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In this week's Austin Chronicle, filmmaker Bryan Poyser files a report from the set of the Duplass (Jay and Mark) Brothers' new feature film (and follow-up to the much-heralded The Puffy Chair), a work called Baghead. Principal photography recently wrapped in Bastrop, TX (a few miles outside Austin) for what promises to be another must-see film. Don't count on seeing it anytime soon, though, as the Dupes' busy Hollywood schedule (a good problem to have) will keep them from finishing the post-production until sometime next year. Regardless, here's some of what Poyser had to say:

Just before The Puffy Chair arrived in theatres, the Duplasses signed a deal with Universal Pictures to write and direct a new feature, while also agreeing to write a pilot for a TV series to be produced by another brotherly duo, American Pie's Chris and Paul Weitz. A prominent independent distribution company offered the brothers a $1 million budget for Baghead, but they turned it down. They're making it in the same way they've made all of their films since their shot-in-an-afternoon short "This Is John" caught the eye of Sundance in 2003: no stars, no money, no big crew, not even a tripod. There's a script, but no one looks at it – not even the actors. When Bryant's father comes to the set to play a small role – as with The Puffy Chair, the filmmakers are keeping it in the family – Mark explains, "Our method is just that you do what you would normally do in this situation, and we record it. If we want you to do something different, we'll tell you."

Allow me a moment to get on a soapbox... The Austin arts community is on the eve of a very important vote. This coming November (early voting begins late October), in addition to the governor's race (go Kinky!), there will be a series of Propositions on the ballot. This includes Proposition 4, which is on the ballot to offer some assistance to various aspects of Austin's arts scene. These include:

Austin Film Society / Austin Studios ($5 million to help expand and improve studios, stages and digital facilities)

Zachary Scott Theatre Center ($10 million to help construct new theatre complex and children's classrooms)

Mexic-Arte Museum ($5 million to help build new museum building and expand education services

Asian-American Resource Center ($5 million to help construct new cultural center, classrooms and display hall)

African American Heritage & Cultural Society ($1.5 million to help build new cultural center, live arts and music facilities)

Mexican-American Cultural Center ($5 million to help construct new arts facility and lakeside performance space)

What does this mean for Austin taxpayers? A few extra dollars a month, and that's it. And in exchange, Austin gets to build upon its arts community. And, despite what the most conservative voices will tell you, this isn't about using tax money to make art. It's using tax money to maintain infrastructure, make/keep jobs, and build opportunities for kids. It's about thriving. So, Prop 4 should mean something to anyone who makes art, consumes art, or loves someone doing either. A campaign is underway, called "I'm For 4." Learn more.

Filmmaker/journalist Brian Clark writes an insightful piece in the Austin Chronicle today, recounting his experience in John Pierson's advanced producing class at UT and their efforts to rep the award-winning film, Cavite (in select cities now). In the article, Clark remembers the first class screening:

The credits rolled, and Pierson revealed his proposition: If the class was willing, we were to work collectively to find theatrical distribution for the film. Our efforts would focus on distributors visiting for South by Southwest, where the film was slated for its U.S. premiere in the Narrative Competition.

After a spirited debate about the film's chances of distribution, the 24-student class voted to go ahead with the project. The ensuing experience lasted beyond the end of the semester and gave me as close to an answer as I'll get to a complicated question that most film schools don't address: "How the hell do I find distribution for my independent film?"

Austin-based experimental projection/installation artist Luke Savisky will be hosting a collection of new and old pieces Thursday night at the Harry Ransom Center on the University of Texas campus. Luke's work has shown around the world and recently at the Sundance Film Festival. When I was a wee film-school undergrad, I remember Luke coming into one of my classes and blowing our minds. Here's the scoop on Luke's Thursday night show, direct from the source:

This will be a loose overview/Q and A of and about some past and recent work, then a 10-15 minute multiprojection demo using some new material from current and upcoming projects. The event is free and will be kindly brief, lasting not more than an hour starting at 7pm. It would be nice to see you there.

Harry Knowles and the crew from Austin's Ain't Cool News are celebrating their 10th anniversary this summer. So, the popular film fan site has been marking the event with special retrospective coverage as well as a series of big screening events around the country. The film picked for the occasion is the animated feature Monster House. The screenings will happen in Austin, L.A., New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. They will happen on July 10, and you can reserve tickets and get more information, by clicking here.

From the Austin Movie Blog:

See the best of this year’s 48 Hour Film Project on July 15 at the Alamo Downtown. The top 10 films of last week’s competition will screen, and the overall winner will go on to compete nationally. The screenings start at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 and wil be available starting July 5 at http://originalalamo.com. The event is presented by Reel Women.

Believe it or not, there exists a new feature-length zombie film written/directed/edited/shot by a 12-year-old girl. That's the story around Emily Hagins' opus, Pathogen. Her production has been a popular subject amongst the Austin film geek circle, heightened by her own champion/mentor Harry Knowles. Well, as The Austin Chronicle reports, there is also now a documentary about this pre-teen fright-fest:

Hagins says she started making short films in the fifth grade after being inspired by Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. She learned how to mix batches of fake blood while working as a production assistant for local producer Rebecca Elliott (Snake Hunt: These Rattles Ain't for Babies). "It's fun to make," Hagins says, "and it's edible." A screening of Jackson's 1992 zombie creepshow Dead Alive at Harry Knowles' annual Butt-Numb-A-Thon further convinced her to attempt a low-budget "funny and scary" feature of her own.

