Below Brett Nicholson shares one of his many experiences from last years Austin Film Festival. Check out A Bucket of Love for more blogs by Brett!
….we all wandered over to the Conference Welcome Party over at an open air bar on 4th Street. There we saw loads of familiar friends -- fellow writers from previous festivals, now-familiar faces from the festival (including Conference Director Maya Perez), whom I accosted in my usual way. She laughed and offered to buy me a beer. "But the beer's already free!" I said, tossing her the set-up she wanted and needed. "Exactly! Which is why I offered to buy!" (Oh, the fun we had.) I elbow Maya and ask her to confirm that the blazer-clad gentleman behind me is in fact Lawrence Kasdan. She peeks, nods, and dashes away to take a phone call (likely to order some more plagiarizing... the woman is nefarious, I tell you). I suck back my fourth Dos Equis, breathe deep, and stomp over to meet Mr. Kasdan.
I always feel very uncomfortable with these sorts of fan-boy intros, as on the one hand I absolutely wish to respect the man's privacy: he didn’t come to the party, after all, just to be slimed and drooled upon by my adoring ilks, but on the other hand he has enjoyed a great deal of financial success thanks to guys just like me, and if he doesn't want to meet fans, then by jumped up Harry he shoulda stowed his candy ass back at the hotel. (And, yes, this is in fact what my normal every day interior monologue sounds like, and yes, it concerns me as well...)."Mr. Kasdan, I'm sorry to annoy you at a party like this, but I can't let you stand within arm's reach and not ask to shake your hand, sir. You're maybe the reason I ever considered becoming a screenwriter, and I am a huge huge fan of everything you've ever written. Especially Continental Divide."He smiles and shakes my hand. "Wow-- that IS going back a ways!"He turns out to be, like a surprising and refreshing number of the Hollywood folks I've met, a surpassingly kind and decent guy. he accepts my little bit of ass-kissery, and then does something truly cool: he checks my ID badge, reads the name of my script from the festival contest, and insists on talking to me about my writing for a minute or two.Lawrence Kasdan! Lawrence FUCKING Kasdan! I give him the briefest possible description, and he smiles and nods and says "wow, that really sounds interesting. I wish you all the best with that, really." I thank him, tell him to enjoy the rest of his evening, and turn to leave, where I see something else remarkable: Kasdan's wife, Meg, standing back, smiling and watching her man make a 42 year old father of four blush and giggle like a smitten schoolgirl. I lean in and tell her thanks, and she smiles and asks for what? "For sharing him with folks like me. It means a lot." She smiled and patted my arm. I toyed with the idea of copping an ass-squeeze, but opted against it.
Register Now for a Producers Badge for the 2007 Austin Film Festival and enter in to a drawing for 1 free nights stay at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel during the 2007 AFF Conference.
For more on this particular blog go to: http://abucketoflove.blogspot.com/2006/10/aff-2006-let-slip-poodles-of-war.html
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
BALLAD OF AJ WEBERMAN screens Thursday
On Thursday, May 3rd, 2007, Austin Film Festival invites you to a special one-night-only screening of the award winning feature length documentary THE BALLAD OF A.J WEBERMAN. The screening will be held at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek at 7:30 PM and will feature a special "garbology" themed menu in honor of the film. Admission is free for Austin Film Festival members and just $4 for non-members. The Austin Film Festival hosts screenings on the first Thursday of every month at the Alamo Lake Creek Theater.
Summary:
'The Ballad of A.J Weberman' is a documentary film that observes the obsession of A.J Weberman, Bob Dylan's most infamous fan and founder of garbology, the study of trash. As Weberman attempts to understand Dylan's world, the film portrays just how far he will go to get the information he craves. An animated depiction of a recorded conversation between Dylan and Weberman depicts the bizarre relationship these men share. Through 'Dylanology,' Weberman attempts to analyze every aspect of Dylan's life and career in his own erratic way."
The film won the Raindance Award from the British Independent Film Awards. For more information visit www.balladofajweberman.com
Upcoming Events
May 6th • Teaching Austin: 125 Years of Public School Education @ 7:45pm, IMAX Theater, Bob Bullock TX State History Museum
May 20th • Flatland @ 3pm, Regal Arbor
Summary:
'The Ballad of A.J Weberman' is a documentary film that observes the obsession of A.J Weberman, Bob Dylan's most infamous fan and founder of garbology, the study of trash. As Weberman attempts to understand Dylan's world, the film portrays just how far he will go to get the information he craves. An animated depiction of a recorded conversation between Dylan and Weberman depicts the bizarre relationship these men share. Through 'Dylanology,' Weberman attempts to analyze every aspect of Dylan's life and career in his own erratic way."
The film won the Raindance Award from the British Independent Film Awards. For more information visit www.balladofajweberman.com
Upcoming Events
May 6th • Teaching Austin: 125 Years of Public School Education @ 7:45pm, IMAX Theater, Bob Bullock TX State History Museum
May 20th • Flatland @ 3pm, Regal Arbor
June 7th • TILT: The Battle to Save Pinball @ 7:30pm, Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek
June 28th • Mexican Sunrise @ 7:30pm, Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Larry Wilmore Confirmed Panelist for 2007 AFF
Larry Wilmore will attend this year's AFF as a panelist (schedule permitting). Larry has written for several sitcoms, including In Living Color, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and The Jaime Foxx Show. Wimore won an Emmy, a Peabody, and a Humanitas Award for his outstanding work as creator and executive producer of The Bernie Mac Show. He is currently a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Pictured: Larry Wilmore at the Young Filmmakers Roundtable during the 2006 AFF and Coference.
