Audrey Wells confirmed as a panelist for the 2007 AFF

Writer/Director Audrey Wells had been confirmed as a panelist for the 2007 Austin Film Festival and Conference. Audrey is the writer and director of Under the Tuscan Sun and Guinevere. Some of her writing credits include The Kid, George of the Jungle, The Truth about Cats & Dogs, and Shall We Dance.

The 2007 AFF takes place October 11-18.

more from Marc Potts

Recently stumbled across this earlier short by AFF filmmaker Marc Potts on YouTube. We screened Marc's very funny short For the Love of Family at the 2006 AFF where it received a special mention from the Narrative Student Short Jury. Marc is a student at the University of Oklahoma and part of Singletree Productions along with For the Love of Family co-writer Cole Selix.

Canada's Top Ten

The Toronto International Film Festival Group (clearly the people that bring you the Toronto International Film Festival) have released their annual top ten list of Canadian films. Hopefully, most of these films will eventually make it to the U.S. Already slated for a U.S. premiere at Sundance next month is actress Sarah Polley's directorial debut, Away From Her. One of our programmers, Ryan Williams, caught a screening of the film at Toronto this year and could not say enough good things about it. Also making the list is the big screen version of the popular television show Trailer Park Boys. It is produced by comedy giant Ivan Reitman, and if the trailer is any indication, it should be pretty interesting.

The Good Shepherd

AFF co-hosted the Austin premiere of Robert De Niro's new film, The Good Shepherd, last night at the Regal Metropolitan. The turn out was great and while we co-hosted the screening, AFF members still got priority seating for the film. To find out how you can be a member of AFF, click here.

The Good Shepherd stars Matt Damon (who is in almost every frame of the film) and tells the story of early days of the CIA. The script was penned by Eric Roth (Munich, The Insider) who was recently confirmed as a panelist for the 2007 Austin Film Festival.

The Good Shepard opens nation-wide this Friday, December 22nd.

Head in the Oven

AFF filmmaker Maggie Carey - Dance Club (AFF 2002 Audience Award Winner) and Jenny Clone (AFF 2006) has launched Head in the Oven, a new comedy web series.

Head in the Oven follows the adventures of three women who work nine-to-five at a suicide hotline for the wrist-cutters, pill-poppers, and gas-inhalers of Manhattan. Guest stars include Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live) and John Lutz (30 Rock). New episodes are posted each month or you can subscribe to the podcast. The show can also be found on myspace, where I'm sure you can be their friend.

Scott Alexander confirmed as a panelist for the 2007 AFF

AFF is happy to announce that Scott Alexander (pictured at the 2003 AFF) will be returning to Austin for the 2007 Conference. Scott's credits include Problem Child, Agent Cody Banks, Screwed and the upcoming 1408, starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, scheduled for release in 2007.Together with his writing partner, Larry Karaszewski, they have also written three of the best bio pics of the 1990s, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Man on the Moon, and Ed Wood.

WGAw Award Noms - TV

The Writers Guild of America, West announced their nominations for best television writing last week. There were a few suprises, including two nominations for Tina Fey's struggling comedy, 30 Rock, in both the best Comedy Series and best New Series categories. A few nominations went to great shows that are no longer with us including The West Wing, Deadwood and Arrested Development. The compelete list of nominees can be found on the WGAw website.

The screen award nominees will not be announced until Janurary 11, 2007.

Christmas Miracle

Christmas Miracle

Screened at the 2005 Austin Film Festival, Darren Curtis' twisted take on the Christmas season can now be found on YouTube along with other very funny films from the Kiddnapper Films crew. Happy Holidays!

Eric Roth confirmed as a panelist for the 2007 Austin Film Festival.

AFF is proud to announce that acclaimed screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich, The Good Shepherd) will be appearing as a panelist at the 2007 Austin Film Festival.

Winning the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump and nominated for two more Oscars, Roth is one of the top screenwriters working in Hollywood today. His script for The Insider helped make it, in my opinion, one of the best films of the 90s.

Weinsteins pick up NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE

According to Kaiju Shakedown, The Weinstein Company recently bought all English-language rights to Shinya Tsukamoto's NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE. The film had it's US Premiere at AFF in October.

Grady Hendrix gushes that NIGHTMARE was, "the best movie I saw at Pusan." He also reports that Tsukamoto is already working on NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE 2 and 3 and speculates about the inevitable US remake.

Read the full post here

Golden Globe Noms

Golden Globe Nominations were announced this morning, a few surprises, including the rare double nominations for Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio (something the Academy prohibits). The ceremony will be telecast on NBC on Jan. 15th and one can only hope that Alec Baldwin will be the presenter for the best musical or comedy film and we get to hear him read out the entire tile of the Borat film.

Regardless, a big congratulations goes out to friend of the festival, America Ferrera for being nominated for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy (Television) for her work on Ugly Betty, The show was also nominated for Best Musical or Comedy (Television). America attended the festival this year in support of her film Steel City, which was in the narrative feature competition.

Other AFF screened films nominated for Golden Globes include...

DRAMA
"Babel" *
"The Queen"

ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Helen Mirren - "The Queen"

MUSICAL OR COMEDY
"Little Miss Sunshine" *

ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY)
Toni Collette - "Little Miss Sunshine"*

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adriana Barraza - "Babel"*
Rinko Kikuchi - "Babel"*

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt - "Babel"*

DIRECTOR
Stephen Frears - "The Queen"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - "Babel"*

SCREENPLAY
"Babel"- Guillermo Arriaga*
"The Queen" - Peter Morgan

*screened as part of our year-around AFF Membership Screening program

Dance Like a Monkey wins

You might recall the AFF trailers from 04 and 05 involving an animated Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway, they were both animated by Austin animator, Dano Johnson. Since then, he has gone on to form Collection Agency Films with producer Troy Campbell where they have done animated ads for Kinky Friedman's campaign and an award-winning short called Tall Tales and Other Big Lies (based on a story by musician Ray Wylie Hubbard). Tall Tales can now be seen on the Frederator podcast and has also been recently adapted into a comic book.

As if that wasn't enough, they also did the video for the New York Dolls single, "Dance Like a Monkey" and it recenly took home the Best Animated Video Award from the Bradford Animation Festival.

Dano is also animating a new adaptation of Edwin A. Abbott's novel, Flatland.

Below is the "official" word on the big win....

Austin's Collection Agency Films Collects UK Animation Award

“Dance Like a Monkey” brings home

Best Animated Music Video Award from 2006 Bradford Animation Festival

Austin animation house Collection Agency Films won best animated music video at the 2006 Bradford Animation Festival in England on Saturday, November 18^th. Their film, “Dance Like a Monkey”, is a music video for the New York Dolls' new album “One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This.”