(Outside the Alamo Drafthouse on Thursday evening: 'Kissing on the Mouth' director Joe Swanberg, center, flanked by 'Dear Pillow' filmmakers Bryan Poyser, left, and Jake Vaughan, right.)

On Thursday night, most of the bars downtown may have been screening Game 4 of the NBA Finals (where the Miami Heat more or less crushed the Dallas Mavericks, to tie the series), but at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown it was all about Pillow Kissing. The Alamo hosted a special double-feature of critical/festival darlings Dear Pillow and Kissing on the Mouth, with appearances by directors Bryan Poyser and Joe Swanberg, respectively. The double feature, besides serving a nice assortment of indie-film sexuality, also worked as a fundraiser for an upcoming short film. Poyser is directing a project called Best Birthday Ever, which will star Swanberg and Pillow star Rusty Kelley. Swanberg, in town from Chicago, will be in Austin performing in the short as it shoots through this weekend.

An announcement from the Alamo Drafthouse, regarding a SXSW 2006 award-winning documentary:

A SPECIAL BENEFIT SCREENING: 'STATE VS. REED'
MONDAY, JUNE 19
7:00 PM @ ALAMO DOWNTOWN (409 Colorado St.)
UT alumnus Ryan Polomski's award-winning documentary focuses on the trial of Bastrop resident and death row inmate Rodney Reed, who was originally charged with the rape and murder of 20-year-old Stacy Stites of Giddings in April 1996, and was convicted by the court of Bastrop County in May 1998. The documentary examines possible evidence that was neglected in the crime scene investigation in Bastrop. Funds from this screening benefit Rodney Reed's family. Tickets available at official Alamo site.

Random Notes from the Austin film scene:

- Joe O'Connell reports on a slew of film/TV activity happening in Austin just in time for the summer. The productions include the new NBC drama Friday Night Lights and a studio remake of The Hitcher. Plus, O'Connell gives us the scoop on some other big local film news.

- Kimberly Pierce is reportedly wooing Ryan Phillippe to take the lead in her Austin-based production of Stop-Loss, for Paramount and Scott Rudin. Abbie Cornish will take the female lead, and shooting is scheduled to begin late-summer.

- The Alamo Drafthouse will host two very special "Rolling Roadshow" events this weekend. On Friday night, catch Nacho Libre with director Jared Hess in attendance. On Saturday night, you'll be able to attend a Beyond the Valley of the Dolls reunion screening.

- The film version of SXSW 2006 Opening Night Film, A Prairie Home Companion, opens in the theaters this weekend. But, Austin audiences also have a chance this weekend to catch Garrison Keiller perform the real thing.

- SXSWclick deadline is June 12.

- Jette Kernion files her weekly column, "News From Slackerwood," for Cinematical. In it, find updates on the Paramount Summer Classics series, Nueva Onda's free movie night, the Poyser/Swanberg double feature, and more.

- Passes for Fantastic Fest, September 21-28, are available now.

- The Criterion Collection has released its double-DVD edition of Richard Linklater's classic high school comedy, Dazed and Confused. Master blogger Wiley Wiggins, one of the film's stars, shares some info for ya.

- The Austin Movie Blog keeps an eye on all things Austin film related, and some things that are not. They do a much better job than I, when it comes to these news digests.

BLOG UPDATE: As the comment below hopes for, the "breast-feeding contraption" from 'Meet the Fockers' will reportedly be part of the exhibit. It's joined by "The driver's license De Niro earned to operate a cab in preparation for 'Taxi Driver,' a letter from Martin Scorsese regarding 'The King of Comedy,'" and much more. Source: Austin American-Statesman.

Robert De Niro Donates Collection of Film Materials to Harry Ransom Center
AUSTIN, Texas - Actor, director, producer Robert De Niro has donated his collection of film-related materials to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

With materials from the late 1960s to the present, the archive includes annotated scripts, notes, research materials and an extensive collection of the costumes De Niro wore in his films. The paper portion of the collection, more than 100 boxes, has considerable research value. It includes scripts and books with handwritten notations, correspondence with film notables such as Martin Scorsese and Elia Kazan, background research and the notebooks De Niro kept of his films, all showing the evolution from text to moving image.

The costume portion of the collection also includes more than 3,000 individual costume items, props from many of De Niro's films and a full body cast used in the 1994 production of "Frankenstein."

"One of the most important things about the Harry Ransom Center is that the material will be accessible to students and the public," said De Niro. "Ultimately, that's what it's all about."

"This acquisition broadens opportunities for scholars and students to study new areas of film, such as the actor's role in authorship," said Thomas F. Staley, director of the Ransom Center. "With its emphasis on role development, from research to costume selection to performance, the De Niro collection will strengthen the Center's holdings in this field considerably as it gives scholars and students the opportunity to study a seminal figure in late 20th-century cinema."

The De Niro archive enhances the film collection at the Ransom Center, joining the archives of such film legends as David O. Selznick, Gloria Swanson and Ernest Lehman, and adding significantly to the Center's holdings in Hollywood filmmaking of the late 20th century. A fellowship will be established to support scholarly research in the collection.

