AFF 2011 AUDIENCE AWARDS

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
THE 2011 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
Presented by Esurance

ALSO: AFF ANNOUNCES DATES FOR NEXT YEAR'S FESTIVAL & CONFERENCE: OCTOBER 18-25, 2012

AUSTIN, TEXAS (November 4, 2011) ­ The Austin Film Festival (AFF) is proud to announce the 2011 Audience Award winners. Throughout the week of the Festival and Conference (Oct. 20-27) audience members were invited to numerically rate films by ballot following each films screening. The winners are as follows:

Out of Competition Feature:
THE ARTIST
Writer/Director: Michel Hazanavicius

Narrative Feature Competition:
RESTIVE
Writer/Director: Jeremiah Jones

Documentary Feature Competition: (Tie)
ECSTASY OF ORDER: THE TETRIS MASTERS
Director: Adam Cornelius

STORIES FROM AN UNDECLARED WAR
Director: Dennis Rice

Texas Independents:
SIRONIA
Writers: Brandon Dickerson, Thomas Ward, Wes Cunningham
Director: Brandon Dickerson

Comedy Vanguard:
FRED & VINNIE
Writer: Fred Stoller
Director: Steve Skrovan

Narrative Short:
MWANSA THE GREAT
Writers: Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet
Director: Rungano Nyoni

Narrative Student Short:
BENNY
Writers: Evan Ho, Huay Bing-Law
Director: Huay Bing-Law

Animated Short:
THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE
Writer: William Joyce
Directors: William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg

Documentary Short:
ELLIOTT ERWITT: I BARK AT DOGS
Director: Douglas Sloan


The 2011 Film Competition and Screenplay/Teleplay winners have already been announced, and are available at http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/film_competition_winners_2011 and http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/screenplay_and_teleplay_winners_2011.

Last year's Audience Awards included Exporting Raymond, Dig, Make Believe, among others. The 2009 Out of Competition Audience Award Winner was Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, which was nominated for several Academy Awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director."2008 AFF Audience Award winner, Slumdog Millionaire, presented by director Danny Boyle, went on to win 8 Oscars®, including "Best Picture", "Best Director" and "Best Screenplay."

"There truly is no greater reward for a filmmaker than an Audience Award, which confirms their ability to tell a good story. Every filmmaker is a storyteller at heart, and you can't receive better validation than the approval of your audience," say AFF Film Programmers Stephen Jannise and Stephen Belyeu.

This year's Audience Award was sponsored by Esurance, the direct-to-consumer car insurance company. Esurance has been a longtime supporter of filmmakers and artists who help bring compelling stories to life.

The AFF has announced its dates for the 19th Annual Austin Film Festival and Conference, October 18-25, 2012. For information or to purchase a Badge, please call 1-800-310-FEST (3378) or visit the website at www.austinfilmfestival.com.


About Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art and craft of filmmaking by inspiring and championing the work of screenwriters, filmmakers, and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story.

The Austin Film Festival is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Special support is provided to the Austin Film Festival by Dos Equis, KVUE, KUT 90.5 FM, United/Continental Airlines, Esurance, and Wells Fargo Advisors.

About Esurance
Esurance, an Allstate company, provides personal auto insurance direct to consumers online and through select agents, including sister company Answer Financial. Esurance is dedicated to constantly improving the way people shop for, buy, and manage their auto insurance. By combining the best of technology with industry know-how, Esurance is able to offer hassle-free coverage with 24/7 customer service and claims handling at competitive prices. For more information, visit www.esurance.com and www.answerfinancial.com.