Producer Troy Campbell accepted the award in Bradford, where he took a break from his European concert tour. “Everyone at the festival was so nice. I felt treated like a star!” The annual celebration of animation is the longest-running and largest animation festival in the UK“Dance Like a Monkey” was one of 5 animated music videos in competition and was the only nominee from the United States. “A brilliant visual interpretation of the spirit of the music,” said the BAF webpage.

Director and animator Dano Johnson received a text message from Campbell Saturday night that simply read, “we won! we won! you are a star here!” Johnson couldn't believe the good news. “I was pretty surprised, especially since we were up against great videos for the Gorillaz, Wolf Parade, and Smog. But this validates all the late nights of hard work. I'm incredibly proud of our talented team and I can't thank the New York Dolls enough for giving us this chance!”

The video came about when Troy Campbell's friend Darren Hill, manager of the Dolls, approached Collection Agency Films about doing an animated music video. After phone conferences with David Johansen, lead singer of the New York Dolls, Dano and Troy won their confidence with a humorous and satirical concept. Dano recalls, “When listening to the song, which has lots of clever references to the evolution/creationism/intelligent design 'debate,' I had the idea of monkeys in an evolutionary science exhibit breaking out and causing chaos in the museum, all to teach an intelligent designer to embrace her inner monkey.”

The video was animated early in the summer of 2006. Cameron Petri illustrated the main sets and characters, while Maura Murnane provided illustrations for the video's montage sequence. Dano Johnson animated and composited the video, while 'Heart of Texas' animator R. Don Smith animated David Johansen's simian likeness. Despite fatal computer crashes and sleep-deprivation, the video was a resounding success, eliciting approval from the label, the band, and fans.

“We're big fans of the Dolls, so it was incredible to be a part of their first album in 30 years,” Campbell remarked. “This video was so much fun to make. Who doesn't like dancing monkeys? And you won't see another music video featuring Charles Darwin, Pat Robertson, Dick Cheney, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster for a long, long time, I reckon,” says Johnson.

This is the first international award for Collection Agency Films. They won previous awards for their short film “Tall Tales & Other Big Lies” (Runner-up Animated Short, SXSW 2006 Film Festival) and their political cartoons for Kinky Friedman (2006 Telly Awards for Best Online Political Ad). Currently Troy Campbell is promoting his acclaimed album, 'Long in the Sun'. Dano Johnson is furiously animating an adaptation of the classic novel 'Flatland', which stars Martin Sheen, Kristen Bell, and various talented Austinites. Collection Agency Films is about to release a comic book, 'Tall Tales & Other Big Lies: the Stories of Ray Wylie Hubbard.' “Dance Like a Monkey” can be seen at various sites online, as well as on Austin's MeTV.

More Year End Lists Roll In!

AFI and LA Film Critics have also released their end of the year film lists.

Three films made the AFI list that we screened as part of our 06 AFF Memberships Screening series, including Little Miss Sunshine, United 93 and Babel.

The LA Film Critics list also gave nods to a some AFF films, including The Queen (runner-up for best picture, as well as best actress and best supporting actor), Paul Greengrass (best director for United 93), and of course, the best screenplay went to Peter Morgan for The Queen and the runner-up went to Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt.

To find out more about the AFF membership program and year-around screening series, click here.

All Hail The Queen: AFF selections win New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Congratulations to AFF favorite The Queen! Peter Morgan's screenplay for the film was selected as the best of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle. Helen Mirren also took the best actress honor from the critics association for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in the portrait of the British royal family in crisis following the death of Princess Diana.

United 93 took best picture honors on Monday. I first saw Paul Greengrass’ drama which focuses on the eponymous flight at our AFF Member Screening days before flying to Toronto for Hot Docs. It definitely took at least 2 hours for the knots in my stomach to untie themselves after seeing the tense, but brilliant drama.


Read more here.

Kopple & Peck Interview

The Austin-American Statesman recently ran an interview by Joe Gross done during the Austin Film Festival with visiting filmmakers Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck about their film, Shut Up and Sing, and the film's subjects, The Dixie Chicks.

Shut Up and Sing is currently in theaters, and The Dixie Chicks performed in Austin this last Monday.


Pictured: Barbara Kopple (middle) and Cecilia Peck with AFF programmer Ryan Williams during the festival.

Michael Showalter blogs about Austin

Writing the R Rated Comedy panel
from the left: Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, David Wain, Bob Fisher, Steve Faber and Jake Kasdan.
(photo credit: Jack Plunkett/Austin Film Festival)

Recently came across Michael Showalter's blog and noticed a section by him and Michael Ian Black about their recent tour and the time they spent in Austin, which included the two of them (along with fellow Stella member David Wain) being panelists at AFF. They had this to say...

(Sho) So we drove in to Austin from our degenerate casino jaunt. The Austin Film Festival is in Austin this week and we're on a bunch of panels. The first one is "Making An R Rated Comedy." David Wain has flown in from New York to join us for the weekend. Tonight there are two screenings of The Stella Shorts at a really cool art house theater in Austin called the Alamo Drafthouse. We're hosting the screenings and doing Q & A and stuff. So anyway, we get to the panel "Writing An R-Rated Comedy." The other panelists are the guys that wrote "Wedding Crashers" and Jake Kasdan who made the movie "Orange County" and was a director on "Freaks & Geeks" and many other things. The panel was fun. We all talked about how great we were.

(Black) There's not that much to say about writing an R-Rated comedy other than you should put in tits. That's pretty much it. Other than that, they're pretty much like other comedies. The "Wedding Crashers" guys and Jake Kasdan all seemed nice. We didn't hang out afterwards. But we did shake hands, which seemed like the right thing to do.

You can read Michael Showalter's entire blog here.

David Wain and Jake Kasdan shake hands after the panel, which does actually seem like the right thing to do.

AFF shorts in competition at Sundance

Congrats to AFF 2006 films One Rat Short (written & directed by Alex Weil), Happiness (written & directed by Sophie Barthes) and The Dawn Chorus (written & directed by Hope Dickson Leach) for being accepted into the 2007 Sundance Film Festival this January.

One Rat Short was the winner of the AFF Audience Award for Animated Short and The Dawn Chorus took home the AFF Narrative Student Short Jury Award.


Hope Dickson Leach (left), with producer Jennifer Westin, accepting the award for The Dawn Chorus during the 2006 Austin Film Festival.

