WINNEBAGO MAN reveals the story of Jack Rebney (a.k.a. “the angriest man in the world”) who has delighted and fascinated millions of viewers with his hilariously foul-mouthed outtakes from an RV sales video - one of the first and most infamous underground videos to be passed hand-to-hand on VHS tapes, before YouTube turned it into a full-blown viral phenomenon. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer takes on the seemingly impossible task of tracking down Rebney, who is more savvy, irascible, deep, weird and cool than you could possibly imagine. In short, he is a star. The film is a hilarious, smart and unexpectedly poignant look at one man’s response to unintended Internet celebrity, and ultimately a story of how a so-called “humiliation” can become a beacon of light to many. Michael Moore describes WINNEBAGO MAN as “one of the funniest documentaries ever made!”

WINNEBAGO MAN embodies everything we look for in a film: it’s relevant, intelligent, funny and moving, and it’s an extraordinarily engaging story with wide appeal to viewers of all ages,” says Janet Pierson, Producer of the SXSW Film Conference and Festival, which presented the film’s world premiere last year. “We wish it great success in its national release, as we know how much audiences love the film.”

The theatrical release of WINNEBAGO MAN coincides with the 5th anniversary year of YouTube, and it is the first feature film to examine the cultural impact of the online video phenomenon. With social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube growing more important by the day, the release of WINNEBAGO MAN provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the transformative impact that Internet videos have had on society’s rapidly evolving relationship to media, celebrity and privacy.

WINNEBAGO MAN is produced by Joel Heller, Malcolm Pullinger and Ben Steinbauer, presented by the Bear Media in association with James Payne & FieldGuide Media, and is a Kino International release.

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival today announced the return of The Good Pitch @ Silverdocs. The Good Pitch is a one-day forum set to take place during the Festival (June 22-27, 2010), bringing together specially selected foundations, NGOs, social entrepreneurs and broadcasters to maximize the impact of social-issue documentary. Eight filmmaking teams pitch their projects and associated outreach campaigns with the aim of creating a unique coalition around each film to accelerate its impact and influence. The Good Pitch @ Silverdocs will be held on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 and is now accepting applications through Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at: britdoc.org/goodpitch.

AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival will be the second stop on The Good Pitch’s 2010 North America Tour. The Good Pitch made its North American debut in 2009, and AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs was one of three destinations to host the forum.

“The Good Pitch @ Silverdocs in 2009 resulted in numerous tangible creative and business connections, and was among the many highlights of the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs International Documentary Conference which runs concurrently with the festival,” said Sky Sitney, AFI/Discovery Channel Silverdocs Artistic Director.  “As the largest gathering of documentary filmmakers in the United States, we’re excited to host this accomplished pitching forum for a second year.”

In 2009, Art Stevens of the Calvert Foundation made a dramatic on-the-spot pledge of $10,000 towards production funding for GREEN SHALL OVERCOME and the team received a further $25,000 grant from the National Black Programming Consortium after their presentation. Another film, BUDRUS, secured Sundance completion funds before enjoying a World Premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival.

“We are pleased to bring the Good Pitch back to AFI-Discovery Channel SILVERDOCS, particularly given that the DC area is home to so many of the organizations that participate in Good Pitch,” said Jess Search, Chief Executive of the Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation.  “We are looking for documentary film projects which tackle important global and national issues and enhance our understanding of the world.”

The Good Pitch @ Silverdocs is aimed at directors and producers of any nationality with an ambition to work in partnership to harness the power of documentary to create positive change. In keeping with the mission of the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival, the Good Pitch supports the diversity and free expression of independent storytellers and is interested in reaching out to filmmakers from traditionally under-represented communities. Given the proximity of the festival to Capitol Hill, the Good Pitch is particularly interested in projects that speak to the many government agencies and lobby groups situated in the area.

The Good Pitch is a project of The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation in partnership with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. It is made possible by The Fledgling Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Tides Foundation and anonymous donors, with campaign development for filmmakers provided by Working Films.

“Good Pitch in North America has attracted hundreds of documentary project applications from established and emerging filmmakers over the five events held so far. It is becoming a must-attend event for a range of stakeholders across the documentary and social issue fields,” said Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.

