Short Cuts

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio is hosting one of five nationwide community forums with Chicano/Latino producers and PBS programmers concerning the creation of a new funding organization for Latinos producing public television programming. The overall purpose of the forums is to discuss an ongoing funding mechanism for Latino productions for public television. Introduced at the forum will be Edward James Olmos and the Latino Public Broadcasting Project, which has been selected to temporarily manage the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's funding for public television productions produced by and about Latinos and will soon begin disbursing $1.3 million. Theforum will take place on Tuesday, January 19, 6-9pm, at the Guadalupe Theater in San Antonio (1301 Guadalupe St. at South Brazos). For more info call Ray Santisteban, the Center's director of media arts at 210/271-3151, x32...

lso coming up is the March 15 submission deadline for the 22nd edition of the San AntonioCineFestival, which will take place June 16-20. This year's theme is "Latinas in Film." For entry forms or mailing list info call Ray Santisteban at the above number...

The next meeting of Reel Women is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, 7:30pm, at GSD&M. For more info call 280-8706...

The Austin Children's Museum is offering two weekend-long video production workshops on January 23-24 and February 20-21, noon-5pm. Youths between the ages of 9-18 are eligible to register for the workshops which will explore the basics of video production. Cost of the workshops is $75 members/$80 non-members. All necessary equipment will be provided. The workshops are held in connection with Austin's Youth Film Festival in collaboration with the Austin Heart of Film Festival. For more info contact Sarah Flournoy at 472-2499, x274 or by e-mail at [email protected]...

Judging from the stack of press releases covering my desk it's a cinch to see that Austin is springing back to an active film whirl following the holiday slow-down. The Austin Film Society starts up a new Free Cinema series that screens on Tuesdays at 7pm at the Texas Union and is devoted to a career overview of the films of Charles Burnett. The Paramount offers up its titanic-sized screen for four weekend screenings (Jan. 23-24) of James Cameron's Titanic. The Alamo Drafthouse features another edition of their Movie & Music series that pairs local musicians with silent films. For two shows on Thursday, Jan. 21, Guy Forsyth will accompany the screening of Buster Keaton's masterwork The General with the performance of his original score. Fans of El Mariachi will want to catch the test screening of Bravo, Saturday, Jan. 16, 3pm, at the Alamo since it stars El Mariachi's leading man Carlos Gallardo. Bravo is described as an action film with political intrigue and a Latin twist, and Gallardo will be at the screening and conduct a Q&A following the film. The screening is meant to gauge audience reaction and any proceeds from the screening will be donated to the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless which later that evening is hosting the Coat Party Celebrity Auction. Gallardo is contributing the coat he wore in El Mariachi for auction. Another benefit occurs at Dobie on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 7:30pm.The screening of the documentary I Witness is abenefit for the Texas Abortion Rights Action League. And while at the Dobie, you might take note of the new ownership. The LandmarkTheatre chain officially takes possession of the theatre from longtime owner Scott Dinger on Friday. Also opening on screens everywhere this week is the locally shot Varsity Blues.