This stunning exploration of Seri (Comcaac) basket weaving reveals the resilience and creativity of the weavers as seen through the lens of documentary photographer David Burckhalter, who has spent five decades cultivating friendships and documenting Seri traditions, landscapes, and basketry in Sonora, Mexico. 

Blending striking photography with reflections from years as a trader and observer of Seri culture, Burckhalter traces the evolution of Seri basketry from a utilitarian craft to a celebrated art form. The book examines how Seri weavers have navigated the influences of the craft economy, outside forces like anthropologists, and changing traditions, while preserving their unique oral history and spiritual connections. With detailed insights into the artistry, labor, and legends surrounding Seri baskets, this work is a tribute to the resilience and creativity of Seri women, whose weaving continues to be passed on to future generations.

Featuring more than two hundred color photographs and historic images, Baskets from the Seri Coast: Comcaac Weavers and Their Craft offers readers a visual feast that celebrates the intricate craftsmanship and cultural significance of a timeless art and the people who make it.

Austin Film Festival (AFF) is the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s creative contribution to film. Its annual Film Festival and Conference offers screenings, panels, workshops, and roundtable discussions that help new writers and filmmakers connect with mentors and gain advice and insight from masters, as well as refreshing veterans with new ideas. To extend the Festival’s reach, AFF produces On Story, a television series currently airing on PBS-affiliated stations and streaming online that presents footage of high-caliber artists talking candidly and provocatively about the art and craft of screenwriting and filmmaking, often using examples from their own films.

This book distills the advice of renowned, award-winning screenwriters who have appeared on On Story, including John Lee Hancock, Peter Hedges, Lawrence Kasdan, Whit Stillman, Robin Swicord, and Randall Wallace. In their own lively words and stories transcribed from interviews and panel discussions, they cover the entire development of a screenplay, from inspiration, story, process, structure, characters, and dialogue to rewriting and collaboration. Their advice is fresh, practical, and proven—these writers know how to tell a story on screen. Enjoy this collection of ideas and use it to jumpstart your own screenwriting career.