You've got to admire Richard Linklater's work ethic. This is a filmmaker who released challenging and provocative character studies like Waking Life and Tape in the same year, and then went on to release the one-two punch of critic/audience favorites Before Sunset and The School of Rock within a year of each other. In 2006, he'll bring audiences both A Scanner Darkly and Fast Food Nation, two very different films with a very similar perspective. Those films are not even released yet, but now the Austin American-Statesman reports that Linklater is working on a documentary about the mega-successful University of Texas baseball team. An excerpt from the full article:

Linklater pushed the idea to the university last fall and negotiated a rights fee that was "less than five figures," said Chris Plonsky, Texas' director of external services. The project is being done in cooperation with the university and Collegiate Images, a company in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that assists UT in licensing and obtaining royalties for footage use.

The film is the latest in screen-related projects at Texas. Host Communications has signed a deal with Warner Bros. to produce a video about the history of UT football, while 75,000 "Live the Dream" DVDs, which chronicled the football team's 2006 national championship win over Southern California, have been distributed since January.

DEAR PILLOW & KISSING ON THE MOUTH screen June 15th at the Alamo Downtown!

DEAR PILLOW, the highly acclaimed Independent Spirit Award-nominated film that the Austin Chronicle named "the best first feature out of Austin in a decade" returns to the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown on June 15th for one night only. This time it is paired as a double feature with the provocative, Chicago-made indie KISSING ON THE MOUTH, which wowed audiences at SXSW 2005.

EXPLICITLY INDEPENDENT: A DEAR PILLOW & KISSING ON THE MOUTH Double Feature
Thursday, June 15th, 6:30pm
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, 409 Colorado, Austin, Texas
$15 (includes raffle ticket)
Admission benefits filmmakers' new project

DEAR PILLOW director Bryan Poyser and KISSING ON THE MOUTH director Joe Swanberg will be in attendance. Proceeds help fund “Best Birthday Ever,” a short film directed by Poyser and starring Swanberg and DEAR PILLOW star Rusty Kelley.

I've been away from Austin for nearly two weeks, but a big news item over the last few days has sent my mind racing right back there even as I sit at the bottom of France. Clifford Antone, founder and owner of blues club Antone's, has died. He suffered a fatal heart attack a few days ago, at the age of 56. A staple of the Austin music community, Clifford Antone and his club are about as integral to why people call the town "The Live Music Capital of the World," as anything else.

Antone's is one of the only clubs that brought just about every genre of music, and music fan, under its roof. I've seen everyone from The Flatlanders to Prince Paul to the Old 97's to Neil Finn to Asleep at the Wheel to The Scabs in that club at some point. It's the place where I officially fell in love with the magic of SXSW parties, the year Universal Pictures hosted an after-party for our premiere of Ed TV, and the room was on fire with Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew McConaughey slow dancing, while Ron Howard and Woody Harrelson held court. It's also the site of a legendary night when U2, who were in town for the Joshua Tree tour, hopped onstage to join the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughn (who was essentially discovered at that club).

Just three weeks ago, Jarren and I stopped in to Threadgill's for some dessert, and we saw Clifford Antone having a meal. He was by himself, but only for about a minute. Within moments, restaurant staff and patrons stopped by to pay their respects and say hello to an Austin legend. It doesn't get more Austin than Clifford Antone, and it doesn't get much sadder than the day he passes.

Finally... Austin's beautiful Paramount Theatre (the location of many a premiere during SXSW) has announced the schedule for its annual "Summer Classic Film Series." Starting May 24 and running until September 8, this is one of the best things to do during the summers in Austin (because who wants to be out in the Texas sun every day?). There is a swarm of various classic films from various periods on their way to the Paramount, and many inspired double-features. Get the full list here.:

Some of the highlights for yours truly include:

- Hitch without Big Willie: a May 30-31 double bill of Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief and The Trouble with Harry
- Fright Nights: a June 8-9 bill featuring It Came from Outerspace and Creature from the Black Lagoon
- The real Harrison Ford: the complete Indiana Jones trilogy on June 17 and 19
- The real Pacino: a June 26 double bill of Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon
- The Nazis are the enemy: a 70mm print of Patton on July 6-7
- Harold Lloyd mania: July 11-12 has Safety Last and The Freshman
- Henry Fonda will not be there: Aug. 7-8 has a double bill of Twelve Angry Men and Mister Roberts.
- San Fran Nights: Dirty Harry and Bullitt, on Aug. 9 and 10.

... and just plenty, plenty more. Though, the award for most hit-and-miss double feature of the series goes to Aug. 12 and 13, with Giant and Bye, Bye, Birdie. The former is an incredible classic, and the latter is an obnoxious barrage of cheese. What do they have in common? Granted, I'll take Janet Leigh and Ann-Margret over Elizabeth Taylor any day... except August 12 and 13.

The folks at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema have plotted the next edition of their popular Rolling Roadshow Tour. Following the success of last summer's tour, Netflix has joined up as a sponsor to present The "2006 Netlfix Rolling Roadshow." Here's the announcement:

- - - - - - - - -
LOS GATOS, Calif., May 2 - Netflix, Inc., the world's largest online movie rental service, stages a unique, traveling film screening event this August with the 2006 Netflix Rolling Roadshow, a tour that will present 10 classic Hollywood movies at the locations they helped make famous. Among the films and locations featured on the Rolling Roadshow schedule are Field of Dreams at the film's signature baseball field in Dyersville, IA; The Shining at the spooky Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO; and Escape from Alcatraz at the legendary island prison in San Francisco Bay (full schedule below).

"The Netflix Rolling Roadshow underscores Netflix's commitment to making movie enjoyment easy and accessible," said Leslie Kilgore, chief marketing officer for Netflix. "We hope that members and non-members alike will find the tour an appealing blend of the many film genres and vast library of titles we offer at Netflix. We're certainly excited to take this show on the road."

