Good news: Austin-based Andrew Bujalski – otherwise known as the Contemporary Filmmaker Most Frequently Cited as Cassavetes’ Heir – will start production on a new film this August.
Bujalski, the writer/director behind the critically lauded Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation, and Beeswax, is currently raising funds for the film, a period piece called Computer Chess. The film is described as a narrative feature set in 1980 “at a tournament of chess players and computer programmers.” Donations include perks, including, rather awesomely, a private game of chess against Bujalski; they will also be matched by a private donor via the Austin Film Fund.
But why not let Bujalski make the pitch himself? See the video below for his meeting with a “Hollywood executive.” OK, Chronicle readers might recognize the so-called exec as a former Chron cover boy, who incidentally shot a new film of his own this summer with Nick Offerman, Kevin Corrigan, and Bob Schneider.
And hats off to any and all filmmakers rolling camera this summer (a quick skim of any recent Film Flam column shows there are a lot of them); hell, we can hardly tie our shoes in this heat.
This article appears in July 22 • 2011.
