This week on On Story we’ll hear from screenwriter Liz Hannah whose first screenplay, The Post, became an Academy Award nominated film. And later Oscar and Emmy nominated producer Sarah Green discusses her approach to producing and her frequent collaborations with filmmakers Jeff Nichols and Terrence Mallick.

This week on On Story we’ll talk with science fiction writers and filmmakers to discuss writing futuristic, out of this world stories. The team behind Skyman will discuss the freedom behind shooting a faux-documentary film. And later the writers behind Rogue One and Jurassic World: Dominion will talk about their experience writing big budget franchise films.

This week on On Story we’ll look at how true stories are told on the screen. From narrative films adapted from true events to documentaries that explore real individuals and incidents. We’ll talk with filmmakers and writers about the challenges behind balancing fact and fiction while staying true to the heart of the subject’s story.

Kieran Fitzgerald is a writer behind several projects based on true stories. He wrote the screenplay for 2016’s Snowden which depicted the events of American whistleblower Edward Snowden and co-wrote the miniseries Wormwood which examined the mysterious death of scientist and CIA employee Frank Olson in 1953. In 2007, Fitzgerald wrote and directed the documentary The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez. The film, which is narrated by Tommy Lee Jones, investigates the killing of Esequiel Hernandez Jr. who was shot and killed by an active United States Marine near the US-Mexico border. The 1997 incident marked the first time an American civilian had been killed by an on duty military personal since the 1970 Kent State shootings. I recently spoke to Fitzgerald about the research required behind bringing true stories to the screen and films ability to highlight the emotional truths behind real events.

Next up, screenwriters behind biopics and true-life narratives discuss the power that films have to drive change. David Rabinowitz, who won an Academy Award for co-writing BlacKkKlansman, Barbara Stepansky writer of Flint, and Doug Atchison writer of Brian Banks spoke with moderator Matt Dy at Austin Film Festival in a panel co-presented by Screen Craft and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

This week on On Story we’re bringing you discussions with the creative teams behind two hit comedy series. Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch will discuss their Netflix series – GLOW, which chronicles the lives of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling - a 1980’s women's wrestling circuit. And later, creators Aline Brosh McKenna and Rachel Bloom join filmmaker Katie Hyde to discuss the musical comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and the documentary Oh My God I Think It’s Over - which chronicled the creation of the final season.

Clips of GLOW courtesy of Netflix

Clips of Crazy Ex Girlfriend courtesy of  CBS Studios Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc, and The CW Network

On Story is part of a growing number of programs in Austin Film Festival’s On Story Project, including the On Story PBS series, The On Story radio program and podcast and the On Story book series. To find out more about On Story and Austin Film Festival, visit www.onstory.tv or www.austinfilmfestival.com

On Story is brought to you in part by the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, a Texas family providing innovative funding since 1979.

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the US Institute of Museum and Library Services and Texas Library and Archives Commission.

This program is also made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas the state affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

On Story is supported in part by DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts.

The show is produced by Barbara Morgan, our associate producers are Colin Hyer, Maya Perez, and Kaetie Turner. Our editors are Jamal Knox and Travis Neeley. Audio capture by Travis Kennedy. Music is by Brian Ramos. Production assistance comes from Sound Lab Inc. Travis Kennedy and KUT 90.5 in Austin. Go to AustinFilmFestival.com to find out more about the Austin Film Festival & Conference in October.

This week on On Story, Scott Rosenberg (writer Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Victoria Strouse (writer Finding Dory), and Jeffrey Lieber (writer Lost) discuss finishing scripts, trusting your gut, and finding your ‘Fade to Black’.

This week on On Story, join Netflix’s Seis Manos co-creators Alvaro Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), Brad Graeber (CEO, Powerhouse Animation), and director Willis Bulliner for a conversation on writing, developing, and animating the adult anime series. In this podcast, the team will discuss the collaborative process for creating an animated series.

If you are looking for a little inspiration or motivation to get back to your script – We are here to help.  Austin Film Festival has over 26 years of archived panels that we will be curating and releasing every Wednesday to help you work through challenges you might be facing in your work.

Looking for more resources? Check out austinfilmfestival.com for more audio, streaming suggestions, writing prompts, and more. See you next week.

This week on On Story, Alex Tse (co-creator Wu-Tang: An American Saga), David Gleeson (writer Tolkien), and Micah-Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster (co-writers A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) discuss strategies for writing an effective biopic and the art of balancing fact and fiction while staying true to the heart of your subject’s story.

If you are looking for a little inspiration or motivation to get back to your script – We are here to help.  Austin Film Festival has over 26 years of archived panels that we will be curating and releasing every Wednesday to help you work through challenges you might be facing in your work.

Looking for more resources? Check out austinfilmfestival.com for more audio, streaming suggestions, writing prompts, and more. See you next week.

This week on On Story we’ll bring you conversations with two comedy titans. VEEP showrunner and Seinfeld writer David Mandel will discuss the widely successful HBO series that wrapped in 2019 and legendary screenwriter Daniel Petrie, Jr. will examine the 1985 comedy classic Beverly Hills Cop which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Clips of Veep courtesy of Home Box Office, Inc

Clips of Beverly Hills Cop courtesy of Paramount Pictures Corporation

On Story is part of a growing number of programs in Austin Film Festival’s On Story Project, including the On Story PBS series, The On Story radio program and podcast and the On Story book series. To find out more about On Story and Austin Film Festival, visit onstory.tv or austinfilmfestival.com

On Story is brought to you in part by the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, a Texas family providing innovative funding since 1979.

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the US Institute of Museum and Library Services and Texas Library and Archives Commission.

This program is also made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas the state affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

On Story is supported in part by DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts.

The show is produced by myself, Barbara Morgan, our associate producers are Colin Hyer, Maya Perez, and Kaetie Turner. Our editors are Jamal Knox and Travis Neeley. Audio capture by Travis Kennedy. Music is by Brian Ramos. Production assistance comes from Sound Lab Inc. Travis Kennedy and KUT 90.5 in Austin. Go to AustinFilmFestival.com to find out more about the Austin Film Festival & Conference in October.

This week on On Story, we’re exploring action & description with the writers behind 22 Jump Street, Watchmen, and Jurassic World 3.

If you are looking for a little inspiration or motivation to get back to your script – We are here to help.  Austin Film Festival has over 26 years of archived panels that we will be curating and releasing every Wednesday to help you work through challenges you might be facing in your work.

Looking for more resources? Check out austinfilmfestival.com for more audio, streaming suggestions, writing prompts, and more. See you next week.

This week on On Story, the writers behind The Terror, The Chi, Mudbound, and NCIS: New Orleans explore how a location and time period can influence the tone of your story.

If you are looking for a little inspiration or motivation to get back to your script – We are here to help.  Austin Film Festival has over 26 years of archived panels that we will be curating and releasing every Wednesday to help you work through challenges you might be facing in your work.

Looking for more resources? Check out austinfilmfestival.com for more audio, streaming suggestions, writing prompts, and more. See you next week.