Being for the Benefit of a Bunch of Filmmakers and Some People Who Hate Wal-Mart Dept.: September is apparently the month for film-related benefits, as no less than a handful of them are scheduled over the course of the coming month. First out of the gate is
Cory Ryan's shindig for
Flicker Austin, the bimonthly small-gauge microfest that screens regularly at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown. Pencil in Saturday, Sept. 6, 5-10:30pm, at Moxie (2120 Oxford, off South Lamar, two blocks south of Oltorf). A paltry $5 gets you a cavalcade of ridiculous fun, including a "giant
Twister match," silent auction and raffle, belly dancing, the vinyl mayhem of DJ Boom, and a chance to check out Mercury regulars
Halley, who, by the way, are very much worth checking out. Did I mention that
Tito's Vodka is a sponsor? Flicker Austin founder Ryan says that they'll also be shooting a Super-8 movie for the next Flicker screening, so dress for cinematic posterity, if you know what we mean (and we're sure you do). More info at
www.flickeraustin.com. The following Thursday, Sept. 11, 9pm-midnight, at Club DeVille (900 Red River), local filmgrrrl
Tracie Laymon is holding a 'do to raise precious, precious funding for her upcoming short, "Skinny," (to be DP'd by Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers frontsperson
Jen White and starring legendary Waterloo Records micronaut
Jessy Schwartz as the Skinny). Again, a scrawny $5 gets you in to bask in the reflected aural glow of
Chad Salls,
Household Names, and yet another Mercury staple,
My Education. Expect roving masseuses, a silent auction featuring swag from Troma's
Lloyd Kaufman,
Willie Nelson,
Tim McCanlies'
Secondhand Lions, and excellent cake. Last but certainly not least, at least in activist-friendly Austin, is the
Save Barton Creek Association's (in conjunction with 15 other neighborhood, environmental, and community groups) screening of the terrific agitprop masterwork
Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town, Friday, Sept. 12, 4pm, at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown (409 Colorado). Texas straight shooter (and
Chronicle columnist)
Jim Hightower will be on hand to rally the troops against the legions of blank-eyed Wal-Mart zombies currently wiping out mom 'n' pop small business across the land. This is a benefit for the SBCA's recently formed "Stop Wal-Mart! Fund," which is working to block the construction of the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at the environmentally sensitive South MoPac and Slaughter Lane location, a noble goal if ever there was one. For more information on the benefit and why Wal-Mart has got every good citizen in such an uproar, check out
www.savebartoncreek.org... Q: What did the Khandarian demon say to
Bruce Campbell in
Sam Raimi's
Evil Dead? A: "Join us!," which is funny, 'cause that's exactly what the evil demons over at the eighth annual
Cinematexas International Short Film Festival are saying, too. Turns out they need volunteers, not chainsaw-wielding S-Mart employees or soul-sucking vortices, but I guess these days you can't be too choosy. "Surround yourself with an exciting group of art curators, punk rockers, activists, performers, film aficionados," and attend one of their volunteer orientation sessions at the Texas Union Theater, room #2.228, Saturday, Sept. 6, 6-8 pm, or Monday, Sept. 8, 5-7pm, or at the Texas Union Chicano Culture Room, #4.206, Thursday, Sept. 11, 8-10pm (but you'll be at the "Skinny" benefit, won't you?). Just think, you could end up within striking distance to Cinematexas guest and Oscar nominee
Todd Haynes (please, no striking Todd Haynes). For more info, go to
www.cinematexas.org or call 471-6497. Finally, we've seen it, and you haven't, and it rocks like a fox in socks eating lox, so you really ought to go to the
Austin Film Society's benefit screening of Tim McCanlies' great new film,
Secondhand Lions, starring Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, and Haley Joel Osment, Sunday, Sept. 14, 6pm, at the Paramount Theatre (713 Congress). Both McCanlies and Osment will be on hand for the festivities, and proceeds from the screening will benefit the Austin State Hospital, the Texas Film Commission, and the Austin Film Society. A post-screening Q&A moderated by Texas Monthly Editor Evan Smith will be followed by a party at La Zona Rosa with Billy Joe Shaver and a silent auction, to boot. Expect Nicky Katt, who also has a role in the film, to be lurking about somewhere, as well. Enough? Enough.
South by Southwest 2004 Film Festival
South by Southwest has announced that it's accepting applications for the 2004 Film Festival. Only works completed in 2003 or works that will be completed in early 2004 are eligible for consideration. Works in progress will be considered for the Festival provided they will be completed no later than Feb. 20, 2004. Shorts must be less than 50 minutes in length. Works shot in any format will be accepted for screening. The early submission postmark deadline is Nov. 3, and the late submission postmark deadline is Dec. 1. To access application forms and more information, go to
www.sxsw.com.