The coast-to-coast trek will be hosted by a celebrity guide as it brings 10 modern day classics to communities large and small across the United States.

The featured movies and locations are as follows:

August 2 - The Warriors @ Coney Island in New York, NY

August 26 - Escape From Alcatraz @ Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, CA

Each screening offers attendees the opportunity to participate in activities based on the featured film's theme. Whether it's a subway scavenger hunt in New York City for The Warriors, a hockey match for Clerks or floating on a raft in the ocean while screening Jaws, each event immerses attendees in the experience of the movie.

In some cases, screenings will include cast appearances and question-and-answer opportunities following the screening. Clerks director Kevin Smith and cast members are expected to attend the screening at the Quick Stop shop in North Jersey, for instance.

Netflix teamed up with Austin's Alamo Drafthouse to produce the Rolling Roadshow. Named by Entertainment Weekly as the nation's number one movie theater in 2005, the Alamo specializes in unique movie watching experiences.

Additional information about the tour will be available on www.netflix.com/roadshow starting on May 15, 2006.
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Dallas Mavericks owner and 2929 Entertainment co-owner Mark Cuban came down to Austin Monday night for an engagement at John Pierson's University of Texas Master Class series. Not sure what to expect, I found the "Conversation with Mark Cuban" to be engaging. Cuban certainly came across as a friendly, smart, and charismatic mogul...

(Mark Cuban, right, chats with Georgia Pierson shortly after his University of Texas Master Class. Georgia introduced herself as one of the employees of Austin's Landmark Theater, The Dobie, which Cuban co-owns. Always welcome to feedback, Cuban asked Georgia to offer any suggestions on how to improve the Austin cinema.)

Okay, now a little background: Cuban's 2929 Entertainment has had an equally successful and controversial year with several releases that have taken advantage of the day-and-date model. Essentially, this means movies getting released in theaters, on DVD, and cable TV all on the same day and date. By extension, 2929 Entertainment works with Magnolia Pictures, HDNet, and Landmark Theaters to make this happen. indieWIRE recently ran this coverage about the company's plans, during SXSW.

Otherwise, Cuban's career has been newsmaking for years. He's the outspoken owner of a once-horrible, but now-great, basketball team. He's a billionaire who cashed in on the dot-com boom. He's a former reality show host. He's a blogger. And, he's a Texan. Among the many anecdotes and answers Cuban offered during his two-hour panel, here are some highlights:

- On his early years: Originally from Pittsburgh, Cuban attended college in Indiana and then relocated to Dallas because of the weather, women, and economy. He first lived there in a three-bedroom home with five other roommates.

- On his introduction to HD: After selling Broadcast.com for billions, he purchased an HD TV and was faced with very little content to watch. This got the ball rolling for his creation of HDNet, which helped pioneer the now more common world of HD programming.

- On finding fresh content today for HDNet: Cuban says the mission is to find quality programs, not necessarily syndicated hits. Thus, the network has gone after such fan favorites as the short-lived Dead Like Me and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Cuban also says that he has his sights set on picking up reruns of the recently axed Arrested Development.

- On day-and-date releasing: "We started 'day-and-date' and had no idea it would be so controversial."

- On the troublesome Enron trial, and his company's own successful Enron documentary: "Why don't they just show the movie in court?"

- On Bubble, his company's headline-making first project with director Steven Soderbergh (which was released, day-and-date, in January): It was a disappointment at the box office, but a complete success on things like DVD and, surprisingly, hotel room rentals.

- On how much of his daily time is spent on the film business: "About 70%."

- On the birth of his blog: After a showdown with a Dallas Morning News writer, he contacted blog mogul Jason Calacanis so that he could create his own outlet. Citing that greater exposure means more criticism, Cuban summarizes his blog with "It's always fun when you can fight back."

- On his recent VOD versus HDnet debate with filmmaker Caveh Zahedi: "By definition, VOD is continuously available, so you don't create a destination value."

- On the first thing he'll do if the Dallas Mavericks win the championship: "I don't even known what I will do... but, hopefully, I'll find out."

- On the two celebrities who taught him a lot: Dennis Rodman and Paris Hilton. Simply because they are perfect examples of how individuals can use the media's thirst for gossip to their advantage... "kinda like Caveh did in his blog."

- On his relationship with basketball officials: "I'm not hard on the refs... they just have to do their jobs."

- On some current TV plans: He's working on a reality show starring former basketball superstar Dennis Rodman.

Austin-based actor Turk Pipkin (who recently reprised a guest role on The Sopranos) is about to release his special documentary project, Nobelity. The doc, which had its world premiere at SXSW 2006, has been a labor of love for the friendly thespian and won over crowds during its Paramount debut last month.

Pipkin will host another special advance screening of the film next week before it rolls out to select theaters on April 21. In the meantime, the Austin American-Statesman checks in with him to get an update and a close look at this cinematic survey of Nobel prize winners:

OK, OK. Let's turn up the lights for a minute. You say this is a socially conscious film directed by Turk Pipkin? The tall guy with shaggy white hair who used to juggle and mime on the UT campus in the 1970s? The guy who wrote jokes for Harry Anderson on TV's "Night Court"? The guy who writes those funny golf books? The actor who plays the born-again hippie dude on "The Sopranos"?

