Austin: Infinitely Better Than Philly, Chi-Town, And La-La Land Dept.: Although those of us that live and work here hardly need to be reminded of the fact, the current issue of MovieMaker magazine lists Austin among its “10 Best Cities in North America for Independent Moviemakers.” Slotted at No. 4 (between New York City and Philadelphia, and way behind everyone’s favorite topic of U.S. film flight, Vancouver, B.C.), the article calls Austin “tight-knit” and enthuses over the obvious (“Austin boasts a young, vibrant, and ever-growing scene”) and quotes local filmmakers L. Jay Duplass (“The Astronaut”), David Zellner (Plastic Utopia), and Robert Christopher Ohlson (“I Love You”), who talk up their hometown’s (semi-) cheap economics, swollen talent pool, and myriad locations. And hey, we beat out Los Angeles (No. 7) — tough to do considering they have a lock on all the good sunsets… SXSW Film continues to add major names to its roster of attending filmmakers this year, including the legendary Peter Fonda, who will present a screening of his Western The Hired Hand as well as participate in a conversation panel on March 8. This year’s fest runs March 7-15. Registration info and scandalous rumormongering are available for your perusal at www.sxsw.com… Wonder no more: Longtime Austin Film Society colleague Chale Nafus has been named the new AFS director of programming. Our congratulations go out to all involved.
This article appears in February 14 • 2003.