{"id":474340,"date":"2026-10-23T09:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/474340\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:02:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:02:18","slug":"lights-camera-atx-austin-film-festival-returns-for-its-33rd-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/474340\/","title":{"rendered":"Lights, camera, ATX! Austin Film Festival returns for its 33rd year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Lights, camera, <a href=\"Well, she has spent much of her career asking the right questions. But now, veteran journalist, you know her, you love her, Deborah Norville, the one and only is the one with all the answers, in fact, or at least the perfect line. And she's joining us now to share more about the upcoming season two, Deborah Norvill, As I Live and Breathe, right here. Thank you for joining us. Hey, how are you doing? That's a gorgeous studio you've got there, wow. Thank you so much. I mean, we love showing it off and we love having great guests like you. You have been a part of our television landscape, especially for those of us in the biz, as they say, for so long. And this is a fun kind of departure for you, for maybe what people are used to. If they didn't catch up on season one, tell us a little bit about The Perfect Line. How does this game work? Yeah, so I only think anybody had game show hosts on their bingo cards. I love what I'm doing. The Perfect Line is an attainable, accessible game show. Basically, if you put stuff in the right order, you're in the money. And if you get it to the end of the line, you have a chance to go home with as much as $15,000. I don't think we've ever given anybody the exact $15000. You'd have to get every single question right and everybody else get them wrong. So statistically, it's possible it hasn't happened. But what has happened is A ton of people have come through, played the game, won and done really cool things. Like, this money isn't gonna change your life, but it might make it better in a certain way. One girl, she won last year, and I said, what are you gonna do with the money? If you win, she said, well, my fiance and I wanna buy an RV and travel around the country. So that'd be amazing. She won, they bought the RV. Do you know that she sent me a photograph of the two of them in front of the RV saying their wedding vows in Alaska? And that's because she won the game, the perfect line. So, you know, we're here to just make life a little bit brighter for people. I love that. I think that is so fun. And hey, it hasn't happened yet. Maybe that exact amount, but we got season two to come. So maybe it will happen. This sounds like a lot of fun, Deborah. What do you think makes this so much fun? Not just for life changing, for people who are there in the studio with you, right? But for those of us at home, we can play along. Why is it so much for us too? I think the reason the game show's working and it's growing year over year is because, let's face it, what you talk about as a news anchor most of the time is pretty heavy-duty stuff. There's an affordability crisis. We have a really contentious midterm election. Gosh knows when the Ukraine situation's going to be fixed, and let's not even talk about the straight and poor moves in the Middle East. It's a mess out there. For one hour, you can come and watch the perfect line. We're not going to talk about any of those things. We're going to about fun trivia. We're going to share facts that you can amaze your friends with, for instance. Did you know 85% of the carrots grown in America come from Bakersfield, California? No. Well, it will if you watch the perfect line. So it's just a fun, escapist place where you can feel good, you'll get a smile on your face, and I'm pretty sure you'll have a good time. I love that, and I love learning little tidbits you can share with people just like that. I'm going to probably tell somebody that today, thanks, but I'm gonna put that in my back pocket. Oh good, you're welcome. We're there to serve. I love that now that's a great kind of primer for anybody who hasn't seen the show. But for those who are familiar, what is season two look like? And is there anything different we can expect? Great question. And one of the things we discovered when we were shooting the first season, people had a hard time figuring out which was before and which was after. Like, which way do I put it before? Do I put after? And we literally had a woman who stood there with a piece of poster paper beforehand with an arrow that said before, and then she flip it over after, this way or that way. What we did this year, we put an arrow on the screen. Every graphic has an arrow to help the contestants, both at home and the people playing along in the studio. Know which way it goes, this way or that way. The other thing we did is we made the graphics a lot bigger, a lot brighter. Come on, it's television, it gotta look good. So we really jazzed that up. And I think the other thing that's different, honestly, is me. I had no idea what I was doing last year. This year I got it figured out. I just was like going with the flow. So this is one guy, he's like a dance instructor or something and I said, you know, Jason's an accomplished dancer. Next thing I know, he is grabbing me by the hand, he's twirling me around the studio, the music