The 2026 Austin Film Festival runs through Nov. 5. The event focuses on the script stage of filmmaking, and several well-known figures are in town for it.
Pixar creative Brad Bird brought his new film, "Ray Gunn," which had its first Texas screening at the festival. Sally Field read a part in a script written by her son. Oscar winner J.K. Simmons presented two new films, "Purgatory" and "109 Billion Followers," the second of which also stars his daughter, Olivia. Other visitors included Jon Lovitz, Dale Dickey, Margo Martindale, Ben Foster and Manny Jacinto.
Texas-based actors Adrianne Palicki and Theo Rossi also have films screening at the festival. Among the films noted are "The Sketch Artist," about Lois Gibson, who used her drawings to help capture thousands of accused criminals in Houston, and "Kratom: Side Effects May Include," which looks at a lightly regulated substance linked to a rising number of deaths, including a TCU student.