Slackery News Tidbits, January 18

Here's the latest Austin film-related news:

• Congratulations to local musician Ryan Bingham (pictured at right) for winning a Golden Globe with T-Bone Burnett for their song "The Weary Kind" from the movie Crazy Heart. Bingham also appears in the movie. Sometimes-Austinite Sandra Bullock also took home a Best Actress (Drama) award for her role in The Blind Side.
• Local filmmaker/Austin Film Society staffer Bryan Poyser heads to Sundance this week to premiere his film Lovers of Hate, shot in Austin and in Park City, Utah. Chris Garcia of the Austin American-Statesman grabbed him for an interview beforehand. If only we could jet up to Utah this weekend and check it out ...
• Speaking of AFS, their Texas Documentary Tour selection this month is Tattooed Under Fire, which plays on Wednesday night at Alamo Ritz. Austin Chronicle writer Kimberley Jones interviewed filmmaker Nancy Schiesari, who is also a professor at The University of Texas, and who shot the movie in Killeen.
• If you're wondering how the film and TV industry has affected the Austin economy, check out this article from Community Impact Newsletter that crunches the numbers and quotes some local filmmakers.
• The Central Texas faction of Texas Motion Picture Alliance will start having monthly mixers -- the first one is on Sunday, January 31 at The Highball. You don't have to be a member to attend. No news yet on speakers or other details, but we'll keep you posted.
• The Harry Ransom Center is planning a gala red-carpet event to open its "Making Movies" exhibition on February 12. If you become a member of HRC now, admission is free; otherwise you can buy tickets from the HRC website. (I'm just excited that apparently they're going to bring out the Gone with the Wind costumes as part of the exhibition.)