Other special guests include past Texas Film Hall of Fame Award honorees Woody Harrelson, Mike Judge, Robert Rodriguez, Elizabeth Avellan, Bill Wittliff and Mike Simpson. Past presenters Elvis Mitchell and Austin Film Festival’s Barbara Morgan will be on hand, along with emcee of the first Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards in 2001, Turk Pipkin. Also slated to attend is Machete producer Aaron Kaufman.

Lukas Haas’ career launched in 1984, when, at the age of seven, he landed the titled role of ‘Samuel’ opposite Harrison Ford in the Peter Weir film, WITNESS. His performance as the Amish child who is the sole witness to an undercover cop’s murder won the hearts of moviegoers and the acclaim of the critics. Lukas was subsequently nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of AIDS victim, Ryan White, in the controversial TV movie, THE RYAN WHITE STORY. Lukas just wrapped filming INCEPTION with director Chris Nolan opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Paige, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Caine and Marion Cotillard. Other films include BOYS, RAMBLING ROSE, MARS ATTACKS and EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU. Haas will be introduced by family friend and fellow Austinite Lyle Lovett.

Quentin Tarantino will become an honorary Texan, cementing his personal and creative ties to Texas that date back to the early1990s. A longtime collaborator with Robert Rodriguez (MACHETE, GRINDHOUSE, SIN CITY, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, and FOUR ROOMS), Tarantino has also collaborated with the Austin Film Society since a chance meeting with Richard Linklater at a midnight screening of NASHVILLE in Santa Monica. After the two discovered their mutual enthusiasm for showing rare films to live audiences, Tarantino brought his personal collection of 1960s and 1970s genre films to Austin in 1997. A tradition was born that became the QT Festival, which migrated from the Dobie Theater to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for the third festival in 1999, helping to launch the Alamo Drafthouse’s reputation for specialty exhibition. Harry Knowles credits his live coverage of the first QT fest on his fledgling web site, Ain’t It Cool News, with launching his success. Tarantino remains active with the Film Society as an advisory board member. He returns to the Texas Film Hall of Fame for the first time since its inaugural year when he presented his agent, Mike Simpson, with the Warren Skaaren Lifetime Achievement Award. His award will be presented by Richard Linklater and Punky Bruiser (aka Marta Mendoza).

Michael Nesmith, born in Houston, will receive the Warren Skaaren Lifetime Achievement Award. Nesmith is perhaps best known for his work with The Monkees band and TV show but has made significant contributions in film, television and music. He served as executive producer of the cult films REPO MAN, TAPEHEADS and TIMERIDER. In 1980, he developed “Pop Clips,” which became the inspiration for MTV and his video, “Cruisin” became the first video on the network. The next year, he won the first Grammy Award given for Video of the Year for his hour-long “Elephant Parts.” Nesmith served on the board of trustees for the American Film Institute for ten years. World-renowned American artist Edward Ruscha will be on hand to present the award to Nesmith.

San Antonio-born Bruce McGill got his start in the raucous 1978 comedy classic NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, drumming the William Tell Overture on his windpipe. His extensive filmography includes SILKWOOD, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, CLIFFHANGER, THE INSIDER, THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE and recently Oliver Stone’s W. McGill earned a B.F.A. in acting from The University of Texas at Austin, and later made his professional debut as a member of Rhode Island’s Trinity Square Repertory Company, appearing in numerous theatrical productions. Tim Matheson, his ANIMAL HOUSE co-star, will introduce McGill.

Each year, the Texas Film Hall of Fame recognizes a classic Texas film with the Star of Texas Award. This year Catherine O’Hara will accept honors on behalf of the cast and crew of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN. WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, filmed in Austin and Lockhart in 1996, will receive the Star of Texas award. Written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy and directed by Guest, the film is a loving parody of community theater set in the small, fictional town of Blaine, Missouri. It chronicles the trials and tribulations of a handful of eccentric residents as they prepare to put on a community theater production led by eccentric director Corky St. Clair, played by Guest. Along with Guest, the film stars Catherine O’Hara and Fred Willard as Ron and Sheila Albertson, a pair of married travel agents (who have never traveled outside of Blaine) and regular amateur performers. The film also stars Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy and Bob Balaban.

