Film Flam

Too broke to go on a summer vacation? We feel your pain. But you can still see the world and even enjoy a spot of time travel – summer of '82, anyone? – with this summer's supersized repertory and microcinema lineup.

Following yesterday's announcement of Blue Starlite Drive-In's new berth at Austin Studios, we heard word from filmmaker Bob Byington that his latest film, Somebody Up There Likes Me, will kick off a new summer series from Cinema East on June 10. The series runs every other Sunday through to Aug. 19; more details on the lineup forthcoming.

But before then, we've got plenty of other series to sink the teeth into. The Austin Film Festival launches a new series May 21 highlighting the Audience Award winners from AFF 2011, including Restive, Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, Stories From an Undeclared War, and Sironia. And the Show! Presents: Austin Auteurs continues May 22 with Spencer Parsons' I'll Come Running.

Two days later, the much-loved annual Paramount Summer Classic Film Series kicks off with To Kill a Mockingbird, newly restored as part of Universal's centennial celebration, and Pillow Talk (that one's on our desert-island list). The whole lineup can be perused here. Check out our preview in the May 24 issue, as well as a handy pullout calendar.

Finally, seeing as how the summer heat here can feel biblical – like, plagues of Egypt biblical – the Harry Ransom Center's Biblical Film Series is wickedly apropos. The series starts June 7 with Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 whack at The Ten Commandments.

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So yeah, summer's beastly hot, and sometimes you don't want to leave the house, right? Enjoy Steve Collins' You Hurt My Feelings from the luxe plush of your own couch: The festival favorite – and recent New York Times Critics' Pick – starring John Merriman and Courtney Davis is now available on demand from iTunes and Amazon.

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Steve Mims is no stranger to awards – his documentary Incendiary: The Willingham Case won the Louis Black Lone Star Award at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival – and his latest, Ruthie Foster: Live at Antone's, won the Blues Foundation Award for Best DVD of 2012 at the annual Memphis-based awards this past weekend.

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Last week the Austin Film Society named its new associate artistic director – Holly Herrick, a veteran of film festivals in the Hamptons and Sarasota, as well as an independent film producer. Herrick replaces Bryan Poyser, who left AFS in March to pursue filmmaking full-time. Of Herrick's hire, AFS Executive Director Rebecca Campbell said, “Our search committee saw in Holly a next-generation leader who embraces the role of film in inclusive community dialogue, advocates for programs that bring economic opportunity to artists, and respects the century-plus history of a great art form.” In addition to gaining Herrick at AFS, Austin's independent film scene gets some fresh blood: Herrick's husband is Michael Tully, a filmmaker (Septien) and regular contributor at film site Hammer to Nail. Two for one!

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Questions/comments/concerns? Hit us up here: filmflam@austinchronicle.com.