The documentary Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, premiered at SXSW 2006 and I always had high hopes for it. At the time, it was simply titled OilCrash and it created quite a stir during its premiere screenings. Basil Gepke and Ray McCormack's look at the bleak future of oil supplies, was acclaimed but unseen. The film never got the kind of release I felt it deserved, but things seem to be turning around. According to its Movie Store, Crude Awakening is the number one documentary purchased on iTunes right now. That's great news, and hopefully a great start. (Full disclosure: my new company, Cinetic Media, represented the film for distribution.)

Upstart DVD label Benten Films (think Criterion for the indie kids) is prepping its second release, a double-disc special edition of two features by New York filmmaker Aaron Katz. The two features are Dance Party, USA (2006) and Quiet City (2007), both SXSW world premieres in their respective years. I'm a big Katz fan, and happy to call him a friend. Stumbling upon the engrossing and piercing Dance Party, USA still ranks as one of my happiest memories as a festival programmer. His quick follow-up, the Brooklyn romance Quiet City, is even more technically accomplished and nuanced.

For the Benten release, the extras are plentiful. Disc 1 features Quiet City, as well as a cast commentary track, some clips from talented composer Keegan Dewitt, and the prank film Joe Swanberg's Quiet City. Disc 2 features Dance Party, USA, separate cast and crew commentary tracks, alternate scenes, an early Katz short film, and a couple of essays by Ray Carney and Ray Pride. Whew. This hefty set is available starting January 29. And, check out the nifty packaging:

Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson's charming and hilarious concert doc, The Life of Reilly, is opening in theaters starting November 9 in Los Angeles (with a roll-out across the country to follow). The film, which premiered at SXSW 2006, is a loving portrait of character actor Charles Nelson Reilly's acclaimed one-man show. The recently departed Reilly was a revolutionary figure in the world of television, and his one-man show was a touching glimpse at his life from childhood to his last days. Check out the nifty new Web site, and try to catch the film in your neck of the woods. Here's the new trailer:

SXSW alums The Brothers Nee (The Last Romantic) have unveiled their latest music video. Following their successful collaboration with A Fine Frenzy, the brothers have now taken the reins for Terrene's indie-pop single "Unwelcome." Check it out:

After a long weekend for a friend's wedding, Jarren and I caught up on some recorded TV as well as some sleep. But we made it out for the Sunday night DVD release party in honor of Kat Candler's acclaimed local feature, Jumping Off Bridges. The touching film, which premiered at SXSW 2006, is available now for purchase. The well-attended soiree this evening (at Club DeVille) was an enjoyable way to kick off the film's next chapter of distribution. For more details on the film, and its DVD release, click here now.

All this news about Blackwater, and security contractors overseas, has me thinking about Nick Biconic and Jason Bourque's gripping documentary, Shadow Company. I remember when I first saw the doc, I was blown away and outraged by what it revealed of this booming industry. We were lucky to have the film's world premiere at SXSW 2006, where it sparked a lot of debate and some glowing reviews. Since then, the doc played the festival circuit and landed various distribution deals. You can actually see the film this weekend in Chicago, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. It couldn't more more timely, or edifying.

What was it about August 28? A trio of SXSW 2006 hits landed on DVD shelves that day, making it an enjoyable week sitting on the sofa (while you wait for Kid Nation to premiere). These new-to-DVD alums include Michael Tully's Cocaine Angel and Swanberg/Bewersdorf/Wells' LOL, but those dudes get enough blogspace from me as it is. Instead, I wanna pump you up for a SXSW 2006 doc success story: Alexandra Lipsitz's Air Guitar Nation. This immensely entertaining doc had its world premiere at SXSW and won the Audience Award for the "24 Beats Per Second" category. It's one of those docs that does very little wrong, and will entertain anyone between the ages of 17 and 117. Good luck getting Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" out of your head after seeing Lipsitz's funny and engrossing story unfold. Here's the trailer:

