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By Marjorie Baumgarten, Fri., Feb. 13, 1998
How 'bout those Oscar nominations? Can't get enough? You can peruse complete lists and get lots more info about the 70th Annual Academy Awards at their official site, http://www.oscar.com. In addition top some live webcasting, the site features an Oscar fashion preview and a multi-player trivia game, lots of history, and more...
The monthly meeting of Reel Women is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7:30pm, at the Austin Writers' League (1503 W. Fifth St.). The speaker will be Lisa Gibbons Carloss of Mambo Media, who will talk about film distribution. Carloss formerly worked in foreign distribution for both Turner and Disney. Also on that day from 3-5:30pm, Allison Supanic of the Hogg Foundation will lead a workshop on doing grant research for film/video projects. Call 280-8706 for reservations or more info...
En Route Productions is requesting original shorts by up-and-coming filmmakers to screen at their annual Lone Artist Festival. Cash prizes will be awarded. Send video transfers of 16mm shorts, no longer than 10 minutes, along with $15 submission fee to: En Route Prods., 1311 W. 91/2 St., Austin, TX, 78703...
Austin is one of the first cities to see the release of The Only Thrill directed by The Trip to Bountiful's Peter Masterson. Filmed in Austin, Lockhart, Bastrop, and Martindale during November-December 1996, the movie oozes oodles and oodles of local color. Coincidentally, the movie shares the same production company, Moonstone Entertainment, as another film that also opens here this week, Afterglow. Curiously, both movies are romantic tales about mature, middle-aged couples whose experiences in each story are paralleled by those of a younger, more callow young couple. Talk about a company style...
Some might explain it away by saying It's in the Water, but instead they would be referring to Dallas filmmaker Kelli Herd's film which is currently playing at the Dobie Theatre. Herd has just been nominated as "Someone to Watch," one of the honors presented during the IFP/West's Independent Spirit Awards on March 21, which will be aired live on the Independent Film Channel. (Some of us who are lucky enough to be living in "upgraded" Time Warner service areas, and can theoretically receive IFC programming, may by then finally be forced to decide if their wallets can also afford the upgrade required to outlay for those nuisance converter boxes.) It really must be something in the water since Dobie also has the urban vampire film Habit by Larry Fessenden scheduled to open on February 27. Fessenden was the recipient of last year's Someone to Watch award...
What a pleasure to receive my new copy of Premiere magazine in the mail and find Richard Linklater's Newton Boys co-stars on the cover. Looks like a sure sign that things bode well for this Texas posse. The Newton Boys will be making its world premiere at SXSW with several of the stars expected to be on hand.
