Listen to This: Bob Byington on Today’s Independent Filmmaking Landscape

(Kaley Wheless (l) and Bob Byington (r) on the set of FRANCES FERGUSON)

FRANCES FERGUSON screens on October 26 at AFS Cinema with Director Bob Byington in attendance, followed by a Q&A moderated by actor Kevin Corrigan. Purchase tickets.

On this episode of the AFS Viewfinders podcast, AFS’s Lars Nilsen talks with Austin-based filmmaker Bob Byington about his new dark comedy FRANCES FERGUSON screening this weekend at the AFS Cinema. The film follows a young, attractive and bored Midwestern high school teacher who makes the unfortunate mistake of sleeping with one of her students, featuring Nick Offerman, Martin Starr, David Krumholtz, and newcomer Kaley Wheless in a breakout performance as Frances. Byington’s previous features include RSO (REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER) (2008), HARMONY AND ME (2009), 7 CHINESE BOTHERS (2015), and SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (2012) and INFINITY BABY (2017)—both making their premieres at SXSW.

Listen in as Byington is joined in conversation with Wheless about the making of FRANCES, the current landscape of independent filmmaking, how Austin has changed, and working with friends and frequent collaborators including Offerman, Starr, Keith Poulson, Kevin Corrigan, Kristen Tucker, and actor-director Andrew Bujalski, among many others.

Be sure to stick around on October 26—Byington will also host a special screening of Vincent Gallo’s indie classic BUFFALO ‘66 at 7:45 PM, with Corrigan joining him for a Q&A afterwards.