For an Austin Chronicle cover story no less, Marc Savlov checks in with local filmmaking powerhouse Kat Candler. Candler's SXSW 2006 premiere, Jumping Off Bridges, became one of the great "festival-darlings-that-can't-catch-a-theatrical-break" stories of that year. Savlov gets an update on Candler's latest endeavors, as well as some of her trials and tribulations from self-distributing an indie film:

"When we were at the [Independent Feature Project] Rough Cut Lab in 2005, there was a guy who was doing a marketing presentation, looking at people's materials, and then offering them advice on how to market their films. He took one look at jumping off bridges and immediately said, 'Look, you can't mention that it's about suicide, and you can't mention that it's sad.' Which pretty much left us with nothing to mention.

"After South by Southwest, we did a couple of festivals, and after a while, it dawned on us that the people who were coming up to us after the screenings were people whose lives had been directly affected by a suicide, or maybe they had lost somebody or they were affected in some way by some sort of mental-health issue. We ended up talking to a lot of counselors, therapists, and mental-health professionals. It turned out that that's who our audience was."

Though we had met once before in an East Village bar in the Fall of 2005, I really didn't become friends with Michael Tully until after we hosted the North American Premiere of his first feature, Cocaine Angel, at SXSW 2006. Since then, he's become a fixture in all things SXSW, especially after premiering his latest and greatest documentary, Silver Jew, at SXSW 2007. For Tully fans like myself, I have some good news: Cocaine Angel will finally arrive on DVD this August 28, via IndiePix. And it looks to be a special, super-sized double-disc of goodies. Not to mention, the film itself is a harrowing and hypnotic descent into squalor. One of the best debut features in the last five years, hands down. So, check it out.

Are you a fan of the HBO series, Flight of the Conchords? Are you stoned? I like the show quite a bit, and it's pretty obvious that it was created with a little THC TLC... but all the same time, the humor is pretty endearing and absurd and amusing. If you've ever seen the band live, it's a whole different absurd and amusing experience. I discovered them myself at the 2004 Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and knew instantly they would be a perfect fit for SXSW. Sure enough, they came to town in 2006 and it was a major event for New Zealanders. So much so, they filmed a documentary special chronicling their trip to SXSW. It was only available on Kiwi TV, but thanks to YouTube, you can watch Flight of the Conchords: A Texan Odyssey in all its (10-minute increment) glory. All parts are online, but here's part one:

The Brothers Nee, who directed SXSW 2006 feature The Last Romantic, have released their new music video for buzz artist, A Fine Frenzy. A Fine Frenzy is the stage name of singer/songwriter Alison Sudol, and you should keep an eye out for her. Her debut was released last month, and she's currently on tour with Neko Case and Rufus Wainwright. Here's the Brothers Nee version of her video for "Almost Lover:"

One of the most impressive indie American debut feature films of the last few years, has got to be Randy Walker and Jennifer Shainin's Apart From That. We premiered the film at SXSW 2006, and I have to say I'm very proud that we did. It went on to play Edinburgh, Seattle, and various other film festivals around the globe. It garnered great press, including a rave Variety review. But, it's a very small and atmospheric film, character-driven and odd in some ways. So, commercial prospects were always slim, and it never got out beyond a lengthy festival tour.

Now, thanks to the good people at Emerging Pictures, audiences around the country will have a chance to see it starting on Sunday, July 15. The film will be the July pick for this year's "Undiscovered Gems" series. Get a list of participating theaters from around the country, and if it's screening near your home (and you like your American indies absorbing and smart), go see it. And, if you see Randy or Jennifer at one of the screenings, say hello. They are also really warm and amazing people. I still remember when I phoned Randy to invite his film to SXSW, he refused to believe it and insisted that it must be a friend playing a prank. It wasn't until he received the official letter that he would allow himself to believe it. In other words, he and Jennifer are genuine folks with a bright filmmaking future ahead. Check out the film's trailer:

How about a summer movie that is probably more like your summers growing up than anything else Hollywood is releasing this season (with the possible exception of Superbad)? Bradley Beesley and Sarah Price's sweet SXSW 2006 documentary, Summercamp!, is currently available for streaming via AOL True Stories. On there, it joins fellow SXSW 2006 alumni docs such as Darkon and Shadow Company. Plus, Summercamp! will open theatrically at the IFC Center in New York, on July 18. All of this, with details, on the Austin Film Society blog.

