Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing the writers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today a late addition to its film slate. I, TONYA, the darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history, will serve as AFF’s second Closing Night Film. Directed by Craig Gillespie, I TONYA stars Margot Robbie as Harding, Sebastian Stan as her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and Allison Janney as Harding’s acid-tongued mother. Writer Steven Rogers will be in attendance for the screening.
AFF’s other Closing Night Film, already announced, is Chappaquiddick, which details the drowning of campaign specialist Mary Jo Kopechne while trapped in a car that Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge and later failed to report. Actor Jim Gaffigan, who stars as attorney Paul Markham in the film, will be in attendance along with director John Curran and writers Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan.
AFF will also be welcoming esteemed multi-hyphenate Robert Townsend, most famous for co-writing, directing, and starring in boundary-pushing comedy Hollywood Shuffle. Townsend will participate in AFF’s Writers Conference, and will also present AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Television award to Keenen Ivory Wayans, with whom he co-wrote Hollywood Shuffle.
Also slated to attend AFF this year are Jennifer Morrison (House, Once Upon a Time) for her film Sun Dogs, producer Matt Tolmach (The Amazing Spider-Man, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) for Paige Tolmach’s documentary What Haunts Us, and actor/director James Keach (Walk the Line, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me) for his new documentary Augie.
For the full schedule of films, panels, workshops, and parties, visit www.austinfilmfestival.com.
