Slackery News Tidbits, May 18

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Here's the latest Austin film-related news.

  • Texas Monthly is teaming up with Alamo Drafthouse for this year's Rolling Roadshow tour, which will take place all around the Lone Star State. The magazine recently published an article in which a panel of five (including Tim League) picked the "ten greatest Texas films," which are the basis for this tour. I'd argue the films, but of course that's the point ... debate is fun. The tour starts on June 3 in Fort Parker with The Searchers, will hit Austin on June 5 with Blood Simple and ends on July 1 with The Last Picture Show in Archer. Did I mention admission is free for all these movies? And that I wish I could just cancel everything I had to do in June and follow the movies around the state?
  • If you're looking for some off-the-beaten-path films to watch this weekend, Lunafest will take place in Austin this Sunday, May 22. Reel Women is hosting this year's collection of ten short films by/for women at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar from 11 am to 2 pm (perfect brunch hours); admission is $10 if you're not a Reel Women member, $8 if you are.
  • The Austin American-Statesman reports that Barton Creek Square Cinema (the one in the mall) is upgrading one of its theaters to include an "IMAX screen" that will show 3D and 2D movies. Why did I put that in quotes? Because Barton Creek is an AMC theater and their "IMAX screens" are not true IMAX -- they're smaller screens that are often called mini-IMAX or IMAX-lite. The screen is still bigger than regular theater screens, AMC says the projection quality is superior, and of course ticket prices will be higher to see movies in that theater. Look for it around the end of summer movie season.
  • Looking for something to do tonight? Space is still available for this evening's AFS Moviemaker Dialogue with once-Austinite Jay Duplass, one of the Duplass brothers who have written and directed movies such as Cyrus, Baghead and The Puffy Chair. The event is free for AFS Filmmaker and higher members; get tickets online instead of the door since it might sell out.
  • Speaking of the Duplasses, IndieWIRE says they're producing a new movie that will star Mark Duplass as well as Aubrey Plaza, the actress who read the starring role in The Hand Job script reading at Austin Film Festival 2010. Safety Not Guaranteed is based on a classified ad about time travel. The cast also includes Lynn Shelton, who directed Mark Duplass in Humpday (which played SXSW 2009) and Kristen Bell, who has nothing to do with Austin but I know some of you (like my husband) enjoy hearing about her.
  • Finally, if you haven't seen it yet, here's Bryan Poyser's short film The Fickle that I mentioned is part of the USA Character Project. I've embedded it below but I suggest you make it full-screen on a nice big computer monitor so you don't miss a detail. You'll see a lot of local filmmakers and crew in the credits, and maybe one or two in the short itself. Lead actress Katie Aselton is a filmmaker in her own right (The Freebie and the upcoming Black Rock) and is married to former-Austinite Mark Duplass. It's all connected, folks.