Carnivalesque Films releases Orphans on DVD on Sept. 30.
Without a doubt, it's a sucky time for a true indie film to get any kind of traditional distribution deal. There are a lot of people currently trying to rethink how to get those indies out into the world (and leading the vanguard is former South by Southwest director Matt Dentler). Also fighting the good fight? Filmmaking partners and SXSW regulars Ashley Sabin and David Redmon.
Sabin and Redmon not too long ago founded Carnivalesque Films in order to continue producing and distributing their own films, but also to pick up and distribute other indie gems – what Sabin described in a recent e-mail as "great films that [are] usually RIP after the festival circuit."
Carnivalesque first released Redmon's Mardi Gras: Made in China on July 29 in stores and at online rental sites, and now the company is distributing Orphans, a family drama which won the special jury award at SXSW 07 and is directed by Ry Russo-Young (she played Hannah's roommate in Hannah Takes the Stairs – and, honestly, who needs six degrees when you've got South By smack in the center?).
Orphans will be released Sept. 30. In October, Carnivalesque will release Austinite Sam Douglas and Paul Lovelace's documentary The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose.
The Austin Film Festival hit another one out of the park -- they just announced this year's Outstanding Television Award Honoree, and it's Greg Daniels, a highly respected industry vet whose credits include SNL, Seinfeld, King of the Hill, and, most recently, The Office. Might we suggest Michael Scott emcée? And possibly do a PowerPoint demonstration, too?
Daniels will join previously announced Distinguished Screenwriter Awardee Sam Shepard at this year's fest, which runs Oct. 16-23. For more info, visit www.austinfilmfestival.com.
OK, here's the deal: In June Austin filmmaker Jeff Guerrero received $10,000 from a short film contest to use in making another short for the final round of competition. Now he's one of 15 finalists competing for a $100,000 grand prize.
His short "The Dreamer" features local wag (and Austin Chronicle designated "best writer in Austin") Owen Egerton. Guererro co-wrote the script with his producer Angie Alvarez, who also was producer of the Independent Spirit nominated film Chalk, on the set of which Guerrero discovered a love for acting when he was working as an assistant director and unexpectedly found himself improvising on camera.
The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival is finally here again! This year, the festival turns 21 (which means they are full-grown and can drink legally), and the programmers and director have put together an incredible program of films (96 films! 18 countries! Oscar-nominated and Cannes Award-winning films!) representing the diversity of LGBTQI filmmaking today. Folks, this is ridiculous, and whether you are LGBTQI or something else altogether these films promise to be amazing. All screenings are at the Alamo Ritz and begin on Wednesday.
The Texas Homeless Network presents the Face the Homeless Film Fest, Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the Alamo Ritz, 320 E. Sixth. The program includes the Texas premiere of Kicking It, a documentary about the 2006 Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa. That film is 3-5pm ($25); the full event is 8:30am-5pm ($75). Among those in attendance: a player with the Entourage Austin Street Soccer team who's been selected for the national team that's going to Australia for the 2008 HWC in December.
For full event info, download this PDF; see also www.kickingitthefilm.com, www.streetsocceraustin.org, and www.homelessworldcup.org.
St. Edward's women (17-3 last season) are ranked 23rd in the NCAA Division II preseason rankings. They start their season today with a scrimmage against Southwestern: Thursday, Aug. 28, 5pm. The Hilltopper men start their regular season Sunday, Aug. 31, 1pm against Regis. Both teams compete in the tough Heartland Conference, along with national powers St. Mary's and Incarnate Word of San Antonio.
Below: more home teams: Longhorns, Stoke City, U.S. Men and Women, MLS in CONCACAF.
The clock's running down for tonight's special screening at 10:30pm of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, timed rather charmingly to end at midnight for a champagne toast (the title refers to the annual New Year's Eve mad dash to find somebody to smooch at the appointed hour).
The screening (at the Alamo South Lamar) is open to Austin Film Society members only. It opens in theaters tomorrow, but why not take the opportunity to finally become an AFS member and enjoy the many benefits – like getting to see In Search's Alex Holdridge introduce the film? And did we mention the champagne?
Reserve your ticket here. And read some more about the movie here.
Hey gang. Voting closes tonight at midnight for this month's Film Fight. It's still a pretty tight race, so don't think your vote doesn't count. Let me put it this way – if Josh went out and found himself a jury of his peers – well, and maybe throw in the stenographer, judge, and whatever that big bald guy on Night Court played – then he could really win this thing.
We'll announce the winner at tomorrow night's Happy Hour at Spider House. We'll also give away some stuff, show a couple shorts, and sit around and do everything in our power to not talk about Shakespeare. Not ever, ever again.
The Alamo Drafthouse announced yesterday on their blog that Zack and Miri Make a Porno will open this year's Fantastic Fest, with writer/director Kevin Smith in attendance for an introduction and Q&A.
It's been a while since I've been enthusiastic about a Kevin Smith flick, although he's such a funny, sharp, likable guy, it's hard to begrudge him, exactly, when his films disappoint – kinda like when your kid consistently brings home C's on his report card. I mean, sure, you love your kid and you always will, but wouldn't it be awesome if just once he made honor roll?
All that said – and I'm just going with the gut here – but the gut's pretty excited about Zack and Miri. Based on title alone (and this teaser trailer... and the fact the film just had its NC-17 rating overturned for R), one can safely say this is going to be filthy, which is what Smith does best. And the cast is chockablock with, cough, "rising stars" like Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, and Craig Robinson.