Advice from David Wain?

AFF 2006 panelist David Wain filled in for Amy Sedaris' monthy advice column called "Sedaratives" in McSweeney's Believer Magazine. You can find a sample of his "advice" here.

Also, congrats to David whose new film, The Ten, will be screening at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Chalk finds distribution

It was announced that AFF 2006 Narrative Feature Jury and audience Award winning film, CHALK, will be distributed theatrically through a Hart Sharp Entertainment. The film will be presented under the Morgan Spurlock presents banner which will also feature two documentaries. All this comes on the heels of Chalk's Independent Spirit Award nomination for the John Cassavetes award.

More information and a review of the film can be found here on Cinematical's site.

Is Christian Bale the most exciting actor of his generation?

The Austin American-Statesman's film writer Chris Garcia may have the answer to the question in his new piece on the actor.

Garcia also discusses Bale's latest, Rescue Dawn, which AFF screened this last October.

Jon Dabach interview

A 2005 festival favorite was Jon Dabach's The Birthday Gift - a short loved by audiences and one that the Narrative Short Jury (this was before our Animated Short competition started in 2006) gave a Special Mention to. This very well written and very funny film can now be see on G4's Peep Show. To promote the short on the show, Peep Show did a great interview with Jon that can be found here.

Gotham Awards Nominees

The nominees were announced last month, but congratulations to the AFF selected films that are nominated...






Breakthrough Actor:

Channing Tatum, A Guide to Recognizing your Saints


Melinda Page Hamilton, Sleeping Dogs Lie


Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You:

Colma: The Musical

The winners will be announced tonight in New York City.

Independent Spirit Awards honor AFF selections!

The 2007 Spirit Awards Nominees were announced today in Los Angeles and several Austin Film Festival selections made the cut.

Congratulations to Mike Akel and the gang from CHALK which was nominated for the John Cassevetes Award! CHALK won the Jury and Audience Awards at this year's festival.

Raymond J. Barry's memorable performance in STEEL CITY, another AFF competition film, garnered a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.

As Austin Film Festival is known as one of the only festivals in the world to shine a spotlight on the screenwriter, we are pleased to announce that two films we screened received nominations in the screenwriting categories.

Dito Montiel was nominated for Best First Screenplay for his film A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS.

Additionally, SORRY HATERS, a 2005 AFF favorite, pulled a Best Screenplay nod for writer/director Jeff Stanzler and a Best Female Lead nom for star Robin Wright Penn. Mr Stanzler attended the festival in 2005 where he answered questions about his complicated and controversial drama.

Congrats to COLMA: THE MUSICAL director Richard Wong who was nominated for the IFC/Acura Someone to Watch Award. Wong not only directed the film, but served as director of photograpy, editor, and producer.

Lastly, Argentina's CHRONICLE OF AN ESCAPE, directed by Israel Adrián Caetano, was nominated for Best Foreign Film beating out some tough competition.

Congratulations to all of our nominees and best of luck in February!

Complete list of nominees available here.

Finally! - Tears of the Black Tiger

On a slow afternoon as the 2002 Sundance Film Festival was winding down, I slipped into the Egyptian Theater mainly because the line was not long and there was plenty of room at the screening. (This was an unusually slow year). What I saw was Wisit Sasanatieng's Tears of the Black Tiger - one of the most stunning and visual films I had ever seen. Already a cult film around the world, it was the first ever Thai film to make it into the Cannes Film Festival. When I saw the film at Sundance Miramax had already grabbed the rights, but it sat on the shelf since then. However, it was reported today in IndieWire that Magnolia picked up the US rights and it will finally be released in the US (outside of film festivals and bootlegs). It will open in New York this January.

Give the gift of membership

This holiday season we ask for your support in raising funds essential for our organization. With a donation of $50 or more ($35 for students), we will grant you a complimentary membership to our Friends of the Festival Membership Program, and welcome you to events throughout the year.

Your support funds our Young Filmmakers Program and allows us to bring more independent films to Austin and promote film development and production in Texas. The Austin Film Festival is one of the most important resources in the United States for screenwriters and filmmakers as well as an important part of Austin ’s growing filmmaking community.

A membership with the Festival allows you access to advance screenings, film premieres and other special events throughout the year. You'll also receive discounts on film passes and badges this October. The Austin Film Festival is a 501©3 organization and your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.

Past Membership screenings include: About a Boy, The Aviator, A Beautiful Mind, Bowling for Columbine, The Big Lebowski, Bottle Rocket, Cast Away, Crash, Grizzly Man, Jesus’ Son, Little Miss Sunshine, Magnolia, Munich, Sexy Beast, Sketches of Frank Gehry, The Station Agent, The Usual Suspects and most recently Babel with director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu in attendance.

This January, we'll kick off the year with a script reading of Doublewide, the latest comedy from screenwriter Anne Rapp (Cookie's Fortune, Dr. T and the Women).

A perfect holiday gift for your friends and family that keeps giving all year long!

Buy now!

Tony Kushner doc opens in Austin!

If you missed it at the Austin Film Festival or want to catch it again and bring your friends, Freida Lee Mock's audience favorite WRESTLING WITH ANGELS is playing the Landmark Dobie theater this week. Don't miss the film that Time Magazine calls "top-notch" and Filmmaker Magazine calls the "favorite film of the festival.” Help AFF friend Freida Lee Mock get the word out about this inspiring work that chronicles the life and work of Angels in America director Tony Kushner. A great way to ring in the holiday season.

Watch trailer and clips from the film

Funniest Filmmaker in Austin: Excessive Force

Funniest Filmmaker in Austin - winning short

Excessive Force, the winning film from the first annual Funniest Filmmaker in Austin competition is now on line. Austin filmmaker Patrick Neese beat out over 30 other films to win the contest this last September. Patrick won two all-access producers badges and his film screened during the festival as part of popular Shorts Program 1.

The Funniest Filmmaker competition is held at Cap City Comedy Club in September - watch our website for details on the next FFA!

Brett Morgen's Chicago 10

Congrats to filmmaker Brett Morgen whose latest film, Chicago 10, will open the Sundance Film Festival this January. The film tells the story of the anti-war protest at the '68 Democratic Convention in Chicago and the trial that followed. It features animated segments with the voices of Hank Azaria, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan Baker, Liev Schreiber, Nick Nolte and others.

Brett was in Austin in 2002 for an AFF Membership screening of his last film, The Kid Stays in the Picture, which he co-directed with Nanette Burstein.

Doc Feature Oscar Short List Announced

Congratulations to the AFF 2006 film Shut Up and Sing for making the Oscar Short list this year - as well as AFF sponsored Docuweek films The Trials of Darryl Hunt and An Unreasonable Man.

The short list of only 15 films will now be taken down to five nomniated films and will be announced with all the Oscar nominees on on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 and the Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007.

The Complete List of documentary films short listed can be found on the Academy's site here.

AFF film Beyond the Call opens

The Austin Film Festival 2006 documentary BEYOND THE CALL is opening theatrical in Chicago and San Francisco soon. If you don't live in either city, the film will premiere on PBS, as part of Independent Lens, on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 (check your local listings for times). The film screened as part of our Special Presentations section during the festival and you can find more information about the film (where it scored 4 & 1/2 stars out of five from our audience) on our website.

The following is the official release from the filmmakers...

From the filmmakers who brought you the ACADEMY AWARD nominated GENGHIS BLUES, comes the next great adventure...

The multi-award winning BEYOND THE CALL opens nationally at
Landmark Theatres in Chicago and San Francisco:

Chicago: Friday, November 24th at Landmark Century Center Cinema.

2828 North Clark St. at Diversey, inside the Century Shopping Center.

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Chicago/Landmark'sCenturyCentreCinema.htm

San Francisco: Friday, December 1st at Landmark Embarcadero Center Cinema.

One Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level, San Francisco.

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/SanFrancisco/EmbarcaderoCenterCinema.htm

Synopsis:

In an Indiana Jones meets Mother Teresa adventure, three middle-aged men – former

soldiers and modern-day knights - travel the world delivering life-saving humanitarian aid

directly into the hands of civilians and doctors; in some of the most dangerous yet beautiful

places on Earth, the front lines of war.

"An extremely inspiring film that is also hilarious, exciting and heart-wrenching. Not only are the three men unbelievably good willed, they are enjoyable characters filled with lovable quirks and wonderful stories to tell." - Christopher Campbell, Cinematical

Trailer and info at: http://www.myspace.com/beyondthecall and http://www.wadirum.com

The director / producer / cinematographer, Adrian Belic, and the star, Ed Artis, will be in

Chicago and San Francisco for the opening weekends doing Q&A after each screening

and press. This is a rare opportunity to meet these global adventurers in person.

AFF Alum Paul Feig on a Roll

2003 Austin Film Festival Audience Award winner Paul Feig (I Am David) is on a roll with the release of his latest film, Unaccompanied Minors, on December 8th and just today, The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that Paul has been hired to write and direct "Smooth Operator." Weintraub Productions is making the film with hopes "to make the movie in the spring, with plans to swiftly move into casting when Feig is done with the rewrite, which also will include beefing up the roles of the supporting cast. The aim is to populate the roles with comedy actors Feig has worked with in the past or has always wanted to work with.


"Paul did it with 'Unaccompanied Minors,' " Jerry Weintraub Prods. president Robert Guralnick said. "Even the smallest role had funny people in it, and that's one thing that Paul does better than anyone else. True comedy writer-directors are rare and in our estimation, Paul is one of the best."


Paul is the creator of late, great television show Freaks & Geeks and the writer of the books Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence and Superstud: Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin.

aGLIFF's mgm 07 challenge

Call for Entries for My Gay Movie 2007

10-Minute Short Film Competition Aimed at Novice Filmmakers!

Submission Deadline: December 22 (postmark or drop-off)

MGM Screening: Thursday, January 25 (7:30PM)

For more info: www.agliff.org

(Austin, TX)---Since 2000, The Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) has inspired novice filmmakers to create 10-minute shorts with a “queer sensibility,” with the best being sent to film festivals across the globe. This year, aGLIFF and Public Access Community Television (PACT) are teaming up to provide filmmaking workshops and access to cameras, computers and editing software.

aGLIFF is now accepting submissions for the MGM 2007 Challenge. Entries must be on mini-DV or DVD; be no longer than 10 min; and have lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender subject matter. We are seeking short films from first-time, amateur and budding filmmakers. All types of media are welcome, including live action and animation. A preliminary judging committee will make selections from all works accepted. Awards will be doled out, including a grand prize for “Best My Gay Movie 2007!”

Because MGM is aimed at amateur filmmakers, aGLIFF is teaming up with PACT to provide workshops on basic camera and editing software. You DO NOT have to take a PACT training to submit your MGM Film, but attending a PACT Orientation and becoming certified as a Producer will provide you access to professional camera equipment, editing software and give you the skills to become a first-rate filmmaker.

To submit a film or video please download a Submission Form and include a synopsis of the entry in 50 words or less. Film submissions should be postmarked by December 22, 2006. Films should be mailed to: aGLIFF c/o MGM; 1216 E. 51^st Street; Austin, TX 78723.

An exhibition of the films will be held on Thursday, January 25 at 7:00PM at the Regal Arbor Cinema, located at 9828 Great Hills Trail.

aGLIFF hosts is the oldest and largest film festival of its kind in the Southwest and cultivates gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender filmmaking. For more information, you may call 512.302.9889 or visit www.agliff.org.

AFF 05 Short available on ITunes

Boy-Next-Door, a comedy short from the 2005 Austin Film Festival, has found a home on ITunes. Be sure to check out this hilarious short starring Richard Moll (that's right, Bull from Night Court) and support AFF filmmaker Travis Davis!

Lauren Greenfield on "The Today Show" today

Ms. Greenfield presented her powerful film THIN at the 2006 festival. In the clip she talks about the film and her recently released book also based on her experiences at Renfrew, a residential facility for the treatment of eating disorders.
Watch the segment

Closing night at AFF!

Just one night left to see great movies at the 13th Annual Austin Film Festival! Here's the complete lineup, or check out the schedule with trailers and more.

American Scary (91 min)
USA

Director: John E. Hudgens

TerrorVision
Thursday, October 26
7:00 PM
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek

Regional Premiere: American Scary is a look at the nation's tradition of horror hosting, from Zacherley to A. Ghastlee Ghoul. With interviews from major hosts from the 1950s to the present day, along with memories from celebrities and fans who were influenced by these hosts, you'll follow this American folk art form from its glamorous beginnings, through repeated waves of popularity, to its scrappy resurgence and survival in the age of cable access and the Internet. American Scary looks to remind people how much fun local TV could be - and maybe could be again. Featuring Joe Bob Briggs, Tim Conway, Neil Gaiman, Tom Savini and more! With horror host and Austinite Professor Anton Griffin and Frank Della Stritto from Cult Movies Press in attendance!

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Journey from the Fall (135 min)
USA/Vietnam

Director: Ham Tran

Special Presentations
Thursday, October 26
7:00 PM
IMAX Theater

Regional Premiere: "The movie begins on the last day of the war and follows the life of Long Nguyen and his family through prison 're-education' camps, dramatic sea escapes on dilapidated boats and finally to Little Saigon. Many of the scenes shot by cinematographer Guillermo Rosas (Master and Commander, Before Night Falls, Titanic, Man on Fire) are breathtaking backdrops to a brutal tale that’s been compared to Schindler’s List." - Orange County Weekly. Inspired by actual events, Journey from the Fall follows one family's fight for freedom in the wake of war-torn Vietnam. In 1975, against his wife's wishes, Long Nguyen chooses to stay in Vietnam and fight for his beloved country. Knowing that his decision may separate him from his family forever, he asks his wife, Mai, to leave their homeland for safer shores. Together with her son and mother-in-law, Mai reluctantly boards a tiny fishing boat bound for America and they begin a perilous journey across the sea. Journey from the Fall is dedicated to the millions of boat people and survivors of the communist re-education camps.

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Prison Pups (58 min)
USA

Director: Alice Bouvrie

Documentary Feature Competition
Thursday, October 26
7:00 PM
Regal Arbor Theater

World Premiere: Prison Pups follows four prison inmates as they train puppies for the handicapped and hearing impaired on a minimum-security facility nestled in the rolling farmland northwest of Boston. The peacefulness of this landscape belies a controlled and regimented environment where these inmates live with and train puppies over a 10 to 14 month period. The benefits of taking responsibility and knowing unconditional love can be profound as inmates gain confidence and are empowered by their role as trainers.

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The Houston Film Commission presents the Texas Filmmakers' Showcase (102 min)
USA

Shorts Programs
Thursday, October 26
7:15 PM
The Hideout Theater

Short films screening in this program include: Bubblecraft, JO FM, North to Ojinaga, Redemptitude, Room 314, Roslyn, Soul Mates, and Vincent Valdez.

Note: filmmakers in attendance

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Walking to Werner (93 min.)
USA

Director: Linas Phillips

Documentary Feature Competition
Thursday, October 26
7:15 PM
Landmark Dobie Theater

Regional Premiere: In the winter of 1974, German director Werner Herzog walked from Munich to Paris to see his dying friend, film critic Lotte Eisner, hoping that by making the journey on foot he would somehow keep her alive. In summer 2005, hoping simply to meet the man who had inspired him to make movies, filmmaker Linas Phillips made his own pilgrimage, walking 1,200 miles from Seattle to Herzog’s Los Angeles home. Braving freeway traffic, weather, the California Highway Patrol, and his own self-doubt, Linas fulfills a dream that parallels the filmic dreams accomplished by his hero, and as one marginal roadside character after another shares a story with him – redemptive, tragic, funny – Linas’ dream becomes much bigger than he originally intended.

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Tenacious D in 'The Pick of Destiny' (100 min.)
USA

DIRECTOR: Liam Lynch
WRITERS: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Liam Lynch
CAST: Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller, Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Tim Robbins

Marquee Screenings
Thursday, October 26
7:45 PM
Paramount Theatre

Regional Premiere The legend of the fabled "Pick of Destiny" infuses every page of rock history. This is no ordinary pick, my friends, its sheer power could shake the pillars of Algernon. It is a thing of lore . . . a thing of magic.

Since the dark ages, this supernatural pick has been passed down through many hands. The world's most awesome composers. The hardest of hard rockers. Many of the great masterpieces in music were due to this pick's powerful spell.

Now, the time draws nigh when the pick will be passed to the next generation of rock - the ones they call Tenacious D.

This is their tale of a friendship that would last through the ages and a musical and spiritual synergy so strong that it would reshape our very understanding of the concept of rock

---

Beyond the Call (82 min.)
USA

Director: Adrian Belic

Special Presentations
Thursday, October 26
8:45 PM
Regal Arbor Theater

Regional Premiere: Made in the cinema verite style of the director's previous and Academy Award nominated film, Genghis Blues, Beyond the Call tells the story of three middle aged men whose idea of adventure is taking desperately needed food and medicine into some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth: the front lines of war. Ed Artis, Jim Laws and Walt Ratterman are former soldiers and self-styled Knights of Malta. In 1995, they formed Knightsbridge International, a unique humanitarian aid organization with the motto "High Adventure and Service to Humanity." Their specialty is going where death from landmines, bullets, or bombs is as frequent as death from hunger, disease, or the elements. They are a fusion of Mother Theresa and Indiana Jones. Their personal convictions and courage drive them to places like Afghanistan, Albania, Chechnya, Cambodia, Rwanda and the southern Philippines, often before other aid organizations arrive. The three are still on the ground when other aid organizations deem things too dangerous and pull out. Artis explains: "We're not there to change anybody's politics, we're not in the God business, and we pay our own way."

---

Truth Be Tolled (105 min.)
USA

Special Presentations
Thursday, October 26
9:15 PM
Landmark Dobie Theater
Director: William H. Molina

Government has figured out a way to make money on public infrastructure. The plan is to convert existing Texas roadways into tollways and hand them over to foreign interests without a public vote. Many citizens are crying highway robbery.

Elected officials have passed laws unnoticed to simply pave the way. The political establishment is not listening to the people, but their voices will be heard.

This powerful documentary follows the process as citizens utilize their most important power as members of a democracy: freedom of speech.

From mayors of small cities, political candidates and grass roots groups to working-class Texans, all unite to state their loud opposition. The strongest voices rise from small rural communities whose farms, homes, schools, businesses and churches face the largest forcible eminent domain acquisition in U.S. history.

The Trans-Texas Corridor, a giant scar through the center of the state, will not only rip the heart out of Texas-- it will kill a way of life that has been in the state forever.

Note: filmmakers in attendance

---

Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (80 min.)
USA

DIRECTOR: Stacy Title
WRITERS: Chris Kobin, Jacob Hair, Jonathan McHugh, Tim Sullivan
CAST: Billy Dee Williams, Danny Trejo, Ernie Hudson, Jason Alexander, Method Man, Snoop Dogg

TerrorVision
Thursday, October 26
9:20 PM
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek

Regional Premiere: Welcome to the Hood of Horror, a place where revenge is a dish served cold in a 40 oz. The Hound of Hell is your guide through three terrifying tales from this nefarious neighborhood and its depraved denizens, including a tagger who finds out that not all gangstas die hard, a spoiled heir to a Texas oil dynasty who murders for money but can’t pay to stay alive, and a major rap star who discovers he’s got a few skeletons in his dressing room - and they’re kicking down the door. This bone-chilling, gut-bursting (literally) anthology proves once and for all, “It AIN’T all good in da Hood!”

