Everyone's A Star

Austin Under the Stars creates a star-studded evening at AFS Cinema

By Janelle Lee Austin September 16, 2024 The 8th Annual Austin Under the Stars Film Festival is a hidden gem hosted in the heart of Austin, TX. My student short film Life Coach (shoutout to my fellow Texas State University collaborators Shamora Louis, Sohila Abdellatif, and Kevin Lopez) was selected to screen, and I was thrilled! This festival has a well-earned reputation for creating a good buzz, which is precisely why I submitted it. But attending it in person? That took it to a whole new level.

Before we even get to the actual event, let me just say—the festival organizers? Top-tier. They kept us filmmakers looped in every step of the way, making sure we were never left wondering what was happening. From the moment we got that exciting "congratulations" email to where we could download those ready-made social media assets—it was a smooth process in the best way possible.

As the festival date approached, they made it easy to plan our evening. We had detailed schedules and clear instructions on where to go, how voting worked, and what was expected of us. No surprises. Plus, having direct access to the festival organizers at all times? That's what I call transparency and A+ customer service.

Then, on Sept. 12, 2024, came the event itself, and oh, did they deliver. A glamorous red carpet with step-and-repeat (photo ops galore), incredible professional photographer (photo credit: Michael Schuermann), and a crowd full of creative minds buzzing around the Austin Film Society Cinemas. After each screening block, filmmakers got the chance to talk about their projects, and the audience could vote for their favorite film of the block—not just the entire festival. It kept the energy high all night.

Yes, the evening went a little long, but honestly, no one seemed ready to leave. The awards ceremony had to go into super speed mode, but everyone was cool with it. The winners were all beaming, and the non-winners were just as happy for them. It felt like this unspoken understanding that we were all in it together, grateful for an outstanding festival that gave us a platform to share our unique stories with an audience eager to watch.