Richard Linklater, a filmmaker known for his 5x Oscar-nominated career, started the Austin Film Society in 1985 to promote indie and foreign films in the Texas State Capital. The non-profit org has since expanded to include a 700-acre production lot on the site of an old airport. This has led to a thriving motion picture production economy in Texas, which has recently increased its film incentives to $150M annually over the next ten years. Linklater recently revealed his next multi-year production opus, Merrily We Roll Along, which will be released via Blumhouse’s deal with Universal, stars Beanie Feldstein, Ben Platt, Paul Mescal, and Mallory Bechtel. He also highlighted the impact of AI on the use of visual effects for independent filmmakers, stating that the tech's best use is in the hands of indie filmmakers.