Texas to Officially Adopt QT

Well, close enough: The Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards will make Quentin Tarantino an Honorary Texan at the ceremony in 2010.

The Austin Film Society, which holds the annual Hall of Fame awards at a neighboring Austin Studios hangar, announced today the first of three honorees. In addition to Quentin Tarantino, character actor Bruce McGill (Animal House) and Michael Nesmith (one-time Monkee and music video pioneer) will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. AFS will release more names of both inductees and inductors in January.

The ceremony takes place Thursday, March 11, with Thomas Haden Church returning as emcee. Full press release below.

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2010 TEXAS FILM HALL OF FAME AWARDS TO HONOR

QUENTIN TARANTINO, MICHAEL NESMITH & BRUCE MCGILL

(Austin, TX) - The Austin Film Society (AFS) is pleased to announce that the tenth anniversary celebration of the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards, presented by AT&T, will be held on March 11, 2010. The Awards recognize outstanding actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, producers and films from, influenced or inspired by the Lone Star State. Quentin Tarantino will become an honorary Texan, cementing his personal and creative ties to Texas that date back to the early1990s. A longtime collaborator with Robert Rodriguez (MACHETE, GRINDHOUSE, SIN CITY, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, and FOUR ROOMS), Tarantino has also collaborated with the Austin Film Society since a chance meeting with Richard Linklater at a midnight screening of NASHVILLE in Santa Monica. After the two discovered their mutual enthusiasm for showing rare films to live audiences, Tarantino brought his personal collection of 1960s and 1970s genre films to Austin in 1997. A tradition was born that became the QT Festival, which migrated from the Dobie Theater to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for the third festival in 1999, helping to launch the Alamo Drafthouse's reputation for specialty exhibition. Harry Knowles credits his live coverage of the first QT fest on his fledgling web site, Ain't It Cool News, with launching his success. Tarantino remains active with the Film Society as an advisory board member. He returns to the Texas Film Hall of Fame for the first time since its inaugural year when he presented his agent, Mike Simpson, with the Warren Skaaren Lifetime Achievement Award.

Michael Nesmith, born in Houston, will receive the Warren Skaaren Lifetime Achievement Award. Nesmith is perhaps best known for his work with The Monkees band and TV show but has made significant contributions in film, television and music. He served as executive producer of the cult films REPO MAN, TAPEHEADS and TIMERIDER. In 1980, he developed “Pop Clips,” which became the inspiration for MTV and his video, “Cruisin” became the first video on the network. The next year, he won the first Grammy Award given for Video of the Year for his hour-long “Elephant Parts.” Nesmith served on the board of trustees for the American Film Institute for ten years. World-renowned American artist Edward Ruscha will be on hand to present the award to Nesmith.

San Antonio-born Bruce McGill got his start in the raucous 1978 comedy classic NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, drumming the William Tell Overture on his windpipe. His extensive filmography includes SILKWOOD, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, CLIFFHANGER, THE INSIDER, THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE and recently Oliver Stone’s W. McGill earned a B.F.A. in acting from The University of Texas at Austin, and later made his professional debut as a member of Rhode Island's Trinity Square Repertory Company, appearing in numerous theatrical productions.

They will be honored for their immense contributions to Texas film and join fellow Texas Film Hall of Fame honorees Billy Bob Thornton, Mike Judge, Morgan Fairchild, Dennis Quaid, Kris Kristofferson, Forest Whitaker, Sissy Spacek and many more. Additional honorees will be announced in January.

Thomas Haden Church, an El Paso native, returns to emcee the tenth annual awards ceremony. In addition to his Academy Award nomination for his role in SIDEWAYS, Church has appeared in such films as SPIDER-MAN 3, SPANGLISH and ROLLING KANSAS, his directorial debut, which he also wrote.

Evan Smith and Louis Black serve as Founding and Talent Chairs. This year's Event Co-chairs are Erin Driscoll and Ali Watson. Dana Wheeler-Nicholson and Alexa Wesner serve as Honorary Auction Chairs, and Kate Hersch is this year’s Lottery Chair. The proceeds from the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards benefit the educational and artistic programs of the Austin Film Society.

Tables (seating 10 - 12) range in price from $5,000 to $25,000. For table sales and sponsorship information, contact AFS Director of Development Shannon Moody at 512.322.00145 x 222 or by email at shannon@austinfilm.org.

Austin Film Society promotes the appreciation of film and supports creative filmmaking by screening rarely seen films, giving grants and other support to emerging filmmakers, and providing access and education about film to youth and the public. Through Austin Studios, which AFS opened in 2000 in partnership with the City of Austin, AFS helps attract film development and production to Austin and Texas. Gala film premieres and the annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards raise funds as well as awareness of the impact of film on economy and community. The Austin Film Society is ranked among the top film centers in the country and recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and Directors Guild of America.

For more information on Austin Film Society, visit www.austinfilm.org ###