This Wednesday night, in the heart of downtown Austin, a 17 year-long love affair with two of the city’s most cherished exports – food and film – opens yet another chapter. The 17th Annual Film & Food Fundraising Party, which kicks off this year’s Austin Film Festival, will take place at the Driskill from 7-10pm. Showcasing the best that an already lauded food city has to offer, it will also serve as a who’s who for attendees of the festival.

Hosted by Men In Black and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure helmer, Ed Solomon, it serves as the perfect opportunity to see the film culture of Austin and the world, at large, indulge in a night of frolic in the Austin night. Live and silent auctions will punctuate the evening, offering a host of local goods and experiences, with highlights like:

• A private wine class for 20, courtesy of Total Wine
• Date night accommodations at the Driskill or Stephen F. Austin
• Kendra Scott Jewelry
• Uchi and Uchiko experiences

But, despite all the finery on display in both the auction items and adorned by the guests in attendance, the true draw of the event is the Austin culinary community, dressed to the nines. Representatives of award-winning cuisine from the likes of Foreign and Domestic to Parkside will be setting up and serving bites created specifically for the evening. The impressive list of notable participants includes:

Offerings from Austin classics, like Ranch 616 and Vespaio, are highly anticipated, as are the relatively new creative voices like Intero and Houston-born Tiny Boxwoods. And, to wash those bites down, Austin Film Festival mainstay, Stella Artois, will be joined by local hero distillery, Garrison Brothers.

[We at Texas Lifestyle anticipate the return of elevated Frito Pie from Ranch 616 and any grilled meats that Perry’s wants to serve, all to be enjoyed with the 2019 Balmorhea from Garrison Brothers.]

It all adds up to an incredible night for an incredibly worthy cause. Proceeds from the evening’s revelry benefit AFF’s Young Filmmakers Program, which gives to the Austin community by providing outreach programs and summer camps to students, age 9-18, who are given the opportunity to grow in literacy, creative thinking, art and communication by channeling their energy into the art of filmmaking. Through this program, not only does the festival empower the next Richard Linklater, Robert Rodriguez, or Mike Judge, but it improves the lives of countless youth in the area, as well as championing the creative arts to a community in which such endeavors thrive.

Tickets are still on sale at austinfilmfestival.com, so get your ticket and get ready to enjoy a luxurious night with the best of Austin and its cherished film community.