SXSW Review: Texas Shorts
I'll never forget my first encounter with local comedian Zach Anner in 2004. He was trying to get the attention of Ron Perlman after the special SXSW screening of Hellboy, and I assisted him through the crowd. Born with cerebral palsy, Anner is wheelchair-bound, which can make it very difficult to navigate film festival crowds. Not only was Anner successful in his celebrity interview, but Perlman stayed until the wee hours of the morning talking with his fans -- what I refer to as "a South By Moment," where personal connections are made to ground oneself during the deafening roar of all things SXSW.
Now it's Anner's turn on the big screen at SXSW -- he gained local notoriety by winning his own show through a competition created by Oprah Winfrey, and has been busy directing and starring in his own films. You can see his work in foolproof, a short film he co-created with Marshall Rimmer, which is screening as part of the Texas Shorts program. Anner portrays a freeloading roommate who lives with a responsible businessman (Rimmer) in this funny and ironic short. Anner finds humor in the most obvious places that are overlooked, and turns it into a raucous mirth for audiences. His explanation as to why he turned down a job -- "they only wanted to pay me every two weeks, I need money NOW" -- had me and the rest of the audience in stitches.
Texas Shorts programming included several other humorous short films, including the highly anticipated Hellion, directed by Austin filmmaker Kat Candler -- seen above directing the Hellion cast. In this bittersweet story, seven-year-old Petey (Deke Garner) seems even more helpless than the victimized babysitter when left at home with his older brothers. When Dad (Jonny Mars) gets home, its time for punishment and the terror of what happens behind the bedroom door.
Hellion is one of the most effective storytelling achievements in short film format I've seen recently, well edited and tightly shot by Drew Xanthopoulos (Slacker 2011, When We Fell), and well acted especially by Mars and Garner. My observations after screening over 40 short films as part of the AFS SXSW ShortCase was that many filmmakers working in this medium but with 20-plus minutes of film should focus more on editing or just commit to a feature-length film. In under six minutes, Hellion succeeds in telling a family story with heart and an interesting twist.
Two of the Texas Shorts feature octogenarians as the protagonists. Matt Naylor's film What It's Like takes root with a bizarre drug deal between an elderly resident and a magazine writer, who unexpectedly connect despite their generation gap. This touching and humorous film has me pondering what's really going on in the retirement home literally behind my backyard.
The Guessing Game, directed by Texas born Angela Cheng, is a delightful story in which senior citizen Emmett asks his fellow retirement home residents to guess his age. Just over two minutes long, The Guessing Game plays out like a well timed joke with the funniest denouement held in the hands of an elderly woman. The art direction and editing along with the Romanian tune, "Bade-Al Meu Neichii, Bucuresti" hooks viewers into this comical tale.
Tumbleweed! is a true tall Texas tale directed by Jared Varava, about the story of one tumbleweed that did not tumble. The imaginative and often educational mockumentary offers great cinematography and well-timed comedic writing to hook and entertain the audience. Tumbleweed! is the true story of the "Wild West" and its quietest but most mobile inhabitants -- save for one.
Not all of the SXSW Texas Shorts were as light-hearted, with dark and often disturbing stories from other Texas filmmakers. SXSW Jury Award winner Spark depicts a young boy waiting out his father's afternoon delight when he'd would rather be setting off fireworks of his own with his dad. He reluctantly must interact with the lady-friend's daughter, who is also forced to entertain herself. The short was filmed on a ranch in Bastrop, Texas. Through Spark, director Annie Sliverstein gives a glimpse into the isolation and interactions of children.
"Magpie" Trailer from Russell O. Bush on Vimeo.
Other dramatic short films from Texas filmmakers in the Texas Shorts program include:
- Magpie -- Russell O. Bush's film (trailer above) was personally the most disturbing of the entire screening -- not for violence, but for the discomfort of the central characters that I empathized with. During an attempt to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Maggie (Ashley Rae Spillers), Phillip (Daniel Hershberger) finds a sex tape of his newly engaged daughter with her fiance. Dinner becomes extremely awkward as he must stop pretending that everything is alright between them. The interaction between Spillers and Hershberger is so convincing that I found myself cringing and not sure whether I felt more sorry for Maggie or Phillip.
- The Gathering Squall -- Directed by Hannah Fidell and adapted by her from the Joyce Carol Oates story, a teenage girl is assaulted by classmates which sets alight more tragedy. Very subtle delivery that may leave some viewers slightly confused due to minimal exposition. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo also did the camera work for another SXSW 2012 film, the feature-length horror thriller V/H/S.
- Knife -- Written and directed by James M. Johnston (Pioneer), this tale from the rugged cross-timbers of Texas unfolds to reveal greed and vengeance. Darkly shot and graphic, this slow burn relies on visual storytelling of one man's possibly futile attempts to stop the corporate machine from destroying his home and life.
You can catch the final screening of Texas Shorts on Friday, March 16 at 5 pm, at the SXSatellite venue Alamo Slaughter.