The Austin Film Festival will host their 10th annual Film & Food Party on Wednesday, October 17 at The Driskill Hotel from 7-10 p.m. The culinary event kicks off the 19th annual Austin Film Festival, which takes place from October 18-25. The honorary chair of the evening will be well-known writer/producer/director Robert Rodriguez, noted for his work on films like Desperado, From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Machete, Sin City, and Grindhouse.

John Paul Phillips, Alexis Bledel, and Ryan Piers Williams at the 2011 Film & Food Party.

This event brings together creative minds from both the film and food industries, including Austin restaurants like Foreign & Domestic, Swift’s Attic, Olive & June, Jack Allen’s Kitchen, Ranch 616, Garrido’s, Haddington’s, TRACE, Trento, and several more. “I enjoy the creative collaboration and the chance to be a part of the rich history of Austin’s film community,” Shawn Cirkiel, executive chef of Olive & June, says of the event.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Austin Film Festival’s Young Filmmakers Program. Tickets are $90 in advance and $100 at the door. Visit Austinfilmfestival.com to purchase tickets.

Tagged: Austin Film Festival, Foreign & Domestic, garrido's, Haddington's, Jack Allen's Kitchen, Layne Lynch, Olive & June, Ranch 616, Robert Rodriguez, Swift's Attic, The Driskill Hotel, TRACE, Trento