Located at Austin Film Society’s Austin Studios, the Texas Film Hall of Fame recognizes actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, filmmakers and films from, influenced or inspired by the Lone Star State. This year’s event co-chairs are Erin Driscoll and Ali Watson, and the evening will be hosted by Thomas Haden Church. Evan Smith (Texas Tribune) and Louis Black (The Austin Chronicle) are the Founding and Talent Chairs of the event. The proceeds from the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards benefit the educational and artistic programs of the Austin Film Society.

Special thanks to the following sponsors: AT&T, The Four Seasons Hotel, The Moody Foundation, Marquee Event Group, Marc English Design, Texas Monthly, Concord Limousine Service, The Austin Chronicle, SXSW, Build-A-Sign, Glazer’s, Beam Global Spirits and Wine, Corona Extra, W.J. Duetch & Sons, Yellow Tail Reserve, Quest Drape, Teal Design Studio, BBiiTT, Sesa, Discount Furniture, CORT, Agi Magi, Brandi Cowley, Homeslice Pizza, Scott & Cooner. Thanks also to live auction donors Wes Craven, Ben Jumper and Soundcheck LA, Andra Liemandt, Chris Mattsson and Tiffany & Co. Thanks to lottery grand prize donors Ali & Trey Watson, SXSW, Bodhi Yoga, Andy Roddick, Laura Townsend and Casey Humphrey and Lacoste Footwear. A full list of donors can be found at austinfilm.org/tfhof.

Austin Film Society promotes the appreciation of film and supports creative filmmaking by screening rarely seen films, giving grants and other support to emerging filmmakers, and providing access and education about film to youth and the public. Through Austin Studios, which AFS opened in 2000 in partnership with the City of Austin, AFS helps attract film development and production to Austin and Texas. Gala film premieres and the annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards raise funds as well as awareness of the impact of film on economy and community. The Austin Film Society is ranked among the top film centers in the country and recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and Directors Guild of America. For more information on Austin Film Society, visit www.austinfilm.org

AFS SCREENINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS:

SXSW PANEL: HOW TO RAWK SXSW FILM
March 12, 3:30pm, Room 16AB, Austin Convention Center
Learn how to make meaningful connections with all the independent film & new media professionals in town for the event. Panel includes AFS Communications Manager Agnes Varnum and AFS Board Member Rodney Gibbs.

AFS SXSW MEMBER SHOWCASE PROGRAM 1
March 13, 12pm, The Hideout Theater
A compilation of shorts by AFS’s filmmaker-level members. Film lineup…

MAKE A WISH by David Ward

SQUEEZED OUT OF BUSINESS by Chithra Jeyaram

THE ALLIGATOR by Jeff Marrow

SEEDS OF CHANGE by Kelly West

BIG HANDS by Aaron Holloway

MANOS DE MADRE by Greg Kwedar

AFS SXSW MEMBER SHOWCASE PROGRAM 2

March 14, 2pm, The Hideout Theater
A compilation of shorts by AFS’s filmmaker-level members. Film lineup…

PLATYPUS REX IN: ABC-HOLE by Bob Ray

I LOVE YOU, WILL SMITH by Bradley Jackson

NEVER DO THIS by Scott Rice

TO DO THAT by Jason Brenizer

DER VATER by James Moore

EL PEZ by Brian Scofield

SHADES OF THE BORDER by Patrick Smith

THE SHRIMP by Keith Wilson

SXSW PANEL: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: JAY & MARK DUPLASS PLUS
March 13, 2pm, Room 16AB, Austin Convention Center
Riding a wave of critical acclaim, audience adulation and finely tuned filmmaking skills, this panel brings you the skinny on some of the sharpest, smartest and buzziest collaborators and indie innovators in new American cinema. Panel includes AFS Director of Artist Services Bryan Poyser.

SXSW PANEL: TEXAS FILMMAKERS PRODUCTION FUND WORKSHOP
March 16, 11am, Room 13AB, Austin Convention Center
Since 1996, the Austin Film Society’s Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund has supported Texas filmmakers with over $1 million in cash, goods and services to 272 projects. At this workshop, the AFS’ Director of Artist Services Bryan Poyser will take you through the application process step-by-step.

AFS/Austin Studios @ SXSW Film & Interactive Trade Show
March 13 & 14, 12-6pm, March 15, 12-4pm, Austin Convention Center

Co-Sponsored Screening: CITIZEN ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MOCKBEE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE RURAL STUDIO
March 17, 7:45pm, Alamo Ritz 1; March 20, 10pm, Alamo Ritz 1
The late architect Samuel Mockbee started the Rural Studio, a design/build architecture program, in which students create charity architecture for impoverished communities in rural Alabama. Guided by passionate interviews with Mockbee, the film shows how a group of students use their creativity and compassion to craft a home for their charismatic, destitute client, “Music Man” Jimmie Lee Matthews.

