Austin, We Have a Problem: AFF Plans An Unbelievable Apollo 13 Retrospective!
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 9, 2009
The Austin Film Festival, which kicks off on October 22, will be hosting quite possibly one of the coolest retrospectives that any space nerd could hope for. They will welcome director Ron Howard, his brother Clint, astronaut Jim Lovell and other very special guests to the Paramount Theater for a retrospective screening of Apollo 13 on Saturday, October 24th.
The star-studded event will also include Apollo 13 screenwriters William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert (who directed one of my favorite space docs of all time, For All Mankind), as well as NASA mission control specialists Jerry Bostick, John Aaron and Sy Liebergot (who was played by Clint Howard in the film) — all of whom worked in mission control during the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.
Most impressive of all is Jim Lovell (portrayed by Tom Hanks in the film), who was the mission commander and co-author of the book “Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13,” upon which the film was based. I’m certain that seeing Apollo 13 on the big screen (something I remember doing when I was a kid), but being able to throw questions at the man who actually rode in the command module around the Moon. Seriously, if you’re around town that week, find a ticket and bring the kids for some real human history — and a movie.
Until then, stay tuned for our coverage of the Austin Film Festival. And don’t be shy, go visit AustinFilmFestival.com and check out all of the cool panelists that will be in town for the screenwriting conference, including Lost’s Damon Lindelof, Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner and Dexter’s Melissa Rosenberg.
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