Yet Pipkin has long been involved in social issues. Each year, he entertains injured American troops at Bethesda and Walter Reed military hospitals. He's active in the city's environmental movement, particularly in matters involving Barton Springs. His fascination with the Nobel Prize dates to his adolescence, when he came across the text of William Faulkner's acceptance speech upon winning the prize for literature in 1950.

No, this isn't another post about Austin's Cine Las Americas festival... but Cuban is coming. Mark Cuban, that is. As part of John Pierson's (quite frankly) kick-ass semester of "Master Class" guests at UT, billionaire basketball/film mogul Mark Cuban will sit down for his very own session on Monday, April 17, at 6:00 PM at the University of Texas.

Here is the official word:

FREE TICKETS to the event will be distributed THIS FRIDAY April 14, NOON to 3pm in the PLAZA outside the Communications Building, CMA (corner of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe).

ALL ARE WELCOME! ONLY TICKETHOLDERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE EVENT.

As owner of the Dallas Mavericks, founder of HDNet, Chairman and co-owner of Magnolia Pictures, Landmark Theaters, and 2929 Entertainment, Mark Cuban epitomizes the pinnacle of integrated success. His influence spans sports, technology and popular entertainment. Some of the many films on which Cuban has acted as Executive Producer include the Academy Award winning, Good Night, and Good Luck, Steven Soderbergh’s innovation of modern film distribution, Bubble, and the upcoming Akeelah and the Bee starring Laurence Fishburne. Entrepreneur, technology daredevil, entertainment visionary, and sports rebel, Mark Cuban’s achievements are barely measurable. Join John Pierson as he talks with this already legendary Texan.

Cuban is just the latest in an impressive list of speakers that Pierson has hosted over the last few months. Previous "Master Class" guests have included Mike Judge, Richard Linklater, Steve James, Kevin Smith, and others. Upcoming, after Cuban, will be such diverse guests as Sundance festival director Geoffrey Gilmore and action star Chuck Norris. There's also a TBA guest that should be announced soon.

From a recent press release:

GOLDCREST AND BURNT ORANGE PAIR UP ELVIS AND ANABELLE

Production began today in Austin. Goldcrest will be handling worldwide sales.

Tim League had teased some of the details of this insane event while we were in Florida two weeks ago... but today, Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News reveals the details of the special Austin premiere of Nacho Libre presented by the Alamo Drafthouse and AICN. Click here for details on how to attend this one-of-a-kind screening on May 27 (I'll be in Europe... dammit), but here are some courtesy of Harry:

We'll have members of the cast and crew in person to introduce and conduct a Q&A after the film, the Alamo kitchen will be serving up Mexican food themed to the movie, and before the show, we will have, direct from Mexico City a professional high flying lucha libre wrestling extravaganza live in front of the screen.

The best part is, if you are wearing a wrestling mask, admission is absolutely free (for those not in costume, tickets are $5).

An email from Austin-based filmmaker Kyle Henry-

Hey ROOM cast/crew/investors and friends,

If you live in Austin and don't have cable, the Austin Film Society is sponsoring a gathering on Saturday, March 4th from 4-7 PM at Ringers Sports Bar (415 Colorado St). Admission is free, cash bar.

The Austin Chronicle, KUT 90.5, and Palm Pictures hosted a special screening of Margaret Brown's new documentary, Be Here To Love Me. The film, which opened to robust business in New York last week, opens in Austin this weekend. The packed screening, the first time the film screened in Austin since SXSW, welcomed music fans to watch this celebration of the late country/western singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. After the screening, everyone ran over to Antone's for a post-screening concert:

(Director Margaret Brown, left, with Grainy Pictures' Janet Pierson, at Antone's.)

(The lineup for the show was an all-star Townes Van Zandt tribute. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, pictured, served as the master of ceremonies. The artists included Knife in the Water, The Flatlanders, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, and more.)

(Playing host for the evening was Austin Chronicle marketing director Erin Collier, left, and Chronicle editor Louis Black. Aside from that, Louis is also one of the founders and directors of SXSW and an executive producer of Be Here To LOve Me.)

(Also at Antone's for the party was Dan Hardicke, of The Austin Chronicle, and Danielle Thomas, of SXSW.)

(Myself with Emily Erickson, of the SIMS Foundation, at Antone's. The SIMS Foundation is an Austin-based non-profit dedicated to assisting musicians with medical care. Photo by some guy.)

What is one of the latest Austin film productions? New Line Cinema's Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Origin, a prequel of the Texas Chainsaw remake from last year, which was also filmed in and around town. MTV News pays a visit to the local set for a brief feature on what audiences can expect from this installment in the franchise. Who's new in the cast? Who is coming back from the last round? Check out the article, and you'll find out.

Tis the season... for holiday parties. So, they begin:

(BMI's Austin office and Capital Sports & Entertainment, CSE, co-hosted a holiday party a Paggi House on South Lamar. BMI publicist Jill McGuckin, right, poses with Clifford Antone, owner and founder of world-renowned, legendary Austin blues club Antone's.)

(Reel Women had a roller-skating party at Playland in North Austin. Near the arcade is Austin-based agent Heather Collier, right, and one of her clients, actor/skater Brent Smiga. Brent, a semi-regular basketball foe, can be seen in Tommy Lee Jones' The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and Burnt Orange's The Cassidy Kids. Heather, meanwhile, also reps Austin actress Cyndi Williams, who was recently nominated for a Best Actress Independent Spirit Award, for the film Room.)

