The 2014 Austin Film Festival has officially kick started the filmmaking season for both the film club and classes.

During the full week event, a group of 20 students were allowed to walk around downtown Austin to take part in the dozens of creative writing and filmmaking panels going on. From “How to write a story without dialogue” to “Filmmaking 101” every student is prepared to take what they learned, to the writers circle for potential movie ideas.

Not only is the festival just focused on films but the screenplay and writing process as well. Writers from movies as big as Cast Away and The Fault In Our Stars all showed up to engage the young creative minds with essential information to give their stories or screenplays a bigger sense of pride.

Two seniors who attended the event we’re interviewed.

 Jose Flores

Q: A specific panel you went to that really resonates with your writings was the Sanity Spectrum. How have you taken what you learned and implemented it into your writings?

A: It is implemented into my writing because most of my stories are about internal struggles. About fighting ourselves. Just like Narrator vs. Tyler Durden, or Donnie coming to terms with his morality.

Q: What did you like most from the Film Festival as a whole?

A: I enjoyed the atmosphere. The fact that everyone there was passionate about film. I hated the snobs, but those truly passionate let me enjoy myself

Q: How’s the progress of the current screenplays that you intend to turn in to UIL or the class?

A: I have finished the first draft, and I’m currently working on a final draft. I’m also making a storyboard along with it and it should be done this Wednesday. If I meet my deadline.

Q: Did you get to personally meet any famous directors or screenwriters?

A: I got to meet the writer of k-9 so I could ask about his advice for young writers. He told me to take it slow and wait for my coming of age, but to keep working. So that when I am an adult and am getting jobs I’m ready.

Linda Sanchez

Q: Romancing the screenplay is one of the panels you vouched for and actually got to attend. What would you say was the advice you received that you’ve really held onto

A: The advice that I really held onto was when the writers talked about how there needed to be more reality than fantasy when making a romance screenplay

Q: How did this year compare to last year?

A: I think this year we were a lot more prepared and it wasn’t as complicated as it was during the first year because now I know the film terms used and understand more on what the writers were talking about and I could relate more with them after experiencing it.

Q: Could you give the lovely readers a sneak peek at your script?

A: Right now my script is undecided since I am debating between two screenplays.

Q: Is there anything that really stood out amongst all the panels that you went to?

A: The thing that really stood out among the panels that I went to was when I went to a heroes and villains panel and I met the writer for Alice in wonderland and she gave advice to writers that it is best to feel like your story is real and that you really need to believe in your story for the audience to believe in it as well.

Q:What would you say was the best thing you got out of the festival as a whole?

A: I think the best thing I got out of the film festival as a whole was meeting experienced screenplay writers and taking in the advice that they offered to me that would benefit me for the future.