Short Cuts

The distribution story of the summer is still The Blair Witch Project, which this weekend opens on an additional 1,000 screens across the U.S. and Canada. Amazingly, the low-budget horror movie (which opened on July 16 exclusively on 27 screens, including Austin's Dobie Theatre) set higher attendance numbers on its second weekend of distribution than on its first. Considering the fact that the first weekend brought in an astonishing $1.5 million, the second weekend's gross of $2 million with the addition of only four screens is, as they say, a feat for the history books. When added to the $1.5 million the film earned in its two advance opening days of business in New York and Los Angeles, the film has scared up $5 million in only 10 days. Directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, along with their producers, cast, crew, and distribution company Artisan Pictures, have handled this whole thing with admirable intelligence and instinct. Testament to their unstoppability is the fact that at least two big Hollywood releases decided to shift their scheduled July 30 openings in order to stay removed from the movie's witchcraft: Warner Bros.' Deep Blue Sea moved up its release date to Wednesday, July 28, and Universal's Mystery Men pushed back to August 6. If all goes well with the wider release of Blair Witch, it will open on another 500-1,000 screens on August 6...

Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France winner; Lance Armstrong, the Austin resident; Lance Armstrong, the cancer survivor; Lance Armstrong ... the movie star?! Seems that Bud Greenspan, famous for filming the Olympic Games, has acquired the rights to Armstrong's story and will co-produce it with Edward Pressman. The team last paired to produce the documentary feature Endurance, about the legendary long-distance runner Haile Gebrsellasie...

The deadline for submissions to the Austin Heart of Film Festival is imminent. Scheduled for October 7-14 and held in conjunction with the four-day-long Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference, the eight-day-long festival of screenings is accepting entries in the feature, short feature, and studentshort film categories. Entries must be postmarked by August 7, and applicants must be one of the credited writers. Films must have been completed by June 1, 1998, and be accompanied by a $40 entry fee. For more information call 800/310-FEST or see http://www.austinfilmfestival.org...

The speakers at the next meeting of the Actors' Alliance will be talent agents Barbara Gray (Austin) and Linda McAlister (Dallas). The meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 3, 6pm, at Top of the Marc. For more info see http://www.filmalliance.org...

In advance of their Mega-Garage Sale on Saturday, August 14, the Reel Women Production Group is soliciting contributions to help them raise money. The proceeds from the garage sale will help fund their collectively made short film, Deal of the Century. Anyone wishing to contribute items for sale should call Sandhya at 231-8864 to make arrangements for the group to come pick up your stuff. Such items as clothes, appliances, furniture, shoes, toys, books, music, and art are all appreciated.