Austin Stories
We are already gearing up for the 2007 Austin Film Festival and with every confirmed panelist I get more excited about the Conference!
For the past three years, I have been able to attend the festival, typically working for the festival in some capacity and whenever I could spare a few minutes, I would sneak into a panel that I was dying to see, or a movie that I was desperate to watch before I had to get back to work. And every year there is a favorite memory or moment that I end up always thinking of. Here are two personal memories from my past years at AFF.
In 2005 screenwriter/director Judd Apatow was a panelist. He was on several panels two of which I got to see. The first was a screening called “Judd Apatow Presents” and the second being the Up Close and Personal with Harold Ramis panel, which Judd moderated. At the time I was the Production Manager for the Film Festival and usually I was fluttering between venues making sure things were good to go. Friday night of the Festival, “Judd Apatow Presents” a retrospective/interactive screening with dialogue from Judd Apatow about his North Hollywood pilot and unseen dailies and outtakes of 40 Year Old Virgin was happening at the SFA Theater. Once I got to the SFA Theater Judd Apatow was there with a bottle of wine and three glasses – one for him, one for our Film Program Director, Kelly Williams, and one for me. I typically don’t drink red wine but I was offered a glass a wine from Judd Apatow! How could I turn it down? Needless to say once the theater was set and the Theater Manager was ready to let guests in- I ended up moving on to the next theater to check in with staff and volunteers.
Another one of those unforgettable memories was last year the night before the Film Festival started at our Film and Food fundraiser. A retrospective screening of The Black Stallion had just finished at the Paramount and it was raining pretty hard. I was standing outside the Driskill when Steve Faber, co-writer of Wedding Crashers, stopped and started to talk to me before heading inside. We some how got onto the topic of documentaries - the best documentaries, the must see of all time documentary, etc. As we chatted we were interrupted by a film print being hand delivered to me. We continued to talk, but now with two film canisters at my feet. Before I realized what was going on Steve Faber picked up a film canister and asked me where we were taking it. Steve and I then carried the film to the Film Festival’s Tech Center a couple blocks away and continued our documentary conversation. From then on out at the festival, if I randomly ran into Steve – a new documentary film title was blurted out between the two of us – “Hey Steve, Hoop Dreams!” would be met with, “Thin Blue Line!”
AFF is interested in hearing your story. Please feel free to email them to me at linnea (@) austinfilmfestival.com and we will post them on the AFF blog!
Register Now during Early Registration for a Producers Badge and get entered into a raffle for a One Night Free stay at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel during the 2007 Austin Film Festival. Winner will be announced June 1st.
For the past three years, I have been able to attend the festival, typically working for the festival in some capacity and whenever I could spare a few minutes, I would sneak into a panel that I was dying to see, or a movie that I was desperate to watch before I had to get back to work. And every year there is a favorite memory or moment that I end up always thinking of. Here are two personal memories from my past years at AFF.
In 2005 screenwriter/director Judd Apatow was a panelist. He was on several panels two of which I got to see. The first was a screening called “Judd Apatow Presents” and the second being the Up Close and Personal with Harold Ramis panel, which Judd moderated. At the time I was the Production Manager for the Film Festival and usually I was fluttering between venues making sure things were good to go. Friday night of the Festival, “Judd Apatow Presents” a retrospective/interactive screening with dialogue from Judd Apatow about his North Hollywood pilot and unseen dailies and outtakes of 40 Year Old Virgin was happening at the SFA Theater. Once I got to the SFA Theater Judd Apatow was there with a bottle of wine and three glasses – one for him, one for our Film Program Director, Kelly Williams, and one for me. I typically don’t drink red wine but I was offered a glass a wine from Judd Apatow! How could I turn it down? Needless to say once the theater was set and the Theater Manager was ready to let guests in- I ended up moving on to the next theater to check in with staff and volunteers.
Another one of those unforgettable memories was last year the night before the Film Festival started at our Film and Food fundraiser. A retrospective screening of The Black Stallion had just finished at the Paramount and it was raining pretty hard. I was standing outside the Driskill when Steve Faber, co-writer of Wedding Crashers, stopped and started to talk to me before heading inside. We some how got onto the topic of documentaries - the best documentaries, the must see of all time documentary, etc. As we chatted we were interrupted by a film print being hand delivered to me. We continued to talk, but now with two film canisters at my feet. Before I realized what was going on Steve Faber picked up a film canister and asked me where we were taking it. Steve and I then carried the film to the Film Festival’s Tech Center a couple blocks away and continued our documentary conversation. From then on out at the festival, if I randomly ran into Steve – a new documentary film title was blurted out between the two of us – “Hey Steve, Hoop Dreams!” would be met with, “Thin Blue Line!”
AFF is interested in hearing your story. Please feel free to email them to me at linnea (@) austinfilmfestival.com and we will post them on the AFF blog!
Register Now during Early Registration for a Producers Badge and get entered into a raffle for a One Night Free stay at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel during the 2007 Austin Film Festival. Winner will be announced June 1st.
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