EXCLUSIVE: The Austin Movie Competition has set producer Lauren Shuler Donner, writer-producer James V. Hart and filmmaker So Younger Shelly Yo as honorees of its thirtieth version, going down from October 26 – November 2.

Donner will obtain the Polly Platt Award for Producing, with Hart claiming the the Coronary heart of Movie Award and Shelly accepting the New Voice Award.

Launched in 2019 as a way of honoring producers with a eager sense of story and a historical past of fostering new expertise, the Producing prize has beforehand been bestowed upon Dede Garner, Stephanie Allain and Sarah Inexperienced.

Coming in recognition of Hart’s contributions to movie and tv, in addition to his service to the screenwriting group, the Coronary heart of Movie Award has additionally since 2013 been bestowed on the likes of Enchanted producer Barry Josephson and Beverly Hills Cop scribe Daniel Petrie Jr.

Additionally established in 2019 was the New Voice Award, recognizing distinctive and fascinating new voices in movie, tv and new media, which has beforehand gone to Nanny‘s Nikyatu Jusu, Miss Juneteenth filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples and Workin’ Mothers‘ creator and star Catherine Reitman. Shelly was named as the newest recipient given her standout work on debut function, Smoking Tigers, which is screening on the Austin Movie Competition.

Whereas in Austin to obtain their prizes, Donner, Hart and Shelly can even every participate in AFF’s Author Convention, occurring from October 26-29. Donner will host a retrospective screening in addition to “A Dialog With” panel to debate her physique of labor, with Hart to host an “On Writing” panel centered on Contact, the 1997 sci-fi drama that he co-wrote for Robert Zemeckis and Warner Bros. Shelly will take part partly through a Q&A following a screening of Smoking Tigers.

A famend producer of movie, tv and theater, Donner’s credit embody the X-Males franchise, Fairly in Pink, Free Willy, You’ve Bought Mail, She’s the Man and The Secret Lifetime of Bees, to call only a few. She has additionally exec produced a number of collection, together with FX’s Legion, and is at the moment growing a number of Broadway musicals primarily based on movies made together with her husband, the late Richard Donner. Donner additionally serves as VP, Movement Footage for the Producers Guild of America and is on the Board of each the Movement Image & Tv Fund and Lupus LA. 

Finest identified for his screenwriting work on Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Contact, Hart additionally has labored as a author and/or producer on titles like Frankenstein, Tuck Eternal, Sahara, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, August Rush, Epic and Nat Geo’s The Scorching Zone.

Yo’s first function, Smoking Tigers, which she wrote and directed, tells the story of Hayoung (Jig-young Yoo), a lonely 16-year-old Korean American woman who tries to cover her problematic household and lower-income background from her new rich pals, solely to find the struggles of maturity that can endlessly form her life. She premiered the movie on the Tribeca Competition, there claiming a number of honors, together with Finest Screenplay and Actor. Shelly can also be notably an AFF alum, having screened her shorts Moonwalk with Me and Smooth Sounds of Peeling Fruit in Austin in 2018 and 2021, respectively.

This 12 months’s Austin Writers Convention can even function conversations with Yellowjackets showrunners Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco, in addition to True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto. Further confirmed panelists embody Tracy Oliver (Ladies Journey), Gavin O’Connor (Miracle), Dan Erickson (Severance), Pamela Ribon (Nimona), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) and Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Physique), and extra will likely be introduced quickly.

To buy badges and passes to this 12 months’s Austin Movie Competition, click on right here.