Co-Sponsored Screening: WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE
March 19, 5pm, Paramount Theater
WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE uncovers historic and previously unseen footage of the illustrious rock quartet and reveals an intimate perspective on the creative chemistry between drummer John Densmore, guitarist Robby Krieger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and singer Jim Morrison — four brilliant artists who made The Doors one of America’s most iconic and influential rock bands. Using only footage shot between the band’s 1965 formation and Morrison’s 1971 death, WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE follows the band from the corridors of UCLA’s film school, where Manzarek and Morrison met, to the stages of sold-out arenas.

AFS PROGRAM ALUMNI SCREENING AT SXSW

We’d like highlight those films selected to screen by filmmakers that
have been supported through the Austin Film Society’s filmmaker
programs like the Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund (TFPF) and our Docs-in-Progress and Narratives-in-Progress series. Many of these filmmakers will be in attendance and their screenings, so be sure to say hello and congratulate them!

Screening times are below. All synopses are courtesy of the SXSW Film Festival.

CITIZEN ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MOCKBEE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE RURAL STUDIO
Directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas
Docs-in-Progress alum

Screening as a co-sponsored Doc Tour selection, see above.

THE DIAGONALS “CLONES”
Directed by Nick Smith (TFPF recipient 2009)
Screening in Music Videos program
March 12th, 10:15pm at Alamo South Lamar 3; March 17th, 1pm at Alamo Ritz 2; March 20th, 3pm at Alamo Ritz 1

A cautionary tale of self-indulgence.

EARTHLING
Directed by Clay Liford
Narratives-in-Progress alum
March 14, 11:30am at Alamo Ritz 1; March 15, 7pm at Alamo Lamar 3; March 18, 7pm at G-Tech

Judith is a teacher going through a crisis. She can’t get pregnant, and it’s causing a rift in her life. On an orbital space platform, a crew picks up a strange object during a routine mission. It appears to be a living seed of some sort. One of the astronauts comes in contact with the seed causing a PULSE that sends a global brown-out on Earth. Judith is drastically affected. Dreams begin. She’s haunted by visions of the astronaut who survived the encounter with the seed pod. Eventually a group of people having the same dream locate her. They slowly realize that they are members of a stranded alien race, living on Earth disguised as humans. After many years, they’d forgotten what they were. They band together to seek out the seed, which may be a way back home.

FIX MY DICK
Directed by PJ Raval (TFPF recipient 2004, 2006 & 2009)
Screening in Midnight Shorts
March 12, 11:15pm at Alamo Ritz 2; March 15, 9:30pm, Alamo Lamar 2; March 18, 10:45pm at Alamo Ritz 2

From the upcoming video album ‘Soldier of Pleasure’
Artist- CHRISTEENE
Dancers: C-Baby & T-Gravel
featuring DJ Jaunty
“It’s Goooooooood!!!!”

FOR THE SAKE OF THE SONG: THE STORY OF ANDERSON FAIR
Directed by Bruce Bryant
Docs-in-Progress alum
March 17, 4:30pm at Paramount; March 19, 8pm at Alamo Ritz 2

For The Sake Of The Song: The Story of Anderson Fair is a film about one of Texas’ and America’s unsung cultural treasures and the significant role it has played in preserving an American musical tradition. For forty years, Houston’s legendary folk and acoustic music venue, Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, has fostered and nurtured some of the most important musical performers and songwriters in America including Grammy Award-winning artists Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, and Lucinda Williams. Lovett says, ‘Without Anderson Fair, I wouldn’t have been driven to try to write songs the way I was.’ This film tells the compelling saga of how a devoted family of volunteers, patrons, and artists transformed a politically subversive little coffee house and restaurant into a unique music institution.

