SXSW Review: Texas Shorts

The SXSW Texas Shorts screening is a diverse and impressive mix of shorts made in Texas or by Texas filmmakers. While the nine films range widely in their subjects and filmmaking styles, many of them are either dark or darkly funny, exploring everything from substance abuse to a murderous automated pool cleaner. Collections of short films can be hit or miss, but I enjoyed all the Texas Shorts selections. The smallish crowd at the screening on March 15 at the Rollins Theatre seemed very appreciative of the films also.

The most interesting of the lot is Chainsaw Found Jesus, directed by Spencer Parsons (I'll Come Running). Described as a "suburban fairy tale," the Austin-made film is a tragicomic story about two fathers and their sons who spend an afternoon together. While the kids entertain themselves with porn magazines and a neighborhood walk, the fathers do a drug deal in the garage and discuss why one of them recently turned to Jesus. The film is very funny and yet slightly bitter, and Sonny Carl Davis adds a bit of indie-film royalty to the mix.

Arguably the most intense film is Drawback, directed by Daniel Rigdon. In this Austin-made short, an impoverished, beaten-down man visits his former girlfriend. From their conversation and several slickly edited flashbacks, we learn that he's lived a hard life of bad choices and bad news; now he's trying to make sense of his fate. Well crafted, empathetic and thoughtful, Drawback is a captivating look at a life no one would envy.

On an entirely different and far lighter note is Jeremy Messersmith, "Tatooine," an extremely condensed retelling of the original Star Wars trilogy using construction paper stop-action animation. I give local director and animator Eric Power a lot of credit for successfully condensing three iconic feature films into less than three minutes. I also credit him for having the patience to create so many so Star Wars characters and backdrops out of colored paper and glue, not to mention filming all the animation. See the video for yourself, embedded below.

Jeremy Messersmith - Tatooine from Eric Power on Vimeo.

Another comedic short is director Geoff McGee's horrific Neal, in which a young couple goes for a late-night swim with tragic consequences. A cautionary tale about the underreported dangers of killer pool cleaning equipment, the Dallas-made Neal has all the hallmarks of first-rate B-movie horror, including an ending that begs for a sequel.

Parachute Kids is slightly horrific also, but in an entirely real way. Directed by Allen E. Ho and filmed in Los Angeles, Parachute Kids follows a group of young Asians who party their way through their teens and early twenties. Disaffected, drug addled and seemingly directionless, their partying has profoundly depressing undertones. (The term "parachute kids" refers to young Asians whose parents work in Asia and buy their kids homes in the U.S., where they live with little or no adult supervision or support.) I really liked this film's harrowing visual style, especially the scenes at a booze and drug-fueled Christmas party.

Brewed is the only documentary in the group. Filmed at Austin's Black Star Co-op brew pub and directed by Mike Mann, Brewed is a straightforward interview with brewer Jeff Young about the joys of his craft. The film is a simple but well made and informative look at a man who takes great pride in his work. (I'll definitely recommend this film to the many homebrewers I know.)

Director Marko Slavnic's Grey is an interesting study of moral choices. While attempting to steal a car, a young man witnesses a shooting. He is strangely ambivalent about helping the victim, and we later learn why. Grey arguably is the grittiest and most shocking of the Texas Shorts films, a jarring statement about the perpetual struggle between humanity and hatred.

Elevator Ride is a frank and very funny examination of racial stereotypes. Made in Haltom City and directed by John Venable, the film is a conversation between two men, one white and one black, who are trapped in an elevator. With plenty of time to kill, they have an amiable but sometimes awkward discussion about race. An unusual twist near the end reminds us that race isn't the only way humanity divides itself.

The most poignant and bittersweet film is 8, written and directed by Julie Gould. On the anniversary of her father's death, a young girl spends the day with her mother. As they visit the father's grave and sneak into an athletic complex for some exercise, we see that the family still grieves, but is healing. 8 is a quietly emotional film, made even more affecting because it's rooted in reality: Gould's husband died, and she and her daughter play themselves.

The Texas Shorts collection screens again on Saturday, March 19 at 5 pm at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar.