Gift Ideas for the Austin-Loving Cinephile in Your Life
From the big and small screens to your giftee
By Naomi Brady and Sara Hutchinson, Fri., Dec. 4, 2020
I Luv Video T-Shirts
I Luv Video was an Austin institution. An integral part of our city's film culture for nearly 40 years, the indie movie rental store announced in September that it was closing its doors for good. If you're like most of us, still broken up over the loss of this wonderful and weird establishment, why not help keep the memory of this special place alive through an I Luv Video T-shirt? Unisex and available in three styles, they're a perfect gift for all your heartbroken movie-loving friends. May its memory bring us comfort. – Sara Hutchinson
S-4XL, $29-39. www.iluvvideos.com.
Give A Gift, Get A Gift – Austin Film Society
Looking for a way to support your local Austin film community from the comfort of your own home? Search no further than Austin Film Society's holiday membership drive – where this year, all gifted memberships will include two bonus months of the program and a physical thank-you gift. While the cinema is closed, all virtual membership benefits this year will include free online sneak previews, virtual events, discounts on the AFS streaming platform AFS@home, and access to the AFS Discussion Club – plus, you can choose between an additional free AFS hat or AFS Cinema T-shirt branded with a new unique design. – Naomi Brady
$65-1,380. www.austinfilm.org.
Austin School of Film Gift Box
The nonprofit Austin School of Film has had quite the year. Faced with unprecedented challenges, they've hung on with inspiring grit and passion. Pivoting to remote classes and events with their Play at Home series, ASF continues to sustain and build our filmmaking and film-loving community. Cinephiles everywhere can show their support through Austin School of Film's Holiday Box. The box comes with the best of ASF's hip gear, including a T-shirt, tote, and bandanna. All proceeds go toward ASF's community programs. Giving the gift of style while supporting a great cause? That's a win-win. – S.H.
$50. www.austinfilmschool.org/holiday-box.
Mondo Poster Auction
Know a movie superfan, or have someone in your life who loves to collect movie posters? For the first time ever, eMovie Poster.com is hosting an online Mondo limited-edition print poster auction, running until December 13. In an effort to help support the Alamo Drafthouse during the pandemic, Alamo founder and Executive Chairman Tim League is selling nearly 2,000 limited-edition Mondo prints from his own personal stash, including out-of-print sets like the Tyler Stout and Olly Moss Star Wars Trilogies and highly coveted film posters by Aaron Horkey, Becky Cloonan, and Shepard Fairey. All proceeds will go toward supporting Alamo Drafthouse employees and COVID-closure expenses. – N.B.
Alright, Alright, Alright
Melissa Maerz gave our city a gift with her new book Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused. Maerz interviewed dozens of people for the project, including the film's stars and many longtime Austinites. The book tells the story of the film's infamous production and release, providing insights into Linklater's conflict with studio executives, but it also captures a specific moment in time in our city's creative history. A no-brainer gift for Linklater fans and proud Austin residents alike. – S.H.
Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused by Melissa Maerz, Harper, 464 pp., $26.99
Rent a Theatre
Tired of re-creating the cinematic experience in your own home? Itching to get back into a real, live theatre's velvety seats, inhale the familiar scent of buttered popcorn, and watch one of your favorite films on the big screen? Well this holiday season, you can! Save your living room TV for another night, and rent out a local film theatre or drive-in movie theatre to have your own personal film screening with a small group of your family or friends. Theatres across Austin, like Alamo Drafthouse, AMC, Cinemark, Doc's Drive-In, and Galaxy, are letting customers craft their own sanitized and socially distanced movie theatre experiences by choosing between new releases or big-screen fan favorites. Consider taking your friend or family group out this holiday season, and make a memory that will last a lifetime. – N.B.