starts playing. It was great. That is my kind of show right there. I think this has been so much, clearly a lot of fun for you. I mean, you've spent your whole, your life in. It's an absolute fault. Yeah. It was ages and stages. I had a phenomenal career as a news journalist. Right. But it was time to do something new. And I couldn't be more blessed to do this. And I am so grateful to get to be on with you, to share it, and just hope that people who might not have seen it, like, you know what, give it a whirl. I'm pretty sure you'll have a smile on your face at some point while you're watching the program. Yeah, exactly. It's infectious. You can tell, Debra. You're having a really fun time doing it, and I think that really does come across to the viewer at home, and to probably those who get to share the space with you, too. All right, Deber, I know that this, your job in this show is the one to dole it out, the host, but I'm going to switch spots. I'm in control now, Debra Norville. I would like for you to give me the perfect line to entice people to watch the perfect line. OK, if you feel like your day needs a little bit of spark, a little of laughter, a little a bit of fun, come and play The Perfect Line. You'll have the perfect time on The Perfect line. All right, if that's not on merch yet, Debra, it has to be, that's it, you gotta do that. Front and back, I guess. Next season. Season three, here we come. Debra Norville, thank you so much, friends. At home, you guys can watch The Perfect Line. It's gonna air weekdays at 3.30 right here in ATX on CBS Austin. You will have a good time with Debra in those playing and you can play along at home. Thanks for joining us today, we appreciate you. Thanks for having me.\" target=\"_blank\">Austin Film Festival!<\/a> The beloved celebration of storytelling returns for its 33rd year with an exciting lineup of films, world premieres, filmmaker conversations, and hundreds of panels. From Hollywood heavyweights to homegrown talent, there&#8217;s something for every movie lover to discover.<\/p>\n<p>We Are Austin welcomed <a href=\"Well, she has spent much of her career asking the right questions. But now, veteran journalist, you know her, you love her, Deborah Norville, the one and only is the one with all the answers, in fact, or at least the perfect line. And she's joining us now to share more about the upcoming season two, Deborah Norvill, As I Live and Breathe, right here. Thank you for joining us. Hey, how are you doing? That's a gorgeous studio you've got there, wow. Thank you so much. I mean, we love showing it off and we love having great guests like you. You have been a part of our television landscape, especially for those of us in the biz, as they say, for so long. And this is a fun kind of departure for you, for maybe what people are used to. If they didn't catch up on season one, tell us a little bit about The Perfect Line. How does this game work? Yeah, so I only think anybody had game show hosts on their bingo cards. I love what I'm doing. The Perfect Line is an attainable, accessible game show. Basically, if you put stuff in the right order, you're in the money. And if you get it to the end of the line, you have a chance to go home with as much as $15,000. I don't think we've ever given anybody the exact $15000. You'd have to get every single question right and everybody else get them wrong. So statistically, it's possible it hasn't happened. But what has happened is A ton of people have come through, played the game, won and done really cool things. Like, this money isn't gonna change your life, but it might make it better in a certain way. One girl, she won last year, and I said, what are you gonna do with the money? If you win, she said, well, my fiance and I wanna buy an RV and travel around the country. So that'd be amazing. She won, they bought the RV. Do you know that she sent me a photograph of the two of them in front of the RV saying their wedding vows in Alaska? And that's because she won the game, the perfect line. So, you know, we're here to just make life a little bit brighter for people. I love that. I think that is so fun. And hey, it hasn't happened yet. Maybe that exact amount, but we got season two to come. So maybe it will happen. This sounds like a lot of fun, Deborah. What do you think makes this so much fun? Not just for life changing, for people who are there in the studio with you, right? But for those of us at home, we can play along. Why is it so much for us too? I think the reason the game show's working and it's growing year over year is because, let's face it, what you talk about as a news anchor most of the time is pretty heavy-duty stuff. There's an affordability crisis. We have a really contentious midterm election. Gosh knows when the Ukraine situation's going to be fixed, and let's not even talk about the straight and poor moves in the Middle East. It's a mess out there. For one hour, you can come and watch the perfect line. We're not going to talk about any of those things. We're going to about fun trivia. We're going to share facts that you can amaze your friends with, for instance. Did you know 85% of the carrots grown in America come from Bakersfield, California? No. Well, it will if you watch the perfect line. So it's just a fun, escapist place where you can feel good, you'll get a smile on your face, and I'm pretty sure