Scott Glosserman's acclaimed horror epic, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, is out on DVD this week. It's easily one of the most beloved American indie horror films of the last year, so do yourself a favor and see it. Soon. To mark the occasion, Film Threat has re-published an interview with Glosserman conducted around the film's premiere at SXSW 2006. From the article:

Film Threat: Does your film lean more towards comedy or horror?

Scott Glosserman: Great question! I believe that the answer will fluctuate for folks, depending on each viewer’s sensibility. For me, BTM is a “mocku”-horror film. Although I certainly feel as though it belongs in the horror section, I consider it more of a dark comedy than a horror film. It is quite self-aware, and therefore, the suspenseful or gratuitously violent scenes are intended to be laughed with despite the fact that the shooting technique may cause the audience to jump.

To that end, I‘m hoping that my film will not only appeal to horror fans -- because they will completely understand its intent and, therefore, accept its tone -- but that it will appeal to a much broader demographic of film-goers who wouldn’t ordinarily see a horror film, because this one deconstructs it in a funny, accessible, art-house sort-of-way.

A crazy wonderful debut feature by the Brothers Nee, The Last Romantic, will find itself screening all across this great nation on June 27 as part of the annual "Undiscovered Gems" series (presented by indieWIRE, Emerging Pictures, and more). We premiered the film at SXSW 2006, and we're so proud we did. I was a big fan of the film from the first time I saw it. The Last Romantic went on to win the hearts and minds of festival audiences everywhere it screened (plus, landed the Brothers Nee an agent and a spot on the Filmmaker list of 25 to watch). Here's the trailer:

If you live in any of these cities, make sure you see this film. You won't be sorry. Click here for more details.

A few months ago, in their year-end lists, indieWIRE asked us to offer five picks for best films of the year still without distribution. My picks were: Apart From That, Eve and the Fire Horse, Gretchen, Jam, and The Last Romantic. Fast forward to this weekend, and I've received separate email blasts from the makers of SXSW world-premieres Apart From That and Last Romantic that they (as well as Eve and the Fire Horse) have been chosen to participate in the annual "indieWIRE: Undiscovered Gems" screening series co-presented by Emerging Pictures and The New York Times. Three out of five ain't bad!

The "Undiscovered Gems" series is an annual showcase for a different "undiscovered" film each month (Eve has May, Romantic has June, and Apart has July). Click here for a full list of the 2007 selections. And, by the way, the Last Romantic blurb on the site is my program-catalog synopsis cut and pasted...hmmm. Anyway, the series means the films will play in 15 theaters across the country and audiences will get a chance to vote for their favorites. The winner of the audience award receives an official theatrical run in 2008, including both New York and L.A. The winner also gets $50,000 for P&A, and a $50,000 licensing fee for broadcast on the Sundance Channel. The 2006 winner was SXSW favorite, Four Eyed Monsters. I'm incredibly happy for all the filmmakers chosen, but especially jazzed for our SXSW 2006 alumni. When both The Last Romantic and Apart From That made their world premieres at SXSW 2006, audiences and critics fell in love... but distributors didn't quite know how to turn that into a full-fledged release. Hopefully more audiences will get a chance to boost their support during the summer. Congrats to Julia, Aaron, Adam, Randy, and Jenny!

SXSW 2006 audience award-winner, Air Guitar Nation, is a terrific and entertaining documentary by Alexandra Lipsitz. And, currently, the film has begun an assault on cinema screens across North America thanks to Docurama and Shadow Distribution. It has just opened in New York and will follow that with a Los Angeles opening on March 30. Check out the film's official Web site, for information on when Air Guitar Nation will make its way to your neck of the woods. While you're on the site, also check out the official blog and the brand-new trailer. "To err is human. To air guitar, divine."