---

Matando Cabos (94 min.)
Mexico

International Showcase: Mexico
Thursday, October 26
9:50 PM
Paramount Theatre

DIRECTOR: Alejandro Lozano
WRITERS: Alejandro Lozano, Kryztof Raczynski, Tony Dalton
CAST: Ana Claudia Talancon, Tony Dalton

Regional Premiere: Matando Cabos tells two sides of a kidnapping gone wrong. The victim is one of the most powerful men in Mexico, Oscar Cabos. Three kidnappers take a man they believe to be Cabos who is really someone else. The real Oscar Cabos has already been accidentally kidnapped by two of his employees. We follow the first group of kidnappers as they learn they have the wrong man and the other group as they try to return the real Oscar Cabos safely back home without endangering their own lives. A retired Mexican wrestler, a noisy parrot, and an Audi crashing into the largest stadium in the world create a world of situations that will impact all the characters in a single night.

---

Nightmare Detective (106 min.)
Japan/USA

Marquee Screenings, TerrorVision
(Sneak Preview TBA #3)

Director: Tsukamoto Shinya
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) & Conference is pleased to announce the US Premiere of Movie Eye Entertainment's "Nightmare Detective" as part of its 135-film line-up.

The film was directed by veteran Japanese director Tsukamoto Shinya ("Tetsuo: The Iron Man") and combines elements of horror and detective genres with social commentary. Variety notes, ”[Shinya’s] talent for creating and more importantly, maintaining, a frightening mood never falters… His idiosyncratic style, recalling David Lynch at his most perverse, is visceral.”

The film investigates an internet predator who enters victims’ minds while they sleep, an idea that came from the real life Japanese suicide websites which incite readers to commit suicide. The concept also sprung out of the director’s childhood nightmares which he says, “"frightened me, but at the same time they gave me a certain joy as if I were on a roller coaster at a leisure park."

In Japanese with English subtitles.

Closing night at AFF!

Just one night left to see great movies at the 13th Annual Austin Film Festival! Here's the complete lineup, or check out the schedule with trailers and more.

American Scary (91 min)
USA

Director: John E. Hudgens

TerrorVision
Thursday, October 26
7:00 PM
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek

Regional Premiere: American Scary is a look at the nation's tradition of horror hosting, from Zacherley to A. Ghastlee Ghoul. With interviews from major hosts from the 1950s to the present day, along with memories from celebrities and fans who were influenced by these hosts, you'll follow this American folk art form from its glamorous beginnings, through repeated waves of popularity, to its scrappy resurgence and survival in the age of cable access and the Internet. American Scary looks to remind people how much fun local TV could be - and maybe could be again. Featuring Joe Bob Briggs, Tim Conway, Neil Gaiman, Tom Savini and more! With horror host and Austinite Professor Anton Griffin and Frank Della Stritto from Cult Movies Press in attendance!

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Journey from the Fall (135 min)
USA/Vietnam

Director: Ham Tran

Special Presentations
Thursday, October 26
7:00 PM
IMAX Theater

Regional Premiere: "The movie begins on the last day of the war and follows the life of Long Nguyen and his family through prison 're-education' camps, dramatic sea escapes on dilapidated boats and finally to Little Saigon. Many of the scenes shot by cinematographer Guillermo Rosas (Master and Commander, Before Night Falls, Titanic, Man on Fire) are breathtaking backdrops to a brutal tale that’s been compared to Schindler’s List." - Orange County Weekly. Inspired by actual events, Journey from the Fall follows one family's fight for freedom in the wake of war-torn Vietnam. In 1975, against his wife's wishes, Long Nguyen chooses to stay in Vietnam and fight for his beloved country. Knowing that his decision may separate him from his family forever, he asks his wife, Mai, to leave their homeland for safer shores. Together with her son and mother-in-law, Mai reluctantly boards a tiny fishing boat bound for America and they begin a perilous journey across the sea. Journey from the Fall is dedicated to the millions of boat people and survivors of the communist re-education camps.

---

Prison Pups (58 min)
USA

Director: Alice Bouvrie

Documentary Feature Competition
Thursday, October 26
7:00 PM
Regal Arbor Theater

World Premiere: Prison Pups follows four prison inmates as they train puppies for the handicapped and hearing impaired on a minimum-security facility nestled in the rolling farmland northwest of Boston. The peacefulness of this landscape belies a controlled and regimented environment where these inmates live with and train puppies over a 10 to 14 month period. The benefits of taking responsibility and knowing unconditional love can be profound as inmates gain confidence and are empowered by their role as trainers.

---

The Houston Film Commission presents the Texas Filmmakers' Showcase (102 min)
USA

Shorts Programs
Thursday, October 26
7:15 PM
The Hideout Theater

Short films screening in this program include: Bubblecraft, JO FM, North to Ojinaga, Redemptitude, Room 314, Roslyn, Soul Mates, and Vincent Valdez.

Note: filmmakers in attendance

---

Walking to Werner (93 min.)
USA

Director: Linas Phillips

Documentary Feature Competition
Thursday, October 26
7:15 PM
Landmark Dobie Theater

Regional Premiere: In the winter of 1974, German director Werner Herzog walked from Munich to Paris to see his dying friend, film critic Lotte Eisner, hoping that by making the journey on foot he would somehow keep her alive. In summer 2005, hoping simply to meet the man who had inspired him to make movies, filmmaker Linas Phillips made his own pilgrimage, walking 1,200 miles from Seattle to Herzog’s Los Angeles home. Braving freeway traffic, weather, the California Highway Patrol, and his own self-doubt, Linas fulfills a dream that parallels the filmic dreams accomplished by his hero, and as one marginal roadside character after another shares a story with him – redemptive, tragic, funny – Linas’ dream becomes much bigger than he originally intended.

---

Tenacious D in 'The Pick of Destiny' (100 min.)
USA

DIRECTOR: Liam Lynch
WRITERS: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Liam Lynch
CAST: Amy Poehler, Ben Stiller, Colin Hanks, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Tim Robbins

Marquee Screenings
Thursday, October 26
7:45 PM
Paramount Theatre

Regional Premiere The legend of the fabled "Pick of Destiny" infuses every page of rock history. This is no ordinary pick, my friends, its sheer power could shake the pillars of Algernon. It is a thing of lore . . . a thing of magic.

Since the dark ages, this supernatural pick has been passed down through many hands. The world's most awesome composers. The hardest of hard rockers. Many of the great masterpieces in music were due to this pick's powerful spell.

Now, the time draws nigh when the pick will be passed to the next generation of rock - the ones they call Tenacious D.

This is their tale of a friendship that would last through the ages and a musical and spiritual synergy so strong that it would reshape our very understanding of the concept of rock

---

Beyond the Call (82 min.)
USA

Director: Adrian Belic

Special Presentations
Thursday, October 26
8:45 PM
Regal Arbor Theater

Regional Premiere: Made in the cinema verite style of the director's previous and Academy Award nominated film, Genghis Blues, Beyond the Call tells the story of three middle aged men whose idea of adventure is taking desperately needed food and medicine into some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth: the front lines of war. Ed Artis, Jim Laws and Walt Ratterman are former soldiers and self-styled Knights of Malta. In 1995, they formed Knightsbridge International, a unique humanitarian aid organization with the motto "High Adventure and Service to Humanity." Their specialty is going where death from landmines, bullets, or bombs is as frequent as death from hunger, disease, or the elements. They are a fusion of Mother Theresa and Indiana Jones. Their personal convictions and courage drive them to places like Afghanistan, Albania, Chechnya, Cambodia, Rwanda and the southern Philippines, often before other aid organizations arrive. The three are still on the ground when other aid organizations deem things too dangerous and pull out. Artis explains: "We're not there to change anybody's politics, we're not in the God business, and we pay our own way."

---

Truth Be Tolled (105 min.)
USA

Special Presentations
Thursday, October 26
9:15 PM
Landmark Dobie Theater
Director: William H. Molina

Government has figured out a way to make money on public infrastructure. The plan is to convert existing Texas roadways into tollways and hand them over to foreign interests without a public vote. Many citizens are crying highway robbery.

Elected officials have passed laws unnoticed to simply pave the way. The political establishment is not listening to the people, but their voices will be heard.

This powerful documentary follows the process as citizens utilize their most important power as members of a democracy: freedom of speech.

From mayors of small cities, political candidates and grass roots groups to working-class Texans, all unite to state their loud opposition. The strongest voices rise from small rural communities whose farms, homes, schools, businesses and churches face the largest forcible eminent domain acquisition in U.S. history.

The Trans-Texas Corridor, a giant scar through the center of the state, will not only rip the heart out of Texas-- it will kill a way of life that has been in the state forever.

Note: filmmakers in attendance

---

Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (80 min.)
USA

DIRECTOR: Stacy Title
WRITERS: Chris Kobin, Jacob Hair, Jonathan McHugh, Tim Sullivan
CAST: Billy Dee Williams, Danny Trejo, Ernie Hudson, Jason Alexander, Method Man, Snoop Dogg

TerrorVision
Thursday, October 26
9:20 PM
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek

Regional Premiere: Welcome to the Hood of Horror, a place where revenge is a dish served cold in a 40 oz. The Hound of Hell is your guide through three terrifying tales from this nefarious neighborhood and its depraved denizens, including a tagger who finds out that not all gangstas die hard, a spoiled heir to a Texas oil dynasty who murders for money but can’t pay to stay alive, and a major rap star who discovers he’s got a few skeletons in his dressing room - and they’re kicking down the door. This bone-chilling, gut-bursting (literally) anthology proves once and for all, “It AIN’T all good in da Hood!”

---

Matando Cabos (94 min.)
Mexico

International Showcase: Mexico
Thursday, October 26
9:50 PM
Paramount Theatre

DIRECTOR: Alejandro Lozano
WRITERS: Alejandro Lozano, Kryztof Raczynski, Tony Dalton
CAST: Ana Claudia Talancon, Tony Dalton

Regional Premiere: Matando Cabos tells two sides of a kidnapping gone wrong. The victim is one of the most powerful men in Mexico, Oscar Cabos. Three kidnappers take a man they believe to be Cabos who is really someone else. The real Oscar Cabos has already been accidentally kidnapped by two of his employees. We follow the first group of kidnappers as they learn they have the wrong man and the other group as they try to return the real Oscar Cabos safely back home without endangering their own lives. A retired Mexican wrestler, a noisy parrot, and an Audi crashing into the largest stadium in the world create a world of situations that will impact all the characters in a single night.

---

Nightmare Detective (106 min.)
Japan/USA

Marquee Screenings, TerrorVision
(Sneak Preview TBA #3)

Director: Tsukamoto Shinya
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) & Conference is pleased to announce the US Premiere of Movie Eye Entertainment's "Nightmare Detective" as part of its 135-film line-up.

The film was directed by veteran Japanese director Tsukamoto Shinya ("Tetsuo: The Iron Man") and combines elements of horror and detective genres with social commentary. Variety notes, ”[Shinya’s] talent for creating and more importantly, maintaining, a frightening mood never falters… His idiosyncratic style, recalling David Lynch at his most perverse, is visceral.”

The film investigates an internet predator who enters victims’ minds while they sleep, an idea that came from the real life Japanese suicide websites which incite readers to commit suicide. The concept also sprung out of the director’s childhood nightmares which he says, “"frightened me, but at the same time they gave me a certain joy as if I were on a roller coaster at a leisure park."

In Japanese with English subtitles.

Filmmaker Focus: Dale Kutzera of "Military Intelligence and You!"

Dale Kutzera has worked as a screenwriter for the past six years, first writing several unproduced feature scripts, then co-creating and producing the VH-1 series “Strange Frequency” and later on staff at the CBS series “Without a Trace.” A native of Washington State, he grew up in Tacoma and later attended the University of Washington in Seattle. He has written about film production for such magazines as “American Cinematographer,” “Cinefex,” and “Cinefantastique,” and served as researcher for Rosebud, author David Thompson’s biography of Orson Welles. He is a past recipient of the Carl Sautter Screenwriting Award, the Environmental Media Award (for “Without A Trace”), and was a participant in the prestigious Warner Brothers Writers Workshop.

"Military Intelligence and You!" uses a great deal of World War II military training film footage. How did you discover and then decide to use this footage?

About four years ago, I was developing an idea for a documentary, and part of the process was searching film archives. At the National Archives outside Washington DC I literally picked up the wrong tape in their viewing center and started watching a WWII training film caled "Rear Gunner" starring Burgess Meredith and Ronald Reagan. The idea struck me that there must be other dramatized training films, made with high production values, and that they would all be in the public domain. So that resource percolated in my brain and then later after Iraq started, I began kicking around an idea of making a film by repurposing these old movies.