THE GROWNUPS
Directed by Jason Wehling (TFPF recipient 2009)
Screening in Texas Shorts
March 15, 11am at Alamo Lamar 1; March 17, 4:15pm at Alamo Lamar 2; March 20, 1:15pm at Alamo Lamar 3

Made by the Arts + Labor team over a single weekend as a part of the 48 Hour Film Project, THE GROWNUPS catches up with two couples as they try to return to normal after a dinner that apparently didn’t go very well. Like other projects submitted in Austin, the team was challenged to use a banana as a prop, feature a blogger named Paul or Pearl, and include the line, “I never thought about it that way.”

THE HAPPY POET
Directed by Paul Gordon (TFPF recipient 2007)
Narratives-in-Progress alum
March 14, 2pm at Alamo Ritz 2; March 15, 5pm at Alamo Ritz 1; March 18, 6:15pm at Alamo Ritz 2

Bill, an out-of-work poet, puts his heart, soul, and last few dollars into starting an all-organic, mostly-vegetarian food stand. New friend Donnie promotes the business and helps Bill pursue Agnes, a poetry-lover who frequents the stand. Curtis, an enigmatic life-philosopher, buoys Bill’s spirits with his positive attitude and love of vegetarian food. Complications with the business jeopardize these budding friendships and threaten Bill’s dreams for a hot dog-free future.

LOVERS OF HATE
Directed by Bryan Poyser (TFPF recipient 1997, 2002 & 2003)
March 15, 11am at Paramount; March 18, 9:30pm at Alamo Lamar 1

In this savage comedy about deceit and sibling rivalry, two estranged brothers, Rudy and Paul, have nothing in common but their love for the same woman. When Paul whisks her away to a romantic mountain retreat, the lovers have no idea that Rudy has made it there first. From the shadows of the posh chalet, Rudy tries desperately to sabotage the relationship.

MARS
Directed by Geoff Marslett (TFPF recipient 2001, 2004 & 2007)
March 13, 4:30pm at Alamo Ritz 1; March 18, 6:30pm at Alamo Lamar 2; March 19, 6:30pm at Alamo Lamar 3

A new space race is born between NASA and the ESA when Charlie Brownsville, Hank Morrison, and Dr. Casey Cook compete against an artificially intelligent robot to find out what’s up there on the red planet. MARS follows these three astronauts on the first manned mission to our galactic neighbor. On the way they face adventure, self doubts, obnoxious reporters, and the boredom of extended space travel. This romantic comedy is told in the playful style of a graphic novel - using an animation process that director Geoff Marslett developed specifically for MARS. Underneath the silliness it is an exploration of exploration. Why do we want to know what’s out there? How do we react when we find it? Is it really that important? And where does love fit into the whole thing?

MISTER GREEN
Directed by Greg Pak (TFPF recipient 1997)
Screening in Futurestates
March 14, 5pm at G-Tech; March 18, 7pm at Alamo Ritz 1

A parable about change in which a jaded government undersecretary becomes the unwitting test subject for an experimental program to curb global warming.

MNEMOSYNE RISING
Directed by Miguel Alvarez (TFPF recipient 2006 & 2008)
Screening in Texas Shorts
March 15, 11am at Alamo Lamar 1; March 17, 4:15pm at Alamo Lamar 2; March 20, 1:15pm at Alamo Lamar 3

Set to return to Earth, a deep-space transmitter pilot begins to experience unusual flashbacks while in orbit around a newly-discovered moon.

MR. HYPNOTISM
Directed by Brad Beesley (TFPF recipient 2004)
Screening in Documentary Shorts
March 13, 4pm at Alamo Lamar 1; March 16, 4pm at Alamo Lamar 1; March 18, 11:30am at Alamo Lamar 1

Dr. Ron Dante has had a colorful career as a grifter, stage hypnotist and infamous conman. As ‘Mr. Hypnotism’ he became a hit, selling out venues nationwide. Following a brief marriage to Lana Turner, Dante was tried and convicted for the attempted murder of a rival hypnotist. Continuing his performances onstage, Dante expanded his operation to include cons like the Permaderm Academy, a fake cosmetics school, and Columbia State University, a diploma mill scheme. He amassed tens of millions of dollars until the FBI caught up with him following an interview on ABC’s 20/20. Assets seized, Mr. Hypnotism was once again sentenced to prison. Dante says, ‘I was a con artist. I was a good conman. I say what people want to hear, just like all conmen do.”