The trailer for James Scurlock's SXSW 2006 premiere documentary, Maxed Out, has popped up on YouTube. Check it out, and then rush out and see the film when it opens in theaters March 9:

Steve Anderson, director of SXSW 2006 documentary Fuck, emailed a YouTube clip that is pretty amusing and sums up his entertaining film. Check it out below, and know that Fuck hits DVD stores on February 13... just in time for Valentine's Day! Awwww.

It's worth taking a breath from SXSW 2007 prep, to focus attention on two premieres from SXSW 2006, that will be opening in theaters next month. Both of the films could not be more unalike, yet share the fact that they were both loved by audiences and critics when they were discovered at SXSW last year. The first, James Scurlock's credit-card documentary Maxed Out, opens in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington D.C., Seattle, and Austin, on March 9. Click here for more information, including cities that will soon follow and information on this highly enjoyable and somewhat disturbing new doc.

Then, on March 16, comes Scott Glosserman's geek-endorsed horror satire, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Heartily beloved by all the sources you can trust (Variety, Aint It Cool News, Film Threat, Fangoria, CHUD, Scott Weinberg), this could be one of the most unifying horror-fanatic releases of 2007. The film begins to roll out March 16, in a slew of theaters across the nation. Click here for more on the film, including its cool trailer.

So, if you haven't already, go out and catch these films at some point in March. And, who knows which SXSW 2007 premieres we'll be seeing in theaters next year...

We feel bad for Charlize Theron, especially because the photo cited in this lawsuit was taken at SXSW last year when she premiered her documentary, East of Havana (we're that "Austin film festival in March," though it was a panel and not a press conference, not that it matters).

This morning, in the middle of the Sundance frenzy, the 79th Oscar nominations were announced. Two of the nominees are part of the SXSW 2006 family: Laura Poitras and Jocelyn Glatzer's My Country, My Country (which had its North American Premiere in our Documentary Feature Competition) and Leslie Iwerks & Mike Glad's Recycled Life (which had its premiere in our Shorts Competition). They were nomintaed for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short, respectively. Meanwhile, in related SXSW alum news, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's Jesus Camp was also nominated, only one year after their first feature Boys of Baraka made the shortlist. While we did not screen Jesus Camp, last year's Baraka premiered at SXSW 2005, and won a special jury award. So, I'm really happy for them, too.

Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer's Darkon, which premiered at SXSW 2006 and won the doc Audience Award, will begin a pay-per-download deal via AOL this month. That will be followed by a broadcast on IFC later in the year, and the doc's remake rights are being sold. Here's the latest on the AOL deal, from Broadcast Newsroom.

When it rains, it pours, I guess. Scott Glosserman's very funny and very smart SXSW 2006 world premiere, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, has just announced a theatrical and DVD distribution deal. The slasher-flick/mockumentary hybrid will find itself opening in a dozen theaters, on January 5, 2007.

It's been a busy last few days for SXSW 2006 alumni. James Scurlock's debt documentary, Maxed Out, has recently announced a long-in-the-works distibution deal via Magnolia and Netlfix. The film premiered in competition at SXSW 2006, and won a "special jury prize." Since then, it's played the festival circuit and Scurlock has written a nonfiction book about the same subject (which will be released around the film's theatrical debut).

One of my personal favorite discoveries from SXSW 2006, Aaron and Adam Nee's The Last Romantic, just won the "Emerging Filmmaker Award" at the Denver Film Festival (which wrapped this weekend). Big congratulations to Adam and Aaron, who deserve mucho kudos for their labor of love, a funny and magical no-budget New York story. And, while I'm at it, congatulations to A.J. Schnack, who won the Denver doc award for his film, Kurt Cobain About A Son.

Having had its world premiere at SXSW 2006, I can attest that Harry Moses' documentary Who the %$#! is Jackson Pollock? is a light-hearted and engaging mystery. It's a film that could potentially be a real crowd-pleaser, and it opens in the New York area this week, courtesy of Picturehouse. indieWIRE has an interview with the director, an established and respected veteran of TV news.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences just announced the 15 finalists for this year's "Best Documentary Feature" Oscar. Two of the 15 are SXSW 2006 selections: My Country, My County and Sisters in Law. Big congrats to the teams behind these films, and you can get the full shortlist at indieWIRE. The final five nominees will be announced on January 23, 2007 and the Oscar ceremony is February 25, 2007.

It's really rewarding when a film you discovered amongst dozens of submissions sitting in your apartment late one night, becomes something that a lot of people can get behind. So seems to be the case with Aaron Katz's Dance Party, USA which begins an engagement in New York tonight. At GreenCine, David Hudson collects an assortment of reviews, interviews, and thoughts about the striking film.

Two films that screened at this year's SXSW Film Festival, are landing in theaters over the next few days. They are very different films, but both are totally worth your time and attention. The first, courtesy of THINKFilm, is Steve Anderson's Fuck, a truly funny and spirited documentary that examines the origin and impact of the titular word. The documentary features candid interviews with everyone from Sam Donaldson and Hunter S. Thompson to Tera Patrick and Ron Jeremy. Click here, to read Steve Anderson's great blog, which is full of his year-long travels to bring the doc to theaters this month.

('Fuck' producer Steve Kaplan, outfitted in an appropriate T-shirt, when I ran into him at the Florida Film Festival this Spring.)

Now for something completely different... one of the most powerful debut features I've seen all year will be in theaters soon. Aaron Katz's quiet, unsettling Dance Party, USA is a great American independent film. An atmospheric look at a group of teenagers hanging out during a 4th of July house party, the film unravels some subtle and sincere truths about being young today. The film will start an exclusive run at the Pioneer Theatre in New York, on November 15. Visit the film's MySpace page, for more details.

SXSW 2006 world premiere doc, Summercamp!, will screen at New York's IFC Center on Tuesday night as part of the "Stranger Than Fiction" series. The acclaimed documentary, by Bradley Beesley and Sarah Price with music by The Flaming Lips, recently screened to enthusiastic crowds at the Toronto Film Festival, where we also co-hosted a party for the film. Here are the details:

October 24 at 7:30pm
SUMMERCAMP!
In person: Directors Sarah Price and Bradley Beesley

This hit of SXSW and Toronto film festivals looks at a group of kids at a midwest summercamp, capturing everything that's magic and tragic about childhood. With a soundtrack including songs by The Flaming Lips. Co-presented with the South by Southwest Film Festival. Buy tickets online.

People often say that Austin and Woodstock have a lot in common. And, for the last few years, we've been lucky to have some of the programmers of the popular Woodstock Film Festival, like the amazing Laurent Rejto, come down and hang out at SXSW. The annual festival (running October 11-15) has just announced its lineup of features, and it's a varitable SXSW 2006 reunion, all getting their New York-area premieres. The SXSW/Woodstock love-in includes:

Narrative Features: Dance Party USA, Gretchen, and Heavens Fall.

Documentary Features: Air Guitar Nation, Autumn's Eyes, a/k/a Tommy Chong, Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, Darkon, Maxed Out, and Tales of the Rat Fink.

See all of these, plus more (including Mike Akel's Chalk)! I wish I was gonna be there.

Longtime SXSW favorite, and Canadian documentary legend, Ron Mann will open his latest work in theaters nationwide this month (including the Alamo in Austin). The film, Tales of the Rat Fink, premiered at SXSW 2006 (plus, just screened at the Toronto Film Festival) and chronicles the life and legacy of car designer and comic artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The film is a highly entertaining and fun look not only at car culture, but at the changing tastes of post-WWII America. Marc Savlov chats with Mann for the Austin Chronicle:

Austin Chronicle: And remarkably, Roth is just as influential today as he was in the Fifties and Sixties.

Ron Mann: Oh, yeah. He totally influenced the underground artists like Robert Williams and those cats. In his later years, he wanted to distance himself from the more graphically vulgar aspects of the underground cartoonists, but I think he came around in the late Nineties when the custom-car-culture movement really started to pick up steam again. He was adopted by the punk rockers, too. He did a cover for a Nick Cave album.

Austin Chronicle: The Birthday Party's Junkyard.

Ron Mann: Right. And Roth was the original punk rocker in a way, and that's why I adore him. As an independent filmmaker, I see him as someone who just went out there and did it all himself. He wasn't waiting for Detroit to call him up. He had his own ideas about what a car should be. To me, Roth was like Richard Linklater or Jim Jarmusch in the way he approached his art. Maybe Cassavettes, too.

Docurama announced this week that they have acquired theatrical rights for Alexandra Lipsitz's popular documentary, Air Guitar Nation. The documentary, which premiered at SXSW in March, won the audience award at SXSW 2006 for best music film. Following the SXSW premiere, the film played a series of festivals including Full Frame, Tribeca, Britdoc, and Edinburgh. The official announcement is:

The leading distributor of documentary films to the home entertainment marketplace, Docurama is expanding its reach to the theatrical market with AIR GUITAR NATION which will be released in association with Shadow Distribution, Docurama’s partner in a first look deal taking Shadow’s theatrical films to DVD; recent collaborations include The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill and the upcoming The Beauty Academy of Kabul. AIR GUITAR NATION is slated for a national Spring 2007 theatrical release.

Discussing theatrical distribution, New Video’s Steve Savage said, “After releasing over 150 documentaries on DVD, it was inevitable that the time would come for Docurama to extend its reach to the theatrical space. We’ve waited and looked for the right fit for our theatrical debut, knowing that we wanted to come out of the gate with not only a quality film, but also one that would be broadly entertaining. AIR GUITAR NATION delivers.”

The trailer for SXSW 2006 world premiere doc, Al Franken: God Spoke, is online now. This hilarious and provocative verite look at two years in Franken's career is wonderfully entertaining. It will open in theaters, starting September 15.

Do you have your hotel set for SXSW 2007? I ask, because in 2006, we witnessed an unprecedented sell-out in hotels around downtown Austin. People who have been attending the festival for years were stunned, as were we. Without divulging too much, it looks like SXSW 2007 will be no different, and even a little tighter. So, don't hesitate. Book your hotel soon, if you plan on attending the festival in March. You can get information about ordering your badge and booking your hotel, online right now. See you in March!

Maxed Out director James Scurlock emailed me a link to this clip from his SXSW 2006 documentary, a highly provocative and entertaining look at credit and credit cards in America. The clip is only 45 seconds long, but is a good slice of some of the behind-the-scenes fright you see in the feature film.

So, the final winners of SXSWclick 2006 are online now. Check them out here. You can see the winner of our overall "Popularity Contest," chosen after thousands of votes were cast. And, there's the individual jury winners for each category, too. Thanks to our jury, and to all of you who voted.

SXSWclick isn't the only place to watch short films these days, as many know. Besides the usual suspects, like MySpace and YouTube and Google Video... indie film insiders are chatting away about two new ventures: iKlipz and iThentic. These join old standards such as AtomFilms and iFilm. So, the cyber-space race is on for short filmmakers... what will the future hold?

Filmmaker Magazine has posted its Summer 2006 issue online, which means it has posted its annual "25 New Faces of Independent Film 2006." As usual, it's a sturdy list of unknown, sorta-known, and well-known indie filmmakers on the cusp of breakthrough in 2006. Click here to see the full list, and accompanying blurbage. And, meanwhile, major congrats to the following SXSW 2006 filmmakers who made the list:

- Eunhee Cho (director of SXSW 2006 North American Premiere Inner Circle Line, winner of a Special Jury Prize at the festival.)
- The Brothers Nee (filmmakers behind The Last Romantic, which made its World Premiere at SXSW 2006.)
- Gary Huggins (director of the short, First Date, which screened in the Reel Shorts Competition at SXSW.)
- Michael Tully (director of the SXSW 2006 North American Premiere, Cocaine Angel.)
- Las Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy (producing team behind SXSW 2006 selections Gretchen and Old Joy.)
- PJ Raval (cinematographer behind SXSW 2006 premieres Gretchen and The Cassidy Kids).

Congrats to the whole list, and thanks to the folks at Filmmaker, for bringing attention to these deserving artists.

The end of the "Popularity Contest" for SXSWclick is near. You have until July 26 to click, view, and vote for your favorite short in this year's mobile media festival, hosted by SXSW. There are 1,000 voters already in the mix, so make sure you sign up and cast your vote today.

Laura Poitras' amazing documentary, My Country, My Country, has been picked up for theatrical distribution by Zeitgeist Films. It will open in New York and Washington, DC on August 4 and then expand nationwide after that.

The film, which had its North American Premiere at SXSW 2006 in the documentary competition, is a powerful and always-timely exploration of American-enforced elections in Iraq. It's worth seeing as soon as you get the chance. Here's the official Web site, which includes other cities/dates.

SXSW 2006 world premiere doc, Fired!, has announced a distribution deal that will have the film released in theaters in the Fall, followed by DVD/cable soon after. From Variety:

Richard Foos and the Shout Factory have picked up U.S. distrib rights to "Fired!," Annabelle Gurwitch's comedic first-person docu. Foos and the Shout Factory --which also took DVD rights -- are eying a fall theatrical release. The Sundance Channel has purchased TV rights.

Docu features appearances by former U.S. secretary of labor Robert Reich, Illeana Douglas, Tim Allen, David Cross, Sarah Silverman and Ben Stein. Theatrical, DVD and TV deals were brokered by Endeavor Independent's Graham Taylor and Greenberg Traurig's Randy Paul.

SXSWclick Festival Announces Finalists, Opens Audience Voting

Austin, TX – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences and Festivals is happy to announce the finalists for the 2006 SXSWclick online media festival. Culled from hundreds of entries, the 15 finalists are divided into five different categories. Online users are invited to view the finalists and submit their votes for the "Popularity Contest" portion of SXSWclick. A panel of jurors will also select their picks for the "Jury Contest." Finalists can now be viewed and voted on, via SXSWCLICK.COM.

"Interestingly, there’s a theme of deconstructing the filmmaking process in many of the finalists audiences will see," says SXSW Film Festival Producer Matt Dentler, adding, "We’re really happy with the finalists and the fest. This is really a great chance to watch exciting new short filmmaking on your computer or mobile device."

The winners of both the "Popularity Contest" and the "Jury Contest" will be announced on July 28, 2006. Both winners will receive various prize packages, as well as be automatically accepted into the next SXSW Film Festival, March 9-17, 2007, in Austin, TX. The finalists in each category are:

OLD SCHOOL SHORTS
"Embedded" by Greg O’Bryant, "Following Abraham" by Jacob Waxler, "Playing Chicken: The Movie" by Bradley Jackson

REALLY REAL SHORTS
"Art/Work" by Avram Dodson, "Cherchez La Femme" by Anna Cherkashina, "Some Analog Lines" by David Lowery

ANIMATE-IT
"Animation vs. Animator" by Alan Becker, "Time Birthed Spilled Blood," by James Sumner, "Two Guys and A Battle-ax" by David Marchesani

SOUND CHECKS
"Clinically Dead" by Chad Van Gaalen, "Foothills" by Robert Becraft, "Resurrection" by Tiller Russell

WHAT THE F*#!?
"Moving Picture Makers" by Andy Fisher, "Radiation in Moderation" by Sarah Lipstate, "Snail" by Sharad Patel

###

SXSW 2006 world premiere, The Ohio in Ohio, will open in NY, L.A., and other cities on both coasts, July 14. It's totally cute, and was a real crowd-pleaser at the festival, also snagging positive reviews from Variety and Ain't It Cool News, among others. See the trailer here.

