2026 Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference

This year will mark the 11th time I've been invited to attend the festival and conference. Here is my schedule.

Writing a Spec That Will Sell
Friday, October 30, 2026, 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT
The Austin Club

It's every screenwriter's dream - the script you wrote on spec sparks a bidding war, sells for millions, and secures Tom Cruise as the star. But before you can collect your record-breaking box office results and Academy Awards, how do you write the story that will garner Hollywood's attention? Hear from the writers who have successfully sold their spec on how they did it!

I will moderate a panel including screenwriters Alison Flierl and Mac Smullen.

Brother Save Us
Friday, October 30, 2026, 3:00pm - 5:17pm CDT
Texas Union Theatre

Writer/Director: Jesse Behrenwald
Cast: Deacon Phillippe, Thomas Murphy Molony, Chandler Riggs, Forrest Weber

In the dystopian Midwest, a lonely young boy’s budding relationship with a mysterious AI farm bot causes tensions to boil with his overworked older brother.

I will host a post-screening Q&A with Jesse and cast members Chandler Riggs and Thomas Murphy Molony.

I'm excited for this event because Jesse is a DePaul University screenwriting graduate who took two of my classes early on in my tenure at the school. We've stayed in touch over the years and I was pleased to accept Jesse's invitation to moderate the post-screening discussion.

Roadmap Writers Roundtable
Saturday, October 31, 2026, 2:30pm - 3:30pm CDT

I will be meeting with about 15-20 writers answering their questions for our hour together.

I've already set meet-ups with several writers. If you're attending this year's conference, reach out or if you see me wandering by, be sure to say hello.

The last few years, a bunch of folks brought their copies of The Protagonist's Journey for me to sign. Happy to do that this year.

Hope to see you there!

For more information about the Festival, go here.