South By Southwest attracted thousands of artists and fans to Austin this week for a celebration of song and cinema unrivaled anywhere across Texas, and amidst the Bacchanalia of promo parties, prizes and prestige, they even got around to playing a few movies.
It was a good week for film in San Antonio, especially for those interested in world cinema. No less than three festivals graced silver screens across the city, from the multiplex to the museum to the converted chapel.
Director David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks) presented his latest film, INLAND EMPIRE (written in all caps), to a wildly appreciative audience last Wednesday at Austin’s sold-out Paramount theater.
Is it possible to deliver a short film in 2 days? That was the question for 8 teams of independent filmmakers during San Antonio’s new 48 Hour Film Experience, where they all rose to the challenge and presented their finished products to the public at Thursday night’s awards ceremony and wrap party.
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While “Kill Bill: Vol. 1″ and “Vol. 2″ have long been available on DVD, die-hard fans had reason to rejoice Saturday when Quentin Tarantino treated a sold-out Alamo Drafthouse to a special presentation of a new, extended version of his kung fu opus.
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Filmmakers and cinephiles nation-wide descended on Texas from October 19th through the 26th for the annual Austin Film Festival, which since 1994 has brought industry luminaries and armchair auteurs face to face to talk shop and celebrate their craft. This year was no exception, with dozens of feature films - both narrative and documentary - plus shorts, retrospectives, special presentations, contests, local showcases, and screenplay pitch sessions with L.A. agents.
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This Saturday the grand premiere of the independent San Antonio film Clemente brought together hundreds of moviegoers, activists, and students at Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium to experience and discuss a hot topic that was very close to home for many in the audience and the present cast and crew: Mexico-U.S. immigration.
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Gamerz, which just had its North American premiere at Austin’s annual Fantastic Fest, is a new feature dramedy (I can’t believe I just used that stupid word) from Scotland about Dungeons and Dragons-style fantasy gaming. Wait - before you stop reading, consider this: I only understood about two of every three lines in this movie, and was still thoroughly entertained.
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The debut effort by writer/director team Santarsiero & Bernardi, Rise By Sin calls to mind early Hughes brothers but rises above the pack of Boyz N the Hood-knock offs with its exceptional dialogue and surprisingly effective turns by an amateur cast.
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It’s a typical Friday night down on the Riverwalk. Where’s the place to be? If you’re into film, its hanging out over at the Ruta Maya, where its intermission at the 1st annual CAM S.A. Film Slam. The diverse, cultured crowd of filmmakers, friends of the arts, and people who wandered in to see what the commotion is all about has thinned down to the die-hard cineastes and barflies enjoying the venue’s spacious lounge and good conversation. The free snacks are long gone, but the locally-brewed beer is cold and the vibe is chill.
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