QUADRANGLE
Directed by Amy Grappell (TFPF recipient 2003 & 2009)
Screening in Documentary Shorts
March 13, 4pm at Alamo Lamar 1; March 16, 4pm at Alamo Lamar 1; March 18, 11:30am at Alamo Lamar 1

QUADRANGLE is an unconventional documentary about two ‘conventional’ couples that swapped partners and lived in a group marriage in the early 70s. Coming out of the era of free love, and struggling with the monotony of marriage and suburban life, my parents, Deanna and Paul, began swapping partners with another middle class married couple. This four-way affair became a kind of domestic living experiment when the two couples moved into one home, along with their children. While their individual marriages were failing, they found that together they were happy and thought they had discovered an alternative to divorce - a brave new world that would pave the way for how couples would live in the future.

RICHARD GARRIOTT: MAN ON A MISSION
Directed by Mike Woolf (TFPF recipient 1997)
March 14, 1:30pm at Paramount; March 18, 2:30pm at Paramount

A behind-the-scenes journey with the video game legend, Richard Garriott, in his quest to become the first second-generation astronaut, from making his fortune to spending it ($30 million!) to reach the International Space Station via Russian rocket. From secret training in Moscow, to a rumbling launch from Kazakhstan, to 12 glorious days onboard the ISS, the adventure is captivating. And for the first time ever, a camera is rolling in the capsule during the fiery return to earth. Owen Garriott, his astronaut father, is there to greet him, welcoming us all to the next generation of human space travel.

WORLD’S LARGEST
Directed by Amy Elliott & Liz Donius
Docs-in-Progress alum
March 12, 9:15pm at Alamo Lamar 2; March 17, 11am at Alamo Ritz 2; March 20, 11am at Alamo Lamar 3

Desperate for tourism, hundreds of small towns across the U.S.A. claim the “world’s largest” something from 15-foot fiberglass strawberries to 40-foot concrete pheasants. Odd, funny and sometimes beautiful, the statues stand as testaments to the uniqueness and importance - the largeness - that all people feel, and need to feel, about their communities and their own existence. WORLD’S LARGEST, a feature documentary, visits 58 such sites and profiles Soap Lake, Washington’s four-year struggle to build the World’s Largest Lava Lamp. By documenting these roadside attractions, World’s Largest captures the changing landscape of small-town America.

If there are any folks from the general AFS membership out there with films screening at the SXSW Film Festival this year, please email us at news@austinfilm.org and we’ll add you to the list!

Throughout my career making short films and videos, I have illustrated the unavoidable struggle between monkeys and robots, chronicled the adventures of a time traveling bookworm, and helped workaday people escape the daily doldrums through a magic bubblecraft. Now, for my first feature, I am making a film about humankind’s first mission to Mars.

I shot Mars right here in town at the Austin Studios. It is an animated, lo-fi, sci-fi rom-com, for which I called in favors, worked long hours and made up techniques as I went along. The actors stood in front of a large green cyc and had to imagine the alien landscapes and space cabins I wanted them to inhabit. They had to give up their preconceived notions of films set in space and breathe life into the comic book characters of my version of space travel. They had to believe the myth I was trying to convey before I could ever hope to convince an audience it was real.

The importance of this authenticity came in the first few days of shooting when actors up on rotating green platforms, sitting on green chairs precariously positioned on little green trampolines, were asked to mime driving a buggy across a windswept martian plain. I was busy pointing out moving eyelines, screen directions and the placement of imaginary martians in the distance. I told them to pretend their helmets were enclosed and the suits were malfunctioning. I asked them to imagine the rover was bouncing over rock strewn martian landscape. After one take I pulled them aside and asked them to make me believe they were there. They delivered on the very next take. Mark (Duplass) and Zoe (Simpson)—sitting on those green platforms, on those green chairs and atop those green trampolines—made me believe they were traveling over rough terrain. From that scene on, they brought a conviction to the project. I saw them as astronauts, not as Mark and Zoe.

Throughout the project, I made sure the actors had all the details of the martian world. If they weren’t convinced of a line or a setup, we worked on it until they were. And once we had their performances on the hard drives, I undertook the daunting task of creating visuals that would be as convincing as the actors.

Every background prop, robot and spaceship in the film was created by a small group of animators using xsi, nuke, paper and pencil, After Effects, and a program I developed with another member of the team. It took twice as long as I predicted to animate the film. Fifteen to twenty hour days were the norm. Deep into the animation process the subtleties of the love story went onto the back burner and creating the myth of this mission to Mars became the day to day grind.

