The Austin Film Festival begins Thursday, October 24, 2024, with many features that bring stories via documentaries and fiction. The festival runs through October 31, and there are two opportunities to view some films during the festival: at downtown venues or the Galaxy Theater.
Here is a list of featured films as a preview of the festival (with the full schedule found at: https://austinfilmfestival.com/2024-film-schedule/
Thursday, October 24 —Norita (USA), The Hideout Theater 7:30 pm CDT and Monday, 28th, at the Galaxy 3:50 pm
NORITA follows the extraordinary story of Norita Cortiñas, an Argentine human rights icon and a founding member of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, as she seeks justice for her son and thousands of others who disappeared under Argentina’s military dictatorship. The film delves into her relentless fight against impunity while exploring the personal toll of her activism. Through Norita’s story, the documentary highlights themes of resilience, human rights, and the enduring search for truth.
Friday, October 25 – I’m Still Here [Brazil] 3:20 pm at the Galaxy Theater
Brazil, 1971. Brazil faces the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children, is forced to reinvent herself after her family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government. Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir, this story portrays an important part of Brazil’s hidden history.
La Gloria [USA] 6:45 pm at the State Theater
An embittered Texas border rancher mistakenly shoots a young migrant woman as she crosses his property and must decide whether to help her, risking discovery by his estranged son, a Border Patrol Agent.
Shaman [Ecuador] at the Galaxy, 7 pm
A Missionary converting an Indigenous Community in a remote Ecuadorian volcano must come to terms with her own Faith when her son is possessed by dark forces older than her own religion.
Saturday, October 26 Unstoppable – at the Galaxy 1:15 pm -3:11 pm
It centers around the life of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a national championship in 2011 while competing at Arizona State University.
Desert Angel, at the Galaxy, 6:45 pm
An aging trailblazer of migrant search and rescue risks everything to find a mother’s missing son before the border wastelands claim the young man forever.
Sunday, October 27, Phantoms of the Sierra Madre (Norway), at the Galaxy 3 pm – 5 pm
A Danish writer embarks on a quest to locate a disappeared Apache tribe in Mexico but becomes entangled in ethical dilemmas, wrestling with the moral complexities of pursuing a tribe that ardently seeks obscurity.
The Perfect Club (Mexico), at the Galaxy 5:30 pm
A fight between Mirko and Diego, the most incompatible students in high school, sparks a legendary friendship that results in the creation of an exam-stealing club made up of the most eccentric characters in the class.
Monday, October 28, Norita (USA) at the Galaxy 3:50 pm
A mother’s search for her son accelerates the defeat of a dictatorship and inspires a new global generation of women fighting for their freedoms.
Tuesday, October 29 A Real Pain, 1:15 pm, at the Galaxy
A REAL PAIN follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the old couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. (Co-Presented by Austin Jewish Film Festival)
Shaman 29th 3:30 pm Galaxy [See above – Friday, October 25]
Desert Angel, The Hideout Theater, 4:15 pm [See above under Saturday, October 26]
La Gloria, Rollins 9:20 pm [See above – Friday, October 25]
Wednesday, October 30
Phantoms of the Sierra Madre, 3:30 pm – 5 pm, Hideout [See above -Sunday, October 27]
The Perfect Club, Galaxy 4:05 pm [See above -Sunday, October 27]
Thursday 31st
The Room Next Door, Paramount, 7 pm-8:50 pm
Writer: Pedro Almodóvar, Director: Pedro Almodóvar, Cast: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton
Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist, while Martha became a war reporter. Eventually, they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.
Source: Austin Film Festival