Austin Film Festival’s line-up only gets better and better as we get closer to the October festival.
Lady Bird and The Current War have been announced as the opening night and centerpiece films, respectively. Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a teenager who rebels endlessly against her strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working endlessly to support her family after Lady Bird’s father loses his job. The film is the directorial debut by actress Greta Gerwig, who will be in attendance at the screening.
The Current War stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison and Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse in the epic story of the competition between the greatest inventors of the industrial age. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), The Current War also stars Katherine Waterston, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen and Tuppence Middleton. Director Gomez-Rejon will be in attendance at the festival.
Lady Bird and The Current War join a previously announced slate that includes An Ordinary Man, starring Ben Kingsley, 24 Hours to Live, starring Ethan Hawke, Please Stand By, starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette, and the premiere of the season finale of HBO’s The Deuce, with creators David Simon and George Pelecanos in attendance.
The 24th Annual Austin Film Festival takes place October 26 through November 2 in Austin, Texas.