(Getting into the roller-skating spirit at the Reel Women party, this is me with actress and Reel Women board member Elise Ballard, at Playland. Photo by Deena Kalai.)

The Austin Film Society has begun its latest film series. This month, it's "Southern Uprising: Recent Korean Cinema." The series includes such recent arthouse hits as 3-Iron, Oldboy, and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. While many of these films were popular in specialty circles, they certainly can get more of an audience. So, come out and see them. Here's an excerpt from the Austin Film Society blurb by programmer Chale Nafus:

"South Korean films burst onto international screens in the mid-1990s. Fascinating stories told through powerful and often breathtakingly beautiful images have become a hallmark of many Korean films seen at film festivals and innovative art house cinemas. Growing political and economic stability, along with an easing of government censorship, allowed an already extant industry to provide innovative films for the international markets toward the end of the 20th century. Even though the Korean cinema goes back to 1919, almost no films made before 1955 still exist. A half-century of Japanese occupation, World War II, geographical separation into North and South Korea, the Korean War, and American occupation destroyed so much of the country's culture. However, all that changed with the Korean industrial miracle of the late 20th century. This series will focus on recent films made by some of South Korean's most creative filmmakers."

Check out more information about the rest of the series, and how to attend, on the official Web site.

Today, The Austin Chronicle released its annual "Best of Austin" issue. Every year, readers wait eagerly to see what extensive research the Chronicle has done to deliver their picks (as well as the readers' choices) for the "best" in Austin right now.

Among some of the film-related honorees? Well, predictably, The Alamo Drafthouse was named "Best Movie Theatre" in the Readers Poll. Perhaps not a shock, especially on the heels of being dubbed the best theater in the country by Entertainment Weekly. Vulcan Video was voted "Best Video/DVD Rental/Purchase" destination. Robert Rodriguez was named "Best Local Filmmaker" (which, considering the climate these days, was a race full of stiff competition). The Critics Poll gave "Best Interactive Movie Night" to the Alamo's "Videoke" series of karaoke-style film screenings.

And, the readers turned to local shop Dreamers, as "Best Porn Rental/Purchase" hotspot. About the store, the paper continues: "Thank the heavens for Dreamers. Two easily accessible locations, vast selections, professional and knowledgeable staff; it's not called 'The Store for Lovers' for naught: The one-stop shop locals love to get their (new, nude, lewd, and/or previously viewed) lovin."'

Check out the full "Best of Austin" issue online.

This one has been brewing for a little while, but looks like it has been officially announced...

Austin-based Burnt Orange Productions (who's first feature The Quiet premiered in Toronto and second feature Cassidy Kids is in post) has announced plans for its third feature to enter production. It's a "caveman comedy" called Homo Erectus. But wait, it's a Woody Allen-inspired "caveman comedy." Hold on, wait not so fast, it's a Woody Allen-inspired "caveman comedy" written and directed by Adam Rifkin. That would be Adam - The Dark Backward/Mousehunt/Detroit Rock City - Rifkin.

Anyway, this will certainly be a project to keep an eye on... and luckily, it's gonna be in Austin. Get more of a scoop from Quint over at Ain't It Cool News.

Random notes from an Austin film scene:

- More like "SXSW and the State" for this one... The Austin Chronicle's Joe O'Connell reports on the current issues at hand for Senate Bill 1142... otherwise known as the Texas film tax incentive bill. This is the moment when Texas stands a chance to move forward and make leaps toward more film production. There's also information on Brad Beesley theatrical run in Austin with The Fearless Freaks.

- Wednesday marks the Opening Night of the 8th annual Cine Las Americas Film Festival. The festival is a great tradition of new Latin American cinema... this year, I'm actually on the jury. We'll see how it plays out.

- SXSW is hosting the re-scheduled free outdoor screening of Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia on Thursday, April 21 at Republic Square Park in downtown Austin. Screening should start around 8:00 p.m., featuring appearances by musicians in the film.

Austin film fans get their chance to actually compete on a national landscape thanks to... Chris Gore. This weekend's new episode of IFC's The Ultimate Film Fanatic will feature the first set of finalists from the Austin casting call that took place a few months ago.

What does that mean? Austin film reporter Marc Savlov tells us all about it, right here.

Random notes from an Austin film scene...

- Saturday night was the Austin Film Society's special screening of Criminal, the new American remake of Nine Queens. Director Gregory Jacobs and star John C. Reilly were in town for the screening. The film is a sharp and entertainig con artist tale, as well as a pretty faithful remake. What's more, John C. Reilly was very charming and very funny during the Q&A, eliciting laughter with every answer. The after-party was at South Austin party space Mercury Hall, with plenty of BBQ and beer to go around. A little drizzle came our way, but not before everyone had a nice time.

- We're in the middle of the post-production process for our upcoming TV show, SXSW Presents. Basically, we're working out the details of the main title graphics, advertising, publicity, and other promotions. Yes, there's editing and what not involved, but we have a very talented crew currently working on that. The guys at Beef & Pie Productions, Mike and Andrew, are heading up the production. They're great guys, and have a few popular documentary shorts you may have seen, including Growin' A Beard and The 72oz. Steak.

- The Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund has announced this year's list of recipients for cash awards. The Austin Film Society hands out cash grants to applying Texas filmmakers every year for their works-in-progress. Among this year's winners is the "Summer Camp" documentary developed by Brad (Okie Noodling) Beesley and Sarah (American Movie, The Yes Men) Price. Brad and Sarah hosted a panel at SXSW 2004, showcasing their film's gradual evolution, and it looks really promising. I can't wait.

- The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival kicks off Thursday night with the opening night film, Sundance selection D.E.B.S.. Producer Andrea Sperling should be there, as she's already in town making the feature, Dot. No word on which one-syllable "D" title she'll produce next.

- I got an email from Austin filmmaker Bryan Poyser, who is at the Edinburgh Film Festival with his feature Dear Pillow. Despite freezing cold rain, the Dear Pillow team seems to be having a good time. Their impressive look at sexuality appears to be translating rather well with the Scots. Dirty, dirty Scots.

- The SXSW Summer Cinema Series continues to pack 'em in, with Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story coming to the end of a great set of screenings. The film. starring Rob Corddry from The Daily Show, is a hilarious pseudo-documentary about the sport of professional paintballing. It won an Audience Award at SXSW 2004, and then went on to win awards at the Lake Placid and Oxford Film Festivals. It has a few festival dates to come, including the AFI Festival in November. Shockingly, there's no distribution news. If anyone knows their comedy, this should change soon.

Random notes from an Austin film scene...

- Big congratulations to screenwriter Mike Jones and his wife Maya, as they welcomed their first son, August Churi Jones, this weekend. Baby and mother are doing great.

- This past weekend, recent Austin transplant Janet Pierson was elected to the board of the Austin Film Society. Not bad for less than a couple of weeks in town with her husband John and family.

- The SXSW Summer Cinema Series is underway. We had some big crowds turn out for the first film, Barbecue: A Texas Love Story. This week, the series continues with the political documentary, Bush's Brain.

- I was able to live out the fantasy of many audiophiles: writing liner notes. I handed in some paragraphs to Film Movement the other day to be used in the DVD booklet for their upcoming release, Falling Angels. The film, directed by Scott Smith, had its U.S. premiere at SXSW 2004 and was recently acquired by the New York-based distributor. The release is scheduled for later this year.

- Production is underway on The King, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Harring, William Hurt, and more. They're scheduled to be shooting around Austin for the next month or so.

- I had lunch with Tom and Carolyn of Burnt Orange Productions, as well as Dot director/producer team Jamie Babbit and Andrea Sperling. Jamie and Andrea are still in the middle of pre-production, but shooting should begin in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Andrea's Sundance film, D.E.B.S. will open this year's Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival at the end of this month.

Random notes from an Austin film scene...

- I suggest anyone who has the time, to go ahead and send in their votes for the first SXSWeb Media Festival. It's easy. You don't even have to leave where you are right now. You can watch all five finalists from the comfort of your computer and then send us your vote. Voting ends August 2, so act now, before it's too late. You can view the finalists, and vote, here.

- I just paid a visit to the spectacular new Austin home of John and Janet Pierson. After several days traveling through America, they have made the great relocation of 2004 and are getting settled into their digs while you read this. Their house is the best, their neighborhood is even better, and it seems like the move went off without a hitch.

- So, apparently the Alamo Drafthouse-sponsored screening of Fahrenheit 9/11 went over pretty well in Crawford last night. I know a couple of people who made the trip (about 2 hours outside Austin), and they report that the masses seemed to get along fairly well, despite opposing forces. The turnout? In the thousands, from what I hear.

- The SXSW Summer Cinema Series begins next week with Barbecue: A Texas Love Story. The documentary is an entertaining look at the rabid BBQ culture of Texas, featuring Dan Rather, Ann Richards, and more. For non-Texans, this may sound like an odd subject for a documentary, but that's what some people said about Trekkies, and look what happened there. More information about the entire series of films can be found here.

- Austin's Reel Women chapter has announced a "Movie Hoot Night" scheduled for Wednesday, August 3, at the bar Jovita's. The night will feature a tribute to movie songs by local club regulars like Sarah Sharp and George Devore. Meanwhile, there will be a charity raffle as well as a movie character costume contest. I'll be that snobby "clever for clever's sake" guy who attends as Matt Dentler from Matt Dentler: The Motion Picture.

- The Alamo Drafthouse has announced an Open Water screening in... open water. The Drafthouse will bring its "Rolling Roadshow" screen out to a lake destination and screen the new Lions Gate film for audiences floating in the water. If you're going to see this movie, this would be the way to do it. The screening is set for August 14.

- Last night, I hosted a workshop with the Austin Film Society entitled "How To Get Your Film Seen." The turnout was good (we actually turned people away), and may do more of these in the future. Basically, in a nutshell, the workshop's purpose was to try and shed some light on issues about festival strategies, publicity, and distribution. Film festivals have become such a huge part of the current independent filmmaking model, yet there are very few forums to help filmmakers with advice and "how-to" information. That's what we tried to work on.

An example of the myths we tried to kill: don't spend tons of money on lavish and extravagant press kits for festival submissions. They really make little to no difference in our consideration process. In fact, the person who receives your package (an intern or volunteer) is rarely the same person who watches your film (a programmer). So it's a waste of your money that should be saved for publicity when you're actually accepted into a festival. See what I mean?

- Tonight, the Austin Parks Foundation is hosting an outdoor screening of Anchorman. The evening will include a 1970s-flavored funk band and vintage news clips, to help with the new film's atmosphere. I can't wait.

- Marrit Ingman at the Austin Chronicle had a great chat with Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy during their recent visit to Austin for the premiere of Before Sunset. You can read it here.

- Online voting and the rest of our finalists for the SXSWeb Media Festival will be available on our site in the next few days. Visit there when you can.

