The British are coming! The British are coming! As part of its lineup drop, Austin Film Festival (Oct. 28-Nov. 5) has just announced two of the most eagerly awaited films from across the pond will be receiving screenings at this year’s festival.
First up, Andrew Scott stars in Elsinore, the heartbreaking true story of Ian Charleson’s now legendary run as Hamlet at London’s National Theatre in 1990 – a part he played as he was dying of AIDS. Director Simon Stone’s film looks at how the disease cut a scar through Britain’s creative class, and how Charleson’s decision to take the part informed his performance in one of the most famous plays about accepting the end.
Acceptance of the end also hangs over the other major British addition to the lineup, with the Texas premiere of Tender Loving Care, the latest and supposedly last film feature from legendary British director Mike Leigh, starring Marion Bailey, Alice Bailey Johnson, Paul Jesson, and Widow’s Bay breakout Kate O’Flynn in a comedy-tinged drama about family and aging.
However, it’s not just Texas debuts, as the festival has also added a slate of world premieres. That means that Austin filmmaker Steven DeGennaro and another fixture of the local creative scene, Adrianne Palicki, won’t have to travel far to reach the red carpet for Remote, the techno-thriller starring the Friday Night Lights and John Wick star as a woman in physical isolation who finds that being connected to the digital world can still be dangerous as she witnesses a murder on a livestream.
The new films getting their first screen time also include Chris Gary’s intricate examination of the work of horologists Chasing Time, Australian crime comedy Pickpockets, and wedding farce The Toast, starring Nardeep Khurmi, Jon Lovitz, Michelle Ortiz, and Andy Richter.
These titles, as well as the rest of the announcement, join an already packed schedule, which includes the local debut for, well, The Debut, director Jesse Eisenberg’s story of a New Jersey housewife (Oscar-tipped Julianne Moore) going toe-to-toe with a stage play director (Paul Giamatti). The festival has now confirmed that this will be its opening night title. Meanwhile, another film already on the lineup, Behemoth!, directed by Tony Gilroy and starring Pedro Pascal, will screen as the 2026 Centerpiece selection.
Today’s announcement also adds several panels to the Writers Conference, which runs across the first four days (Oct. 29 – Nov. 1) of AFF. Take a look inside the comedy of Saturday Night Live with a conversation with Jim Downey, the funny guy who spent a record 30 years in the writers’ room (and speaking of long-running funny business, there’ll also be a chat with the folks behind Family Guy, and a discussion centered around how to keep characters memorable over 24 seasons). Then jump from 30 Rock to the Panthers’ locker room for a postgame breakdown of Friday Night Lights before going intergalactic with Inside the Making of Lanterns. For those of you that prefer your entertainment in non-episodic form, screenwriter Peter Craig provides a double bill with a chat about his gritty bank heist classic, The Town, as well as a live reading of his unproduced screenplay, Wild Four O’Clocks.
Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference runs Oct. 28-Nov. 5. Passes and info at austinfilmfestival.com. See the full list of today’s new titles below.
BUNKER (France, Spain; Sony Pictures Classics)
Texas Premiere
Writer/Director: Florian Zeller
Cast: Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Paul Dano, Patrick Schwarzenegger
When an architect accepts a morally ambiguous project – building a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire – his wife begins to question their marriage after 17 years together.
CHASING TIME (US)
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Chris Gary
Cast: Adam Golden
Adam Golden, one of the world’s top vintage watch dealers, takes us around the world and into the fascinating community of collectors, dealers, and watchmakers, exploring the history, craftsmanship, passion, and obsession behind these timeless pieces.
ELSINORE (UK, Focus Features)
Texas Premiere
Writer: Stephen Beresford
Director: Simon Stone
Cast: Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn
The deeply emotional and inspirational true story of Ian Charleson, a gifted actor whose greatest challenge becomes his greatest triumph. Facing his own mortality with unflinching honesty, wit, and grace, Charleson delivers a courageous performance that becomes a source of healing and inspiration for those around him.
MINOTAUR (France, Germany, Latvia; MUBI)
Texas Premiere
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Cast: Dmitriy Mazurov, Iris Lebedeva
A pressure cooker in cinematic form, Minotaur uncovers and indicts the heart of societal darkness with searing clarity. Uniting intimately-drawn performances and stark visual power, France’s Best International Feature Film entry to the 99th Academy Awards® is peerless work from an indisputable master.
PICKPOCKETS (Australia)
World Premiere
Writers: D.C. Fairhurst, Lucy Green
Director: D.C. Fairhurst
Cast: Lucy Green, D.C. Fairhurst, Tim Minchin, Zoe Terakes
An escalating rivalry between a lone-wolf pickpocket and a charismatic rookie is put on hold when they partner up to pull off the score of a lifetime. But when feelings get involved, their well-laid plans quickly fall apart.
PURGATORY (Canada, US)
US Premiere
Writer: Christine Speer
Director: Lindsay Lanzillotta
Cast: J.K. Simmons, Abby Elliott, John Reynolds, Jack Innanen
When her mother suddenly announces that she is moving out to “self actualize”, a sheltered, suburban 80s tween questions her faith in everything and everyone as she tries to force things back to normal and save her family.
REMOTE (US)
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Steven DeGennaro
Cast: Adrianne Palicki, Roger Guenveur Smith, Josh Cruddas
A lonely woman in a trailer watches live window views through webcams when she witnesses a murder. Armed with her tech expertise, she races to unmask the killer while staying alive.
SUMO: SPIRIT WEIGHS NOTHING (Japan)
Texas Premiere
Director: Erik Shirai
Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing grants rare inside access to Japan’s hidden world of sumo. Over a turbulent year, wrestlers at every stage of their career fight to endure, revealing that true strength is measured not in flesh, but in spirit.
TENDER LOVING CARE (UK, Bleecker Street)
Texas Premiere
Writer/Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Kate O’Flynn, Alice Bailey Johnson
Palme d’Or winner and Academy Award® nominee Mike Leigh returns with his next feature film, continuing his insightful exploration of the contemporary world. With his distinctive cinematic voice, he once again delves into themes that challenge and resonate with modern audiences.
THE TOAST (US)
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Tom W. Meyers
Cast: Jon Lovitz, Nardeep Khurmi, Michelle Ortiz, Andy Richter
A desperate wedding party scrambles to prevent the drunk Father-of-the-Bride (Jon Lovitz) from giving a disastrous welcome toast.