Now ninety percent of the way through my own two year journey, I held a screening of the fine cut for a select group of friends and colleagues. I was prepared for the expected comments about the visual style of the animation, the flirting robots, or the myriad of alien critters. What surprised me were the comments about how much Mars said about me. My friends were telling me this film is about the awkward romantic gestures, the wide-eyed enjoyment of the obvious, and the goofy mannerisms that are so indicative of me. So I watched the film again and realized it is populated with snippets of my life. The myth I was creating is as much about me as it is about the world I was making up.

Now when I think about my favorite films, they are more to me than escapes into adventure or romance or humor. They are still fantastic worlds created by the writers, actors, effects teams and directors, but the myths maybe aren’t as universal as I grew up thinking they were. Now when I drift through the wild west of Dead Man, I have to ask myself what it says about Jim Jarmusch. When I sing along with True Stories, how much am I learning about David Byrne? I still love the adventures and icons created by movies, but it is more than just the myths themselves. It is also the myth-teller.

The 4th annual Film Racing Tour

In the Austin Film Race, filmmaking teams are e-mailed a theme (such as revenge or greed) and surprise element (such as a prop or an action that must be performed in the film) at 10PM on Friday, April 23rd.  The filmmakers then have 24 hours to create an original short film no longer than 4 minutes and submit their finished film at a designated drop-off location by the 10PM deadline the next evening.  All of the completed films premiere for the public at the Landmark Dobie Theater on April 29th and the top films from Austin will compete for thousands in cash and prizes against winning films from across North America.

Film Racing is operated by NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness, LLC, an organization that has been holding unique film competitions since 2002.  Since launching the Film Racing Tour in 2007, NYC Midnight has awarded over $160,000 in cash and prizes to the winning filmmakers. “In addition to the prizes, Film Racing gives anyone the opportunity to go through the entire filmmaking process overnight and be rewarded with the experience of seeing an audience react to their work on the big screen,” says competition director, Charlie Weisman.

The entry fee for the Austin Film Race is US$119 per team before March 25th and US$139 until the final registration deadline of April 21st. Visit the official competition website at www.filmracing.com to register, learn more and watch winning films from past races.  Interested teams can also enter the discount code “FILMRACER” to receive $10 off the entry fee.

Femme Film Texas

During camp, girls will work in small groups to create a short film from script to screen while learningabout each step in the filmmaking process, including screenwriting, directing, acting, cinematography, and editing.  Their award-winning faculty includes working women filmmakers from the Austin community.  Dates for the 2010 overnight camp will be Saturday, June 19 - Sunday, June 27, and girls who be staying in a private women’s dorm on the University of Texas campus. Tuition for the overnight camp is $975. More on registration, cost and tuition assistance >>

Videoranch 3D

Visit  www.videoranch3d.com –  the site is available with Windows-based computers only, that is either a PC or a recent Mac with Intel chips and Windows loaded. You must have broadband connection and a hefty video card installed, preferably 256M or larger.  Anyone interested in going to the virtual world of Videoranch should go to the site ahead of time, download the software, register (at no cost), design an avatar, and navigate around the site. Please don’t wait until the time of performance or you’ll be behind the curve.

So, go to www.videoranch3d.com   Register, download and install the software onto a PC, or from a Mac booted in Windows.
If you have Bootcamp or something like that on an Intel Mac it should work fine. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1656

Each Film Trek tour will cover five states in five weeks time – with one boot-camp/prep week and one screening week.  Our West Coast tour will originate in Las Vegas, NV and our East Coast tour in Orlando, FL.

The filmmakers will live, eat, travel, and create film together.  And each tour will culminate in a public screening of the five short films.

For more information on dates, tuition, and structure, visit:  www.thefilmtrek.com, or email info@thefilmtrek.com.

This deluxe, linen-bound set includes timeless masterpieces from one of cinema’s greatest directors, films like Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and High and Low. Featuring twenty-five of the films he made over the course of his fifty years in movies—from samurai epics to postwar noirs to Shakespeare adaptations—AK 100 is the most complete set of his works ever released in this country, and includes four rare films that have never been available on DVD.

To take advantage of this special offer, shop at criterion.com and enter the code AFS at checkout. Criterion will take 25% off your entire order and send $25 to the Austin Film Society. Offer expires 3/31/10.