you'll have a good time. I love that, and I love learning little tidbits you can share with people just like that. I'm going to probably tell somebody that today, thanks, but I'm gonna put that in my back pocket. Oh good, you're welcome. We're there to serve. I love that now that's a great kind of primer for anybody who hasn't seen the show. But for those who are familiar, what is season two look like? And is there anything different we can expect? Great question. And one of the things we discovered when we were shooting the first season, people had a hard time figuring out which was before and which was after. Like, which way do I put it before? Do I put after? And we literally had a woman who stood there with a piece of poster paper beforehand with an arrow that said before, and then she flip it over after, this way or that way. What we did this year, we put an arrow on the screen. Every graphic has an arrow to help the contestants, both at home and the people playing along in the studio. Know which way it goes, this way or that way. The other thing we did is we made the graphics a lot bigger, a lot brighter. Come on, it's television, it gotta look good. So we really jazzed that up. And I think the other thing that's different, honestly, is me. I had no idea what I was doing last year. This year I got it figured out. I just was like going with the flow. So this is one guy, he's like a dance instructor or something and I said, you know, Jason's an accomplished dancer. Next thing I know, he is grabbing me by the hand, he's twirling me around the studio, the music starts playing. It was great. That is my kind of show right there. I think this has been so much, clearly a lot of fun for you. I mean, you've spent your whole, your life in. It's an absolute fault. Yeah. It was ages and stages. I had a phenomenal career as a news journalist. Right. But it was time to do something new. And I couldn't be more blessed to do this. And I am so grateful to get to be on with you, to share it, and just hope that people who might not have seen it, like, you know what, give it a whirl. I'm pretty sure you'll have a smile on your face at some point while you're watching the program. Yeah, exactly. It's infectious. You can tell, Debra. You're having a really fun time doing it, and I think that really does come across to the viewer at home, and to probably those who get to share the space with you, too. All right, Deber, I know that this, your job in this show is the one to dole it out, the host, but I'm going to switch spots. I'm in control now, Debra Norville. I would like for you to give me the perfect line to entice people to watch the perfect line. OK, if you feel like your day needs a little bit of spark, a little of laughter, a little a bit of fun, come and play The Perfect Line. You'll have the perfect time on The Perfect line. All right, if that's not on merch yet, Debra, it has to be, that's it, you gotta do that. Front and back, I guess. Next season. Season three, here we come. Debra Norville, thank you so much, friends. At home, you guys can watch The Perfect Line. It's gonna air weekdays at 3.30 right here in ATX on CBS Austin. You will have a good time with Debra in those playing and you can play along at home. Thanks for joining us today, we appreciate you. Thanks for having me.\" target=\"_blank\">Austin Film Festival <\/a>co-founder and executive director Barbara Morgan for a preview of this year&#8217;s festivities, including opening-night selections, local documentaries, and the festival&#8217;s signature Writers Conference.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"Well, she has spent much of her career asking the right questions. But now, veteran journalist, you know her, you love her, Deborah Norville, the one and only is the one with all the answers, in fact, or at least the perfect line. And she's joining us now to share more about the upcoming season two, Deborah Norvill, As I Live and Breathe, right here. Thank you for joining us. Hey, how are you doing? That's a gorgeous studio you've got there, wow. Thank you so much. I mean, we love showing it off and we love having great guests like you. You have been a part of our television landscape, especially for those of us in the biz, as they say, for so long. And this is a fun kind of departure for you, for maybe what people are used to. If they didn't catch up on season one, tell us a little bit about The Perfect Line. How does this game work? Yeah, so I only think anybody had game show hosts on their bingo cards. I love what I'm doing. The Perfect Line is an attainable, accessible game show. Basically, if you put stuff in the right order, you're in the money. And if you get it to the end of the line, you have a chance to go home with as much as $15,000. I don't think we've ever given anybody the exact $15000. You'd have to get every single question right and everybody else get them wrong. So statistically, it's possible it hasn't happened. But what has happened is A ton of people have come through, played the game, won and done really cool things. Like, this money isn't gonna change your life, but it might make it better in a certain way. One girl, she won last year, and I said, what are you gonna do with the money? If you win, she said, well, my fiance and I wanna buy an RV and travel around the country. So that'd be amazing. She won, they bought