The WWII parallels to modern politics may seem obvious as presented in the film, but how is today's situation different from that of sixty years ago? What kind of research did you do?

I believe all writers are at their hearts observers, and what I was observing with Iraq was very disturbing to me. You may recall all the jingoism and "my way or the highway" mentality of the lead-in to Iraq...renaming "French Fries" as "Freedom Fries" for instance when the French would not fall lock-step in with the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld game plan. The comparisons with WWII are stark and, again in my opinion, quite sobering. America was truly united after Pearl Harbor (setting aside, of course, the race prejudice of the era). Men and women enlisted, corporate America got on board and started making tanks instead of cars; average citizens conserved; and even Hollywood mobilized as stars gave up lucrative careers and the industry made films that supported the cause. Compare that to now when there is no shared burden of the draft, but the National Guard is used; when the President encourages people not to sacrifice, but to shop; when corporate America makes huge profits from the war; and when Hollywood is more critical than supportive of the effort.

Period production design is never easy, but "Military Intelligence and You!" looks great.

At one point I was going to work with a terrific production designer from the show I wrote for 'Without A Trace," but our schedules didn't line up. Then we worked briefly with another designer, who ultimately left as we were so far along the "vision" had already been set. So, the task of production design, like so many other jobs on a such a small film, fell to me. The inspiration came from two sources: the old training films themselves, and "Dr. Strangelove." We were cutting between old and new footage, so the overall "feel" of the new material needed to match the old. Takes were longer back in the day, so you may notice the use of longer takes in the new footage. There were also a lot of "push-ins" and "pull-outs" used back then which I mimicked in the new material.

The look of the film was also partially determined by our small budget. I had considered renting any one of the ornate houses available for shooting in Los Angeles, but that would have been expensive, and also required a "circus" of actor trailers, etc. Then I considered renting a standing set, which are also available in Los Angeles and turning, for example, a courtroom set into Central Command, but such sets were often small, and I wanted a sense of space. So that led to the notion of a "black box" set akin to what "Strangelove" did. Fortunately we found a terrific soundstage, Showbiz Studios, that was already painted black. We just had to paint the floor! The bulk of our sets came from Universal Props, and our great radio station equipment was from History for Hire. On a side note, we rented our "hero" costumes, but those for extras I purchased off Ebay...and resold after we wrapped to make a small profit!

I'm glad you like the look of the film, and much of that credit is due to cinematographer Mark Parry. We shot all the Central Command scenes in five days, which is like 8 to 9 script pages a day. That's a lot! But Mark rolled with our limitations, set up a general lighting design, and augmented it with things like a "beauty" light that made the lovely Lt. Monica Tasty glow just a bit hotter than everyone else in the scene. I'd also say the fact we were going to desaturate the color from our high-def shots and add grain and dirt helped to blend the new with the old, and gave use the license to be a bit less finicky in our design.

What's next?

Some well-deserved R & R for starters! Then a combination of finding a home for this film, and going back to the blank page. I have other scripts I'd love to sell or set up, but have gained so much inspiration from the Austin Conference that I may just put on the body-armor again, find the financing, and make another one myself. Thanks to you and everyone at the Festival for a much-needed jump-start, and I hope everyone can come see the film this Wednesday!

Military Intelligence and You! plays tonight (Wednesday) at 9:30 p.m. at the Landmark Dobie Theater

Asian Horror at the IMAX!

Noriko's Dinner Table • dir. Sion Sono
Suicide Club sequel
Regional Premiere
IMAX Theater (map)
Wed, Oct 25, 9:00 PM


Nightmare Detective • dir. Shinya Tsukamoto
"X-Files meets Nightmare on Elm Street"
US Premiere
IMAX Theater (map)
Thu, Oct 26, 10:00 PM

Filmmaker Focus: Daniel O'Connor

Daniel O'Connor, writer/director, RUN ROBOT RUN!

Run Robot Run! is a science-fiction comedy making its world premiere at the 13th Annual Austin Film Festival today at the Dobie Theater at 3 p.m.

Daniel O'Connor is a Canadian filmmaker living in Toronto. For the past 18 years Daniel has lived a dual existence, making short films and leading his own management consulting company coaching Fortune 500 leaders. With Robot Daniel has finally taken the great leap into feature film production (and living his dream).

Tell me about the evolution of Run Robot Run from concept to script.

I was reading the newspaper one morning about artificial intelligence and how quickly it was progressing and it occurred to me that is only a matter of time til we are replaced by robots in our jobs. They wouldn’t be moody or tired in the morning or cranky – they’d just do their jobs and make us look bad. So I sat down and wrote the screenplay. I had a clear idea of the tone of the film and the screenplay came quite easily.

When writing the screenplay, did you always envision directing it yourself?

I’ve directed every screenplay I’ve written so it was always my intention to direct the film. It’s a great way to make sure your screenplay turns into the movie you wrote.

What aspect of filmmaking surprised you most about jumping from comedy shorts to a feature?

I think the biggest surprise was the way the story had to be structured. It’s one thing to carry a film for 10 or 12 minutes. It’s a completely different thing to do it for an hour and a half. In the editing room I realized that I needed to really be ruthless in trimming the story in order to keep the audience entertained and engaged.

Run Robot Run! is a sci-fi comedy -- there are some nice touches that depict life in the not-so-distant future. Tell me about the production design and some of the pieces of which you're most proud.

We wanted to keep the look clean and sleek. That fit well with our limited budget which didn’t allow for a lot of futuristic CGI. When we needed props I thought that the best ones would be ones that looked like 50s sci-fi props, ones that didn’t compete with films like Minority Report or I, Robot. This movie is a character study so I wanted to ensure that the props didn’t distract from the story. I’m most proud of the beer glasses that are used in the future. They’re gigantic and people find them very funny. I like the idea of exaggerating the trends we see already with food servings getting bigger and bigger.

What direction did you give Peter Mooney (Adam) about how to act like a robot?

Peter plays two roles in the movie, two different aspects of the robot. In the first role, I suggested that he play the role as if he was the nicest guy in the world, very naïve and innocent. In the second part he plays, I said that he should keep the nice guy part but be a lot more cool and hip. It seemed to work.

What's next?

A movie about people who are in jobs that aren’t their dream, people who want to do something different, to unplug from the corporate world and live from the soul.

The feature RUN ROBOT RUN screens at 3 p.m. on October 21st at the Dobie Theater and again at 7:15 p.m. on October 25th at the Arbor. Film passes to the Austin Film Festival are just $35 for admission to all screenings (space permitting).