Austin Film Festival Unveils 97-Film Lineup Led by The Debut
Austin Film Festival has revealed the full lineup for its 33rd annual festival, scheduled for Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, according to Variety. The edition will present 97 films from 24 countries, alongside four days of Writers Conference programming.
Jesse Eisenberg's "The Debut" will open the festival. It stars Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. An opening film is the first screening that launches the event.
The centrepiece slot goes to Tony Gilroy's "Behemoth!" starring Pedro Pascal. A centrepiece is the festival's central showcase screening, held mid-run. Gilroy is known as a writer and director, Pascal as a screen actor.
The lineup also includes Florian Zeller's "Bunker." Its cast lists Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Paul Dano, Stephen Graham and Patrick Schwarzenegger. The festival has not announced release plans for these titles, only their Austin screenings.
Austin puts writers at the front of its programme. Its Writers Conference runs talks, workshops and meetings built around screenwriting. That focus feeds its Script Competitions, which drew more than 12,500 entries for 2026, according to the Austin Film Festival.
The festival site also names its 2026 Award Honorees as Brad Bird, Andrew Haigh and Aleshea Harris. Jim Taylor will receive the 2026 Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting. The dates are set. The rooms are booked.
What makes this stand out is the balance. Star-led features sit beside a large international selection and a working writers' meeting. For fans, this means red-carpet names in October and November, plus a look at new films from 24 countries before their wider release.