the RV. Do you know that she sent me a photograph of the two of them in front of the RV saying their wedding vows in Alaska? And that's because she won the game, the perfect line. So, you know, we're here to just make life a little bit brighter for people. I love that. I think that is so fun. And hey, it hasn't happened yet. Maybe that exact amount, but we got season two to come. So maybe it will happen. This sounds like a lot of fun, Deborah. What do you think makes this so much fun? Not just for life changing, for people who are there in the studio with you, right? But for those of us at home, we can play along. Why is it so much for us too? I think the reason the game show's working and it's growing year over year is because, let's face it, what you talk about as a news anchor most of the time is pretty heavy-duty stuff. There's an affordability crisis. We have a really contentious midterm election. Gosh knows when the Ukraine situation's going to be fixed, and let's not even talk about the straight and poor moves in the Middle East. It's a mess out there. For one hour, you can come and watch the perfect line. We're not going to talk about any of those things. We're going to about fun trivia. We're going to share facts that you can amaze your friends with, for instance. Did you know 85% of the carrots grown in America come from Bakersfield, California? No. Well, it will if you watch the perfect line. So it's just a fun, escapist place where you can feel good, you'll get a smile on your face, and I'm pretty sure you'll have a good time. I love that, and I love learning little tidbits you can share with people just like that. I'm going to probably tell somebody that today, thanks, but I'm gonna put that in my back pocket. Oh good, you're welcome. We're there to serve. I love that now that's a great kind of primer for anybody who hasn't seen the show. But for those who are familiar, what is season two look like? And is there anything different we can expect? Great question. And one of the things we discovered when we were shooting the first season, people had a hard time figuring out which was before and which was after. Like, which way do I put it before? Do I put after? And we literally had a woman who stood there with a piece of poster paper beforehand with an arrow that said before, and then she flip it over after, this way or that way. What we did this year, we put an arrow on the screen. Every graphic has an arrow to help the contestants, both at home and the people playing along in the studio. Know which way it goes, this way or that way. The other thing we did is we made the graphics a lot bigger, a lot brighter. Come on, it's television, it gotta look good. So we really jazzed that up. And I think the other thing that's different, honestly, is me. I had no idea what I was doing last year. This year I got it figured out. I just was like going with the flow. So this is one guy, he's like a dance instructor or something and I said, you know, Jason's an accomplished dancer. Next thing I know, he is grabbing me by the hand, he's twirling me around the studio, the music starts playing. It was great. That is my kind of show right there. I think this has been so much, clearly a lot of fun for you. I mean, you've spent your whole, your life in. It's an absolute fault. Yeah. It was ages and stages. I had a phenomenal career as a news journalist. Right. But it was time to do something new. And I couldn't be more blessed to do this. And I am so grateful to get to be on with you, to share it, and just hope that people who might not have seen it, like, you know what, give it a whirl. I'm pretty sure you'll have a smile on your face at some point while you're watching the program. Yeah, exactly. It's infectious. You can tell, Debra. You're having a really fun time doing it, and I think that really does come across to the viewer at home, and to probably those who get to share the space with you, too. All right, Deber, I know that this, your job in this show is the one to dole it out, the host, but I'm going to switch spots. I'm in control now, Debra Norville. I would like for you to give me the perfect line to entice people to watch the perfect line. OK, if you feel like your day needs a little bit of spark, a little of laughter, a little a bit of fun, come and play The Perfect Line. You'll have the perfect time on The Perfect line. All right, if that's not on merch yet, Debra, it has to be, that's it, you gotta do that. Front and back, I guess. Next season. Season three, here we come. Debra Norville, thank you so much, friends. At home, you guys can watch The Perfect Line. It's gonna air weekdays at 3.30 right here in ATX on CBS Austin. You will have a good time with Debra in those playing and you can play along at home. Thanks for joining us today, we appreciate you. Thanks for having me.\" target=\"_blank\">Austin Film Festival <\/a>runs October 29 through November 5, 2026, at venues across Austin. <\/p>\n<p>Watch the full video above for Barbara&#8217;s festival highlights and recommendations!<img alt=\"We Are Austin welcomed Austin Film Festival co-founder and executive director Barbara Morgan for a preview of this year's festivities, including opening-night selections, local documentaries, and the festival's signature Writers Conference.