Slackery News Tidbits, April 6

Here's the latest Austin film-related news.

• Austin Film Festival has announced that its 2011 Distinguished Screenwriter Award will go to Caroline Thompson, perhaps best known for writing Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. She will be attending AFF this year, which is scheduled from Oct. 20-27.
• Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World has qualified for $1.2 million in film incentives ... in Michigan. The Detroit News reports that Robert Rodriguez's Austin-shot movie will move its post-production from Troublemaker Studios to a Michigan facility for post-production work, including the conversion to 3D.
• The Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund is now accepting applications for 2011. Filmmakers have until June 1. If you are interested in TFPF grants, Austin Film Society has set up several workshops around the state, starting tonight in San Antonio.
• What are you doing on Saturday night? You could spend the evening with screenwriter Randall Wallace. AFF is hosting a screening of Braveheart at the Texas Spirit Theater followed by a "Conversations in Film" with Wallace. In addition, you also can buy tickets to a reception with Wallace before the movie.
• Finally, a personal note about some recent film news. I contributed articles to Cinematical for five and a half years ... in fact, Slackerwood was born when I stopped writing an Austin-specific column for them in 2006. As of Monday, editor Erik Davis resigned -- two of the managing editors had already left in March -- and I knew it was time for me to go too. This morning, AOL ended its contracts with most (if not all) Cinematical freelancers, intending to rely on full-time writers and editors for content. The site may still be called "Cinematical" but the contributors who gave the site its personality and reputation are effectively gone. Thanks to Stephen Saito at IFC for an eloquent explanation and tribute. (And I'm pleased that my last post at Cinematical was a review of an indie film written and directed by women.)