AFS Cinema – 2019 Year in Review
2019 was a stellar year at the AFS Cinema. The AFS Cinema welcomed film lovers of all ages, inspired engaging conversations, hosted luminaries, and brought the community together to watch great cinema, every day of the week. Some of the highlights this past year are listed below.
We welcomed dozens of filmmakers and luminaries, including Renee Zellwegger (JUDY), Lulu Wang (THE FAREWELL), Christine Vachon (FAR FROM HEAVEN), Agnieszka Holland (EUROPA EUROPA), and Zack Gottsagen (THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON).
“It’s always so good to be home.” – Renee Zellweger
Essential Cinema, our long-running repertory film series, visited Edith Head’s Hollywood, the films of Lee Chang Dong, Jean Vigo, Alfred Hitchcock, and Wang Bing.
We presented new films by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ciro Guerra, Hong Sang Soo, Joanna Hogg, Carlos Reygadas, Jean-Luc Godard, Wang Bing, and Jia Zhangke.
We explored the Film Noir canon, punk icon John Doe’s film picks, new films from the Middle East, and contemporary Francophone cinema from Europe, Canada, and Africa during New French Cinema Week, and some of Richard Linklater’s favorite overlooked films from the eighties.
Among the numerous films by Texas filmmakers presented at the AFS Cinema this year: the hit documentary THE RIVER AND THE WALL; ALSO STARRING AUSTIN, about the local film industry; and the award-winning WHAT YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE WORLD’S ON FIRE? by Houston-based filmmaker Roberto Minervini.
We engaged our community through partnership screenings with organizations including Austin Asian American Film Festival, Cine Las Americas, Hill Country Ride for AIDS, Zach Theatre, KUT, BookPeople, Austin Pets Alive, The Texas Tribune, Austin Chronicle, Texas Observer, The Contemporary Austin, The Blanton Museum of Art, Cinema Touching Disability, and more.
This is just a snapshot, though. The AFS Cinema offers curated programming like this year-round. By becoming a member, you’ll not only get to enjoy the great films we present, but special events like premieres, sneak previews, and member mixers. Join at the LOVE level and you can attend many of these programs for free.
2020 marks the Austin Film Society’s 35th Anniversary, and we have a lot planned to celebrate this year. So, stay tuned and we hope to see you at the Cinema.
