The Austin Film Society, Focus Features and Waterloo Greenway Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Dazed and Confused

The Weekend-Long Celebration Will Take Place September 16–17 and Will Include Appearances by Director Richard Linklater and Select Cast at Both Events.

July 10, AUSTIN, TX— The Austin Film Society and Focus Features will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dazed and Confused, directed by AFS Founder and Artistic Director Richard Linklater, with a weekend of special events on September 16–17, 2023. On Saturday, September 16, the Round Rock Express will host a Dazed and Confused anniversary themed baseball game with exclusive merchandise, a pre-game panel discussion with members of the film’s cast and a first pitch thrown by Linklater. Then on Sunday, September 17, the Waterloo Greenway will present a special outdoor screening of the film at the Moody Amphitheater followed by a Q&A with Linklater and select cast.

Tickets for the Round Rock Express game are available here.

Pre-sale tickets to the Waterloo Greenway outdoor screening will be available to Focus Insider members and AFS members on July 10 and to the public on July 13.

Tickets to the Waterloo Greenway outdoor screening are available here with discounts on general admission tickets for AFS members.

On September 16, baseball fans can attend a Dazed and Confused-themed game with the Round Rock Express. The evening will be filled with various celebrations of the film, including special jumbotron videos and a Dazed-inspired bobblehead giveaway for the first 1,500 fans. There will also be a pre-game reunion of select cast members who will participate in a brief panel discussion about the film. Then, in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary, Richard Linklater will throw the ceremonial first pitch of the game against the Las Vegas Aviators. Round Rock players will wear special Dazed-themed on-field jerseys, which will be autographed by the players for auction after the game, alongside a jersey autographed by the attending Dazed cast and an autographed #34 Nolan Ryan jersey to benefit the Austin Film Society and the Nolan Ryan Foundation. The evening will conclude with fireworks over Dell Diamond set to the tunes of Dazed and Confused.

For more information about the Dazed and Confused Round Rock Express game, click here or visit www.RRExpress.com.

On Sunday, September 17, there will be a special sunset screening of Dazed and Confused presented by AFS and Focus Features in partnership with Waterloo Greenway at their Moody Amphitheater in downtown Austin. Guests can begin to arrive at 7 p.m. to grab a seat and enjoy refreshments at this unique outdoor venue. The evening will begin with some pre-show content around 7:30 p.m., and the film will start at 8:30 p.m. After the screening, audiences can stay for a Q&A discussion with director Richard Linklater and select members of the film’s cast who will reflect on the legacy of the film. General admission tickets are available for pre-set seats or bring-your-own-picnic-blanket spots on the lawn of the park, and VIP Premium Lawn seats will also be available for purchase and include access to a sponsored bar and an exclusive poster for the event. There will also be exclusive 30th anniversary-themed Dazed and Confused merchandise for sale throughout the evening. Proceeds from this screening will benefit the Austin Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports local independent filmmakers and emerging creators and shows films year-round at the AFS Cinema, a non-commercial art house theater. 

For more information about the film screening at the Waterloo Greenway, click here or visit AustinFilm.org/Dazed.

Director Richard Linklater founded the Austin Film Society in 1985 and gained major attention in the film community when his second feature, Slacker, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Dazed and Confused, his third feature, first premiered in September of 1993. It was largely shot in Austin and features a variety of local landmarks including Top Notch Hamburgers and a scene shot at one of Austin’s many historic moon towers. The film’s large ensemble cast includes many now-famous actors who were just beginning their careers, including Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Parker Posey (Party Girl), Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element), Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy) and Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan). In 2013, the film was awarded the Star of Texas award in the Texas Film Hall of Fame, which was presented by Quentin Tarantino and accepted by Richard Linklater and members of the cast. In the three decades since its release, it has achieved a cult following due to its comedic coming-of-age story, its representation of ’70s stoner culture and memorable lines like McConaughey’s “alright, alright, alright.”

About Focus Features

Focus Features develops, produces, acquires, and distributes films for the global market. Focus’ library of iconic movies has garnered 150 Academy Award® Nominations and 27 wins from the industry’s leading filmmakers. The studio’s 2023 slate includes Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Drive-Away Dolls from Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 from Nia Vardalos, among others. Focus is the specialty division of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG), which also includes Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures Content Group and DreamWorks Animation. UFEG is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. For more information, please visit www.focusfeatures.com

About the Round Rock Express

The Round Rock Express Baseball Club marks its 23rd season of professional baseball in Central Texas. The club was founded as a Double-A franchise in 2000 by Ryan Sanders Baseball, a group made up of Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan, his sons Reid and Reese, Houston businessman Don Sanders and his sons, Bret and Brad. After five prosperous seasons as a member of the Double-A Texas League, the Express joined the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2005, where the club still currently competes. The Express is the Triple-A Affiliate of the Texas Rangers and calls Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, home. More information and tickets may be found at RRExpress.com.

About the Waterloo Greenway

Waterloo Greenway is a 1.5-mile park system with the power to bring the entire Austin community together. Once complete, the 35 acres of connected green space – meandering from 15th St. along downtown’s eastern edge to Lady Bird Lake – will be home to a wild array of natural and cultural destinations. Amid epic gardens and rolling pathways, and a twinkling Waller Creek that links them, the environment, arts, health, and adventure will converge — and nourish authentic and uplifting experiences that reflect our city’s diversity. A significant public-private partnership between the City of Austin and the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, this park of all parks is being planned, designed, and built in a series of geographic milestones. Meeting each one by our completion within the next 10 years is ambitious and requires support from the entire community. There’s much work yet to be done, but we’re well on our way: Symphony Square, Waterloo Park, and Moody Amphitheater are now open! Phase II started construction in May 2023.

About Austin Film Society

Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS is committed to racial equity and inclusion, with an objective to deliver programs that actively dismantle the structural racism, sexism and other bias in the screen industries. AFS supports filmmakers from all backgrounds towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More at austinfilm.org.

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