Big congrats this week to several SXSW 2006 premieres that spent their weekend winning awards at other festivals:

- Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin's narrative feature, Live Free or Die, won the award for "Best New American Film" at the Seattle International Film Festival. (The film is still seeking distribution)

- Billy Kent's feature, The Oh in Ohio, won the audience award at the Brooklyn International Film Festival. (The film hits theaters nationwide in July)

- Christopher Leone's hilarious narrative short, K-7, won the Jury Award for best short at the CineVegas Film Festival. (Leone is off working on some big features in development)

Again, congrats to all the SXSW 2006 alumni!

Don't let Net neutrality get you down... as we approach the June 12 submission deadline for the 2006 SXSWclick Festival, I wanted to remind folks that they can watch the two winners from last year's SXSWclick Festival now. Check out Man Up and Robot-ussin, by clicking here.

Tired of hearing the words "France" and "cinema" in the same sentence, after two weeks of Cannes? Hold out just a little longer: This weekend, Magnolia Pictures readies the American release of Pierre Morel's District B13 (a SXSW 2006 selection). This will arguably be one of the best action films you see all summer, a French cop/kung-fu epic that features some of the craziest stunts this side of Ong Bak. Here is Marge Baumgarten's 3.5-star review from this week's Austin Chronicle:

Morel is the latest Luc Besson protégé to make the leap to director of this breakneck-paced action movie, which was conceived and co-scripted by Besson (La Femme Nikita). Set in the near-future of 2010, the film is not big on plot exposition, instead focusing on its finely wrought action momentum, which moves ever forward with rushing exhilaration. The city of Paris has erected isolation walls around the core city to protect its citizens from the chaos of the suburban ghettos, which in turn are controlled by warring gangs. The biggest and the baddest of the gangs is headed by Taha (Naceri, who also co-scripted under the name Bibi Naceri), a reprehensible figure who'd just as soon shoot his own soldiers as listen to their excuses. Leito (Belle), who appears to be the last righteous man in his suburban ghetto District B13, is a constant thorn in the side of Taha, outrunning his henchmen and destroying his drug stockpiles. The film's lengthy opening chase sequence is devoted to Leito's latest escapade, and dazzles due to the actor's virtuosic ability to leap across buildings and rooftops, through transoms, and over the various concrete impediments of the urban jungle. (Belle's athletic talent stems from his background as one of the founders of the sport of Parkour, which combines running and martial-arts moves for total mobility in an urban environment.) Leito's attempt at cleaning up the neighborhood is cruelly rewarded with a prison sentence and the capture of his sister (Chattot), who is drugged by Taha and kept on a dog leash at his feet. He's sprung from prison when he's paired up with the veteran elite-forces cop Damien (Raffaelli, a professional stuntman-turned-actor), who is assigned to deactivate a wayward nuclear bomb that has fallen into Taha's hands. Leito joins on to rescue his sister. There's a minimal amount of dialogue and a constant propulsive techno score (produced by Da Octopuss) as District B13 moves along its action-centered trajectory. Implications regarding the recent riots among French immigrant youth and a cautionary vibe about the trustworthiness of the nation's leaders and law enforcers can be drawn – although they're mild enough to also be wholly ignored. This French import is a worthy entrant into the adrenalized cadre of action films like Run Lola Run and Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (which Besson produced). What District B13 lacks in story development it compensates for with stunningly realistic action.

We've just started releasing our summertime SXSW Wrap-Up Brochure. In it, you'll find a ton of pictures and blurbs from the 2006 event. Odds are, you'll get your own copy in the mail very soon. But, while you're here, you can check it out online.

This year, at SXSW, we hosted the world premiere of the Dreamworks Animation short, First Flight. The short is a beautiful and sweet seven minutes and it played in our "Animated Shorts" section. Besides bein