Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in Spencer, this year’s closing night film at Austin Film Festival

Get out your best royal finery: Austin Film Festival (Oct. 21-28) has announced that royal biopic Spencer will be this year’s closing night film.

Pablo Larraín’s thematic follow-up to another AFF title, 2017’s Jackie, stars Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana Spencer at a gathering of the British royal family. However, it’s no happy Christmas, as she prepares to announce that she will shatter convention by divorcing Prince Charles (Jack Farthing). The film is already stirring Oscar buzz, most especially for Stewart’s performance as the doomed princess.

The festival has previously announced the local premiere of Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, as well as opening night title The Same Storm, directed by long time friend of AFF Peter Hedges (Ben is Back, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape).

Spencer headlines a final list of new titles that includes this year’s inaugural Spotlight Film, the North American premiere of Diego Ongaro’s Down with the King, starring Grammy-nominated musician Freddie Gibbs as a rapper who abandons the studio for a simpler life in a rural farming community.

Also on today’s list are five more world premieres and a slate of features, including sci fi coming-of-age drama Spaghetti Junction, and revisionist retelling of Red Riding Hood, Briefly.

Austin Film Festival runs Oct. 21-28. Tickets and passes at austinfilmfestival.com.
Follow all our coverage at austinchronicle.com/austin-film-festival.

This article appears in October 1 • 2021.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.