Short Cuts
Red carpet reportage, and other filmic items
By Marc Savlov, Fri., Nov. 16, 2001
Yes, But What Have You Done for Us Lately? Oh, Right. Never Mind Dept.: "It was a much more engaged audience than the world premiere at Sundance," said Austin Film Society Director Rebecca Campbell about last Monday's packed regional premiere of Rick Linklater's new film Tape. I missed the Sundance gig this year, but the Paramount Theatre premiere was indeed packed to the rafters with cast, crew, and starstruck oglers eager to catch a glimpse of a fashionably scrungey Ethan Hawke, a seven-months-along Uma Thurman, a clearly enthused playwright Stephen Belber, and the Rick. Fans of the film's other cast member (there are only three), Robert Sean Leonard, were out of luck, as the actor was stuck in New York City following that morning's American Airlines crash in Queens. Hawke picked up the slack early, calling the weighty head trip of a film a "comedy" and fielding post-screening questions from the audience on everything from the pros and cons of the digital revolution to why location shooting in a cramped motel room is, uh, sucky. (For the record, Tape, which takes place entirely in just such a seedy motel room, was shot on a set constructed in Chelsea.) As if the film weren't enough of a treat, the post-party at Liberty Bank president Eddy Safady's new digs just a block up on Congress was, to put it mildly, lush. I won't even begin to describe the loft-like opulence of Safady's swanky homefront, but I will note that the surest way to a journo's heart is via the hors d'oeuvres spread, and all attending were instantly smitten with the whole mad affair. Certainly Ann Richards looked to be having a good time, as did series creator/screenwriter Scott Rosenberg (Gone in Sixty Seconds, High Fidelity), and assorted cast members from the just-wrapped Showtime local shoot, Going to California. Campbell was mum on the monies raised by the event for the Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund, but did note that the next major AFS swank-out would likely be round two of the Texas Film Hall of Fame, to be held once again in Hangar 4 out at Austin Studios with Texas stalwart Richards slotted to emcee. Mark your calendars, kids... Another week, another Cinemaker Co-op shindig: Sunday, Nov. 25, 7pm, at ACA Gallery in the GuadalupeArts Building (1705 Guadalupe), Austin's small-gauge filmmaking collective will host the Best of Cinematexas 2001, a compilation screening of the UT-based short film festival's outstanding works from the 2001 season. The collection includes works from Portugal, Slovakia, and Austria, among many others. Admission and refreshments are free, and filmmakers are encouraged to bring along their new works or works-in-progress on VHS, Super 8, or 16mm to show and discuss following the screening. For more info call 236-8877 or check their site at www.cinemaker.org ... The early deadline to register for March's SXSW Film Conference is drawing near (tomorrow -- that's Friday, Nov. 16, to be exact). What they have to say about it: "Panels at the SXSW Film Conference 2002 will concentrate on getting films of any budget made and distributed, translating a vision onto film while negotiating the pitfalls along the way, and enabling a new wave of filmmaking and creativity by getting cameras in as many hands as possible." Slated to attend so far are The Larry Sanders Show alum Jeffrey Tambor, who'll conduct an acting workshop, and exploitation auteur Lloyd Kaufman, who'll host a retrospective of his work. The postmark deadline for the $175 rate is Friday, Nov. 16, or you can register online and save $75 off the walk-up registration price. Conference registration details and forms (online and download) can be found at www.sxsw. com/attend/. Craving more? See www.sxsw.com/film... Cecilia Conti over at AFS sends word that the AFS Spring Internship Program is seeking a fresh crop of interns. "The ideal candidate will be project-oriented with strong initiative and follow-through skills" and shouldn't be averse to hard work and mega-stress. Applicants must be able to commit 10 hours a week for no less than three months, must attend the mandatory orientation, and must work out a permanent schedule within two weeks of beginning their internship. Applications (with résumé and cover letter) are accepted via mail at AFS, c/o Cecilia Conti, 1901 E. 51st, Austin, TX 78723, or fax (512/322-5192), or email at [email protected]. The deadline's Dec. 15, 2001, so get crackin'.
SHOOTING GALLERY
Currently shooting in and around Austin... Director Gary Fleder's (Don't Say a Word) episode of the Showtime series Going to California is wrapping as we write this. The show stars Sam Trammell and Brad Henke ... Alan Parker's The Life of David Gale, from a script by former UT professor Charles Randolph, is currently stopping traffic on the Drag, possibly because Kate Winslet and Kevin Spacey star. The film tells the fictional story of a UT prof and staunch advocate for the elimination of the death penalty named David Gale who finds himself on death row after being falsely accused of murder... Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams is Robert Rodriguez's follow-up to last summer's enormously successful tale of pint-sized cloak 'n' dagger kids. This time out, Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega, as Juni and Carmen, are joined by Steve Buscemi, Ricardo Montalban, and locals Mike Judge and KLBJ morning guy Dale Dudley ... And shooting began late in October for Blaze Foley, a new documentary about the deceased Texas writer/musician.
