skin, shoulder-length brown hair, glasses, wearing a black mask. Behind her is a room in the Austin Club full of other screenwriters waiting for a panel to start.]
1. Network before you arrive
If you’re like me, you’re on countless screenwriting-related email listservs, discords, and Twitter/X communities. Now is the time to start chiming in and asking if any of those anonymous screen names you’ve bonded with are heading to Austin this year. The more you make those connections now, the easier it will be to hit the ground running when you recognize each other in line for a panel, or need someone to eat a quick taco lunch with.
2. Network after you leave
Let those writerly bonds grow through the year. Everyone will be thrilled to exchange contact info after chatting, so make sure you follow up. Write down the contact info or photograph the badges of the people you loved chatting with. Create a networking spreadsheet that records what you chatted about, then drop a line to say hi after the conference. This is how friendships, collaborations, representation, and writing groups are born, so don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
[ID: Laura’s Austin Film Festival badge from 2022, complete with an image that matches her social media profile photo.]
3. Know your work
Every conversation will start with the question, "What projects have you been working on lately?" Before you leave, polish up an elevator pitch for your most recent project and a few short sentences on what you like to write, where you come from, and what makes you distinctive.
If you need direction for creating or strengthening your project elevator pitch, check out this episode of The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna, “The Elevator Pitch + Austin Film Festival Prep Workshop.”
Likewise, for your personal pitch, I recommend this article, “How to Create a Killer Personal Pitch That Will Help You Sell Your Project” (2019) by Carole Kirschner, Director of the CBS Diversity Writers Program and WGA Showrunner Training Program.
4. Bring comfy shoes
Make sure you pack shoes you can walk in. The conference does a great job at scheduling events within a walkable radius in downtown. Still, sometimes your schedule shakes out so you have to hoof it ten to twenty city blocks as fast as possible to snag a spot in a popular session.
[ID: A rainbow colored sculpture of a cowboy sitting on a long-legged horse in downtown Austin.]
Unfortunately, horses aren’t provided, so pack your good walking shoes!
5. Dress to impress your fellow writing nerds
Despite my best efforts (let’s be honest, nonexistent efforts), my collection of movie-related clothes grows year after year. If you’re like me, this is your audience – make an impression! Last year, I wore a bomber jacket that said “Don’t Fuck with Martin Scorsese” on the back… by the end of the day, I was in countless Twitter photos, and had tons of new writer friends who started conversations with me about the jacket. I was known for a day or two as “the girl with the jacket.” Go get yourself a nickname. (And will I be wearing it again this year? Of course! Come say hi.)
[ID: The writer from the back, standing in front of a green trellis, wearing a black bomber jacket with white sleeves and text that says “Don’t Fuck with Martin Scorsese.”]
6. Dress up your badge
After you buy a badge, AFF will reach out to request a badge photo. Not only should you send a photo ahead of time (which avoids a long photo line at check-in), but you should send the same photo as your favorite social media handle (Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Discord, etc.). This will help those who already follow you electronically recognize you in person, and help those you meet at the conference find you online. If you're active on social media, write your handle on your badge.
This year’s contest is already closed, but word to the wise – if you rank in the contest, they put it on your badge for everyone to see. Claim those bragging rights!
7. Minimize travel
Book lodging as close to the geographical center of the events as you can, which tends to be around the corner of 7th St. and Congress Ave. All official events are within walking distance of that point, so you likely won’t need a car during the day. And when you careen out of the Driskill Bar in the early hours of the morning, you’ll thank your past self for the short walk home.
8. Maximize panel benefits
Look at two things when choosing panels: what they are talking about, and who is saying it. Depending on where you are in your screenwriting journey, you may create a schedule designed to address your writing or industry blind spots. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to attend a topic that may not light you on fire, but features your screenwriting idol on the panel – you’ll take away critical advice regardless of what they plan to discuss.
[ID: A room in the Austin Club packed with screenwriters of various genders and skin tones. The room has a white ceiling, cream colored arches, and a chandelier.]
9. Bring a good notebook
You will be writing notes on your lap. This may sound overly specific, but I recommend bringing a hard cover, spiral bound notebook. Nothing is worse than four days straight of trying to write fast while the pages are closing on you or the notebook bends around your thighs, all while you’re furiously jotting down tips for taking a general meeting, what not to do when querying managers, and how to write dialogue that leaps off the page.
You can take notes on your phone, but the panelists you respect may perceive that as rude.
10. Hydrate and pack snacks
This ain’t amateur hour. We’re all adults. Long days and fun nights mean you’ve got to take care of yourself. Being your best self and maintaining a full schedule is hard if you’re hungover. Whether you indulge in alcohol or not, keep in mind that getting food can be time consuming, so be prepared with some hearty snacks that’ll keep you going in case of tight turnarounds between events.
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Laura Kroeger is a published film writer, screenwriter, editor, and alumni of the Women in Film and Video Narrative Script Development Fellowship. You can follow her on X/Twitter at @reel_insight.
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