\" class=\"ImageEmbed_image__qZBo_\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"365\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4f8f4db8-83df-47ee-9cbd-317afe4c0469-IMG_6533.JPG\" width=\"648\"\/><\/p>\n<p>We Are Austin welcomed Austin Film Festival co-founder and executive director Barbara Morgan for a preview of this year&#8217;s festivities, including opening-night selections, local documentaries, and the festival&#8217;s signature Writers Conference.<\/p>\n<p>Celebrating the storytellers behind the screen<\/p>\n<p>What makes Austin Film Festival different from other film festivals? Morgan says it all comes down to the writing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re very story-oriented. It&#8217;s a writer&#8217;s festival, and we approach all of the film from the storyteller&#8217;s perspective,&#8221; Morgan said.<\/p>\n<p>That mission extends to the festival&#8217;s screenplay competition, which Morgan says receives approximately 12,500 submissions annually, helping connect emerging writers with industry professionals.<\/p>\n<p>Big names and big-screen premieres<\/p>\n<p>This year&#8217;s festival opens with &#8220;The Debut,&#8221; written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. The film follows a housewife whose involvement in community theater takes an unexpected turn.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"This year's festival opens with &quot;The Debut,&quot; written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. The film follows a housewife whose involvement in community theater takes an unexpected turn. Courtesy The Debut.\" class=\"ImageEmbed_image__qZBo_\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"365\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/48eb3a06-135c-462a-8cc7-30c415f58bbb-CourtesyTheDebut.png\" width=\"648\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This year&#8217;s festival opens with &#8220;The Debut,&#8221; written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. The film follows a housewife whose involvement in community theater takes an unexpected turn. Courtesy The Debut.<\/p>\n<p>The centerpiece selection is &#8220;Behemoth!&#8221;, Tony Gilroy&#8217;s new film starring Pedro Pascal, which blends music, mystery, and an unpredictable story.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"The centerpiece selection is &quot;Behemoth!&quot;, Tony Gilroy's new film starring Pedro Pascal, which blends music, mystery, and an unpredictable story. Courtesy BEHEMOTH!\" class=\"ImageEmbed_image__qZBo_\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"365\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/dd57ed35-0cba-473c-bf5e-b6bc3f399de0-CourtesyBEHEMOTH.png\" width=\"648\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The centerpiece selection is &#8220;Behemoth!&#8221;, Tony Gilroy&#8217;s new film starring Pedro Pascal, which blends music, mystery, and an unpredictable story. Courtesy BEHEMOTH!<\/p>\n<p>Another highlight is &#8220;I Play Rocky,&#8221; a film exploring Sylvester Stallone&#8217;s determination to bring his iconic underdog character to the screen.<\/p>\n<p>Austin stories take center stage<\/p>\n<p>Local storytelling also has a prominent place in this year&#8217;s lineup.<\/p>\n<p>Morgan highlighted documentaries celebrating Austin musicians, including trumpeter Ephraim Owens, as well as &#8220;A Man of Vision: The Story of Bill Wittliff,&#8221; honoring the influential Texas writer and filmmaker.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He really gave to the creative community here,&#8221; Morgan said of Wittliff&#8217;s legacy.<\/p>\n<p>The festival also features an extensive collection of short films, including Halloween programming.<\/p>\n<p>A festival built for writers<\/p>\n<p>The Austin Film Festival Writers Conference remains a cornerstone of the event, with approximately 200 panels exploring the creative process behind film and television.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That is really just kind of the lifeblood,&#8221; Morgan said of the conference.<\/p>\n<p>One special event features Sally Field participating in a live reading of an unproduced screenplay by Peter Craig.<\/p>\n<p>With the Paramount Theatre undergoing restoration, screenings will take place at several locations, including the Bullock Museum, State Theatre, Galaxy Theatres, and venues on the University of Texas campus.<\/p>\n<p>Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/austinfilmfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">AustinFilmFestival.com<\/a> for the complete schedule, tickets, passes, and conference information.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Lights, camera, ATX! Austin Film Festival returns for its 33rd year\" class=\"ImageEmbed_image__qZBo_\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"365\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/32f9154b-b173-4e9b-b8d2-3fb50b4d2147-AFF33FS.png\" width=\"648\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Lights, camera, ATX! Austin Film Festival returns for its 33rd year<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lights, camera, Austin Film Festival! The beloved celebration of storytelling returns for its 33rd year with an exciting&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":474341,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-474340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}