Zack and Miri's official site can be found here. Find out more about Fantastic Fest here.
I devoted last week's TV Eye column to Skins, the "new" series that just debuted on BBC America. I say new in quotes because the series is already two seasons old abroad. The good news is that U.S. audiences can be assured that the series is not going to disappear after a too short run (Freaks and Geeks comes to mind).
Anyway...I was curious about the title and write to the p.r. folks to inquire. I imagined "skins" is British slang for something, but what? The response came after deadline:
"I recently heard the creator speak about this and he said it
wasn't one thing ... it is slang for cigarette papers, condoms but it has other potential, deeper meanings."
The 2008 Little League World Series has narrowed the pool down to four teams and four final games to be held this weekend. It's Japan versus Mexico in the International Championship game (11:30am, Saturday, ABC) and Hawaii and Louisiana playing to see who's best in the U.S. (2:30pm, Saturday, ABC). The Championship Game will take place Sunday at 2:30pm with the Consolation Game being played at 11am (both on ABC). For more on LLWS schedules and scores click here.
If you got a young'un who's not ready for the Little League action to end, Activision has got you covered. Little League World Series 2008 is out now for the Wii (and Nintendo DS) and is the first officially licensed LL game for next-gen consumers. The motion-sensing controls allow easy accessibility for players of all ages and all skill levels. Sixteen teams from around the globe are featured (eight from the U.S.) as well as three Little League stadiums (Lamade Stadium, Volunteer Stadium, and All-Star Field). LLWS 2008 also features fun power-ups, World Series mode, skill challenges, and much more to keep the young baseball fan fixated until next season.
I dodged your earlier question of Branagh vs. Olivier; I think I'd rather circle option C – Orson Welles. Only his Othello is widely available (although Chimes at Midnight and Macbeth are both posted on YouTube); so why not celebrate the Big Boy Orson tonight by watching The Third Man on Turner Classic Movies? That's what I'll be doing, reveling not just in one of the greatest films of all time, but also the fact that not once does anybody bust out in verse.
So this is me saying sayonara to Shakespeare. Dear reader, you can still vote and comment on every day's debate through till next Thursday. We close voting next Thursday, and then we'll announce the winner of Film Fight at our Happy Hour event at Spider House that night (Thursday, Aug. 28, 7:30pm). There will be prize giveaways and drink specials and an all-around good time to be had, so please, come out and say hi.
And let us know if you have any ideas for next month's Film Fight, eh? We're all ears.
Whoa! I don't know who "Connie" is on the last posting to the ME Television blog I posted regarding the layoffs of VJs Paul Saucido and Bavu Blakes, but when "she" wrote that as of Friday, ME TV was kaput, I knew I had to do some checking.
This message just came to TV Eye from Connie Wodlinger, executive director at ME Television:
"I understand some misinformation has been posted to your blog. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
ME Television has had some significant layoffs, but the management team and a base crew remain in place. The network will continue to produce a 24-hour on-air signal as we aggressively pursue several viable options to return to full production and move forward.
– Connie Wodlinger"
Surprise layoffs, mystery commenters, and misinformation. If anybody wants to tell us the real story, TV Eye's all ears.
Craftsters will recognize Jennifer as a member of the Austin Craft Mafia, a group of local craft mavens who sew, hot glue, knit, and crochet fun and funky arts and crafts for the modern guy and gal. If you're a crafter and you don't know Craft-o-Rama, well, what have you been waiting for? The bright and airy shop is designed for the inner seamstress in you, but have just enough yarn and embroidery threads to keep fiber fanatics happy too. Whether it's a book release party or an occasional swap meet, Hayley Pannone (and mommy in waiting) does a swell job of making the event festive and full of casual, crafty fun.
I have to second your Shakespeare fatigue. We both thought last night's screening of Hamlet 2 might give us fresh legs, but, disappointingly that wasn't the case. I didn't hate it like you did – it was just another indie comedy that regurgitated elements, from gross-out to twee to self-referential, that I'd already seen in two-dozen other indie comedies – but Steve Coogan, no matter how uneven his character, still manages to make me laugh more often than not. Honestly, the most interesting thing about the film – which is about a failed actor/high school drama coach who writes a sequel to Hamlet, despite, as one character points out, the fact that almost everyone is dead at the end of Hamlet 1 – was the high school production itself and not the piffling plot about Coogan's sad-sack drama coach or the quasi-inspirational story of inspiring teens to make art. It's a great idea -- let's see, everybody's dead, so where do we go next?! -- but Hamlet 2's primary interest is in Coogan's roller-blading pratfalls. Ah well...
In 1986 Aliens delighted moviegoers with a simple recipe: more of the same. So what happens with so many of its sequential brethren? Yes, I’m looking at you, Lost Boys: The Tribe. And you, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. And definitely you, Weekend at Bernie’s II. Maybe in the end we just appreciate the opportunity to respond incredulously. After all, Jurassic Park III did gross some 180 million. And last year I did leave my family on Christmas day to see the much anticipated AVP2. Don’t judge. It’s not easy defending new Rambo as you plan the month of October around the release of the newest Saw installment. The good news? If you can relate, then you can also find some comfort among friends this Sunday at the Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz as they screen the winning selections from this year’s Unnecessary Sequel Contest… 2.
