Film News


BY JOE O'CONNELL

Pulling the film loop tighter

The catch phrase for the Texas film industry this fall
appears to be "organized and on message." That's what
drew 35 local film insiders to Austin Studios last
week as they brainstormed about what holes the Austin
film machine needs to fill on its road to further
success, be they in the areas of infrastructure,
facilities, or services. This talk also comes as plans
are gearing up to push for the November approval of
the city of Austin's Proposition 4, which would
provide $5 million to upgrade sound stages at Austin
Studios. How can local film folk follow the flock?
Start by attending a Texas Association of Film/Tape
Professionals and Screen Door Film meeting, 7-10pm,
Sept. 14, at Mother Egan's Irish Pub, 715 W. Sixth,
where some movers and shakers from the new Texas
Motion Picture Alliance will discuss efforts to
persuade the Legislature to approve filming incentives
in Texas like those offered in Louisiana and New
Mexico and how Proposition 4 will help. Listen to
insider insights from Texas Film Commissioner Bob
Hudgins and Rebecca Campbell, executive director of
the Austin Film Society. Last, but certainly not
least, the new alliance will have its Austin regional
meeting Sept. 30 from 10am to noon at St. Edward's
University. Check the details at www.txmpa.org, send
your Austin Studio ideas to Rachel Blackney at
rachel@..., get organized, and give me
plenty to write about next year.
Scaring Harry Knowles to death

Two minutes. That's all you get to freak out horror
maven Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News. Two minutes
of mayhem, chills, spills, and fake blood. Learn about
the Big Scream Film Contest this Sunday at 2:30pm at
the Alamo Drafthouse South from Knowles, Pathogen
filmmaker Emily Hagins, Dear Pillow star Rusty Kelley
(he's also about to make his own horror flick, Shores
of Another Sea). Sponsored by the Nightmare Factory
and the Austin School of Film, the contest promises a
trip to the L.A. Film Festival to the winner. Hey,
vampire wannabes, just come to the panel and get a
packet of fake blood while supplies last. Film
submissions can be uploaded Sept. 4 through midnight,
Oct. 1, at www.nightmarefactory.com.
And the rest...

University of Texas film grad Alejandro Gomez
Monteverde's Bella premiered in the Contemporary World
Cinema section of the Toronto International Film
Festival. Patrick Million co-wrote the script with
Monteverde... See Heather Courtney's thought-provoking
PBS documentary, Letters From the Other Side, for free
Tuesday at 7pm in the Austin City Limits Studio 6A at
the corner of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe. The film
offers personal stories behind immigration issues and
showed to strong reviews at the Slamdance and South by
Southwest Film festivals. KLRU will air the film at
9pm on Sept. 26... The Austin Movie Show might have to
rethink its name, given that El Paso station KVAI has
picked it up for airing on its new CW affiliate, which
also serves Las Cruces and Ciudad Juarez. The show
from creators Jegar Erickson and Leila Hernandez,
which spotlights the Texas filmmaking community and
offers movie reviews, will air at 2pm on Sundays
starting Sept. 24. Video podcasts of the show can be
downloaded from www.austinmovieshow.com.
Send tips to filmnews@....

Dan

(for personal emails only) please when you reply, send a CC to
capydan@...
if this is an casting call, please do NOT reply to me

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