2019 Austin Film Festival & Conference

Matt Dartnell is a California-bred literary manager with a deep love for film, television, podcasts, and the unique voices and strange perspectives that generate these stories. His specialty is helping creatives navigate the ups and downs of Hollywood while developing great material... Read More →

Toby Halbrooks is a filmmaker from Dallas Texas. He still lives and works there. Also, he is a Wizard.

Bryce Norbitz is the Director of Scripted Programs at Tribeca Film Institute where she empowers filmmakers through grant programs, workshops, screenings and events. Bryce curates scripted projects for TFI Network, the filmmaker/industry market at Tribeca Film Festival, and provides... Read More →

Jessica Sharzer made her feature writing and directing debut with SPEAK, starring Kristen Stewart and Steve Zahn. It premiered at Sundance in 2004 and was nominated for a Writers Guild Award and a Director Guild Award. She has since developed feature films for Universal, HBO, MTV... Read More →

Chris Sparling wrote the 2010 film BURIED starring Ryan Reynolds, for which he won "Best Original Screenplay" from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. THE SEA OF TREES, which he wrote and produced -- starring Matthew McConaughey, Namoi Watts, and directed by Gus Van... Read More →

Pierce Cravens was recently appointed President of Newsweek Studios, Newsweek Magazine’s newly formed film distribution and production arm. His most recent narrative feature, SAINT FRANCES, won the Audience Award at this year’s SXSW. On Broadway, Pierce produced Nick Kroll and... Read More →

Rick Dugdale is the President and CEO of Enderby Entertainment, a film finance and production company founded in 2006 by Dugdale and his filmmaking partner, Daniel Petrie, Jr. Dugdale oversees all aspects of Enderby Entertainment’s business, finance and production and spearheads... Read More →

Jeffrey Brown has produced a number of award-winning narrative features and feature documentaries in Europe, Africa and N. America, playing festivals such as Sundance, IDFA, Tribeca, SXSW, Rotterdam, New York FF, Berlinale, Edinburgh, Durban, and being released on Netflix, HBO, Showtime... Read More →

Darrien Michele Gipson is the Executive Director of SAGindie. An M.F.A. recipient from the Peter Stark Producers Program at the University of Southern California, Darrien was formerly the Vice President of Production for DEF Pictures. As Executive Director of SAGindie, Darrien leads... Read More →