Check the newsstand this month for The Independent Film & Video Monthly’s
special regional issue: Spotlight on Texas. Chock full of features on Texas
filmmaking, statewide festivals, and the artists who have given The Lone Star
State a name in the national film community, the pieces — written by local
critics from Houston, Dallas, and Austin who know their milieus best — have an
especially homey feel. (Look for Austin profiles on the Austin Film Society and
Richard Linklater by Louis Black and the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival by
Marjorie Baumgarten.) To help celebrate the Texasful November issue,
Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) executive director and
publisher of the magazine, Ruby Lerner will visit Austin for the weekend to
both check out our independent film scene and discuss AIVF goals. These special
events have been planned: Friday, Nov. 11, in*situ is hosting a screening of
various works from around the region at 8pm in the space above Quackenbush’s
Cafe (2120 Guadalupe). Saturday afternoon, the Austin AIVF Salon, the Austin
Film Society and the Radio-TV-Film Department at UT will present a short
compilation of local works at 1pm in studio 4D of the CMB building (corner of
26th Street & Guadalupe). Later that evening at 5pm, the Austin AIVF Salon
will meet at the Electric Lounge. Anyone interested or involved in local film
or video production is invited to attend the gathering where Lerner will give a
presentation of recent AIVF accomplishments, followed by an open discussion.
For more info, contact Austin AIVF director Amie Petronis at 495-4040.

Prodigal Daughter

Texas actress Renee O’Connor (stepdaughter of Threadgill’s own Eddie Wilson),
is making good in the newly syndicated live-action, fantasy-adventure series
Xena: Warrior Princess. Playing the role of Gabrielle, Xena’s spirited
sidekick, O’Connor can be seen in new episodes on cable channels 12 and 54 at
9pm on Saturdays. The show, styled after the humorous myth-and-martial-arts
mixture of the Hercules series, is doing well, currently holding the number-two
spot in the syndication ratings. Co-producers Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) and
Rob Tapert were so impressed with O’Connor’s Hercules audition that they signed
her on for Xena, as well as a leading role in Darkman II, released on
video last summer.

Spam Wraps

Independent filmmaker Cressandra Thibodeaux’s project Spamarama, The
Movie finished shooting on November 6 and the crew is hosting a wrap-up benefit
on Thursday, Nov. 16 at the Broken Spoke. Entertainment will be provided by
Alvin Crow, with a $5 suggested donation. Spamarama is a comedy about
the creation of a Spamarama Festival much like the one that happens here in
Austin every year. n

This article appears in November 10 • 1995 and November 10 • 1995 (Cover).

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