Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN ROTHSTEIN/FOCUS FEATURES (NICHOLS); FOCUS FEATURES (EDGERTON); BEN ROTHSTEIN/WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. (MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) Director Jeff Nichols (TOP LEFT, MIDDLE RIGHT, BOTTOM LEFT) wrote and directed Loving, which stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as real-life couple Richard and Mildred Loving. DIRECTOR'S CHOICE WHY TEXAS FILM HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE JEFF NICHOLS CALLS AUSTIN HOME. BY KATHY BLACKWELL Austin filmmaker Jeff Nichols is coming off a big year, which saw the release of both the sci-fi hit Midnight Special and Loving, the story of the interracial couple whose case ended up in the Supreme Court. An Austin Film Society grant recipient in '06, Nichols is now one of the nonprofit's honorees at March 9th's Texas Film Awards, the star-studded AFS fundraiser (afs.org). The writer and director talked to Austin Way about the city's role in his success. On The Texas Film Hall of Fame: "It's amazing to be a part of this growing list of people they are inducting, but also it's part of this bigger conversation about nurtur- ing film in Texas." The local scene: "There's such a great, growing group of filmmakers. I don't often collaborate with people on a page, but there's a lot of collaboration when it comes to getting breakfast tacos with my filmmaking friends." Austin vs. LA: "I love not being in LA; Austin is a very grounded place to live, and that's what I need as a storyteller." On Best Actress Oscar nominee Ruth Negga: "She was the first person to audition. She doesn't look like Mildred, but when she's performing this role, she does." Next project? "Basically 2017 will be a year of writing. I've also negotiated a deal with Fox to remake Alien Nation. My idea doesn't have much to do with the original, but it's a cool landscape." For more of the interview with Jeff Nichols, go to austinway.com . 60 AUSTINWAY.COM SCENE PEOPLE