- This weekend, I'm headed to Dallas for a wedding. But man, if I wasn't, I would no doubt be attending the Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle premiere/party in Austin on Saturday. Ain't It Cool News and the Alamo Drafthouse are co-hosting this screening event, with director (and SXSW regular) Danny Leiner as well as the cast in attendance.

It's actually a road rally race event, with teams spending the afternoon on a hunt. Oh, and White Castle is supplying thousands of free burgers. Now, I know what you may be thinking... but the film is actually getting some pretty good raves as a future cult classic that will keep the college crowd happy for years to come. I'm bummed to be missing it.

Random notes from an Austin film scene...

- The Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a 3-D movie festival this month. I'm hoping to catch Dial M for Murder in 3-D this week. It's the end of the festival.

- Speaking of the Alamo, we're currently firming up our slate for this year's SXSW Summer Cinema Series. It will run through August and September, just in time for our call for entries for SXSW 2005. Look for an announcement on the details (titles, dates, etc.) soon.

- This week, The Austin Chronicle's Marc Savlov published a great piece on the Motion Media Arts Center. The group's Center For Young Cinema enables Austin kids and teenagers a chance to make their own films and develop those cinema skills early. You can read the story over here.

- With a forecast for solid rain, the scheduled Austin film basketball match for this afternoon (featuring teams from SXSW, Austin Film Society, and the Mike Judge film shooting in town) may have to move indoors. Whatever the case, I've got my kicks tied tight and ready to move...

Random notes from an Austin film scene...

- So we've got our five finalists for the first-ever SXSWeb Media Festival. We've got some work ahead of us, but we should have the list of shorts announced on our site next week, and then we will be hosting the complete shorts on the site soon after that.
I'm really happy with what we got this year. It's always a weird risk/gamble when you try a new endeavor at a festival. You never know if it'll sink or swim, but in this case, I think we'll keeping swimming for a while. The finalists are a nice mix of different genres, animated pieces, music pieces, fiction pieces, and nonfiction pieces. I hope everyone with a computer digs what they see.

- This weekend is the much-anticipated Before Sunrise/Sunset event hosted by the Austin Film Society. On Saturday, Rick Linklater and stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy will host special screenings of both Before Sunrise and its upcoming sequel Before Sunset. In-between the two is a cocktail party, and I'm sure some kind of party afterwards. If not, I'll have to create one...

- Speaking of the Austin Film Society, I'm hosting a workshop for them on July 7. It's called "How To Get Your Film Seen." Basically, this was born from the frustration of many local filmmakers that they can learn all they want about how to make a film, but they're still in the dark about what to do after it's made. So, AFS's Rebecca Campbell and I decided we should throw together a workshop to help address these issues. Basically, I plan to discuss with filmmakers certain issues like festival strategies, publicity, producer's reps, and distribution options. I'm going to attack it from the point-of-view of someone who has seen many great films go on to great things, while many good films seem to have a hard time getting their audience.

- MSNBC called. They wanted information on our SXSW 2004 premiere Bush's Brain, the Karl Rove documentary that went on to play Tribeca in May. Apparently, they're following the Michael Moore trail to see what similar films are out there.

- Ran into Alicyn from Burnt Orange Productions and Leah from Aspyr Media at a screening of Napoleon Dynamite the other day. These two friends are part of two very important aspects of the Austin scene. Burnt Orange has had plenty of write-ups in indieWIRE, but Aspyr certainly deserves an extra shout-out. Leah works with Zach and Chad and the great crew of film and music distributors. Check out their site here. Both of these wonderful women do great work for some great companies that are just on the verge of making huge splashes worldwide.

Random notes from an Austin film scene...

- The LBJ Library and the Austin Film Festival hosted an evening with director Thomas Schlamme last night. Following a nice reception, Schlamme was paid tribute with a screening of two of his episodes of The West Wing, followed by a Q&A. Schlamme, who is easily one of the most renowned TV directors of the 1990s but also the (other) man behind the cult film So I Married An Axe Murderer, also happens to be a fellow University of Texas alum. The oddest part of the night was sitting in audience of about 500 people who were laughing in unison with the episodes' corny one-liners and sarcastic asides. There's something very unusual about one-hour TV drama eliciting roaring laughter...

- The other day, I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the set of Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly. I became so engrossed by the atmosphere of the set that I just bought a copy of Philip K. Dick's book that the film is based upon. I look forward to reading it before the release.

- SXSWeb has reached its deadline this week. So, what that means, is we will review all of the submissions and have our finalists picked by the end of June. Stay tuned for that...

- On June 15, the Austin Film Society will present a special workshop presentation on the annual Texas Filmmakers Production Fund process. We host a similar workshop during SXSW every year, and this is a great and essential concept that exists to benefit filmmakers working in Texas. For more information, visit: http://www.austinfilm.org

Film festival updates from the inside-out...

SXSW is creating a TV show. Now, don't check the Fall schedules of the Big Three networks, this will be an Austin-based program. But, more on that later...

Speaking of TV shows, in attempt to find out who shot J.R., some of the SXSW staff will be headed to Dallas next week for the SWAFT Convention. We're taking part in a section hosted by the L.A.-based HD EXPO. So, we've been spending some of our time at the office this week preparing for that. We're going to have a booth at the industry trade show, and will host a panel with Primer director Shane Carruth. There are going to be parties and other events, and I'm sure it's going to be a great, big film and TV industry love fest. I hope to have updates from Dallas