Slackery News Tidbits, January 30

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Here's the latest Austin film news:

  • Austin is getting a new festival -- not a film fest but a television festival, something new and a bit different. The ATX Festival will take place June 1-3 this year. The fest organizers are currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise start-up funds, and some of the giving levels will earn you discounted badges for the festival.
  • One of my favorite films from Fantastic Fest 2010, Sound of Noise, is finally getting theatrical release in the U.S. soon thanks to Magnolia Pictures. The quirky movie about "musical terrorism" opens in limited release on March 9. No word yet about an Austin release date, but I hope they open it here at least a week later because, you know, SXSW. Read my review from Cinematical and you might understand why I'm excited and impatient.
  • Sundance ended this weekend but I still want to point you to this enjoyable profile in The New York Times of Austin filmmakers Nathan and David Zellner as they brought their feature Kid-Thing to Park City. I find it funny that the Variety review says the feature should be "potentially broadening their loyal fanbase," but the IndieWIRE review says it's "too irreverent for any kind of mass market." The movie will play Berlin Film Festival next and I hope SXSW after that (fingers crossed).
  • Local filmmaker Don Swaynos will also have a film at Berlin this year at the same time, although not at the same festival. His short Six Hundred and Forty-One Slates will premiere at the Berlin International Director's Lounge, which focuses on experimental film and media.
  • Jo's Hot Coffee on 2nd Street has teamed up with Austin Film Festival for "Living Record," a free monthly series of D.A. Pennebaker's music documentaries. Movies will screen at the coffeehouse on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 pm, starting this week on Feb. 1 with Don't Look Back.
  • Austinist chatted with Vulcan Video staff and not only heard some amusing stories about customers, but also some recommendations for movies and videos they have that you can't find streaming online. Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage, anyone?
  • Finally, here's more from Don Swaynos -- he inadvertently leaked the teaser trailer early for his upcoming feature Pictures of Superheroes. I've embedded the trailer below. The cast includes many familiar local faces: Kerri Lendo, Shannon McCormick, John Merriman, Chris Doubek, Byron Brown and Sonny Carl Davis. It's produced by Tate English and the increasingly ubiquitous Kelly Williams. I've got some photos and notes from a set visit last year that I'll share soon, probably closer to the as-yet-unknown date when the movie screens in Austin.