Short Cuts

Leaving on a Jet Plane, or Not Dept.: Does your head hurt as much as mine? Unless you live in the heart of downtown Austin, where the oceanic roar of thousands of supporters of Gov. Bush ricocheted from building to building before finally deciding on an acoustical settling place somewhere in the region of my bedroom around 2:30am last Wednesday morning, I sincerely doubt it. Acoustical black holes aside, let it never be said that the Bush camp doesn't know how to, um, "let the dawgs out" (and then, presumably, euthanize them with a slow-drip IV). While at the time of this writing the final tally is still out (and the Maalox supplies are totally out), a Bush win will prompt those eternal questions: Whither the Baldwins, and O Brother Altman, where art thou going? Although die-hard Clinton supporters Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger have since -- more or less -- retracted their claim, made earlier this year to German periodical Focus and repeated ad infinitum by -- who else?-- Matt Drudge, that they would pack it up and exit the U.S. should Texas' esteemed Gov. Bush enter the White House, Robert Altman has stood firm on his equally peripatetic claim to the Chronicle that it's au revoir to Cali and "yeaux, whassup?" to Paris if Dubya moves to D.C. By the time you read this, possibly all three (possibly accompanied by the Sarandon/Robbins camp) will be busily packing their valises and faxing story ideas to Jean-Luc Godard. Hey, I'm none too fond of the Shrubster myself but haven't these people heard of Jean-Marie Le Pen? Yeesh. C'mon, Florida -- Altman's still gotta apologize to Dallas et al. for the abysmal Dr. T & the Women... Back in the real world, such as it is, it's down to the wire for the initial postmark deadline for SXSW 2001 film submissions. Nov. 15 is the final day for registrants to obtain the early, lower submission fee, with the final postmark deadline set for Dec. 8. Online film submission forms can be found at www.sxsw.com/2001/film... The Austin Film Festival 2000 has announced their Sundance Channel/Time Warner Cable Audience Awards winners. They are: Best Distributed Feature Film -- Billy Elliot (opening in Austin this Friday), by writer Lee Hall and director Stephen Daldry; Best Undistributed Feature Film -- cicadas by writer/director Kat Candler; Best Short Film -- "Mutual Love Life," by writer/director Robert Peters; Best Student Short Film -- "Waking Mele," by writer/director Anne Misawa. Congratulations to all... There's more to making a film than just writing and directing, of course, and with the current explosion in desktop-editing systems that's more apparent than ever. Here's your chance to find out more about the subtle, oftentimes inscrutable craft of the film editor at Reel Women's next meeting, Wed., Nov. 15, 7:30pm, at GSD&M (828 W. Sixth). The featured speaker will be film editor Sandra Adair, whose longtime partnership with Richard Linklater on such films as Dazed and Confused, subUrbia, and The Newton Boys has been every bit as important to those films' success as Linklater's quirky vision itself. More info can be had by calling Reel Women at 292-9008, or check them out online at www.reelwomen.org... Thanks to the election-night throng, the date for Alchemy Works' next Movie Midwifing event has been changed from Nov. 7 to Tue., Nov. 14, 7pm, at the Hideout (617 Congress Ave.). Admission remains $5. Call 443-8229 for more info.