Slackery News Tidbits, January 20

in

Here's the latest Austin film news -- yes, there certainly seems to be a lot of it lately. I blame SXSW.

  • And let's start with SXSW, which has announced a special "Film Lounge" for SXSW Film badgeholders for this year's fest at The Hideout. I don't know whether the lounge will take up the entire two-story Hideout, just the theater area, or employ the upstairs rooms. It may mean that The Hideout is off-limits to film passholders and ordinary folks during the first part of the fest, and it may also mean that The Hideout won't be a venue this year for shorts collections put together by various groups, as has been traditional. We'll keep you posted as we get more information.
  • Looks like one of the movies screening at SXSW this year will be a documentary about SXSW, commissioned by the fest for its 25th anniversary.
  • Another film festival is going on this week: Sundance, in Park City. Austin filmmaker Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories) is there with his latest feature, Take Shelter. Before the film even plays the fest, its distribution rights have been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. The movie stars Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain and Kathy Baker.
  • Kobe Bryant is The Black Mamba? A Robert Rodriguez film? Matthew Odam has the scoop -- and the trailer -- over at Austin360.
  • What are you doing on Sunday afternoon? Austin Film Festival hopes you'll join them for a panel on "Breaking Into and Writing for Television" at 2 pm at the Harry Ransom Center on the UT campus. Follow the previous link to buy tickets for the event. The panel will include TV writer/producers Noah Hawley (Bones, My Generation) and Kyle Killen (Lone Star). Killen also wrote the script for The Beaver, the Jodie Foster-directed film that will be playing SXSW this year.
  • And after you learn about TV writing, head over to Alamo Ritz for a special screening of Carancho, sponsored by Cine Las Americas. The Argentinian film returns to Austin after playing Fantastic Fest in 2010.
  • Those of you who have a tradition of watching the Academy Awards at the Alamo Drafthouse's annual parties will have to find a new venue this year: Alamo has announced that for legal reasons, they will be unable to host their usual Oscar-night parties. An excellent alternative is the aGLIFF Oscar Party, which will be at Austin Studios this year on February 27. Tickets at various price levels are available now.
  • Hopefully Alamo Drafthouse can have a party for the BAFTA awards, however, because Four Lions, the first film distributed by Drafthouse Films, received two nominations for the British film awards. The awards will be announced on February 13.