Slackery News Tidbits, May 23

Here's the latest Austin film news.

• Terrence Malick's new film, starring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, has changed names, according to Joe M. O'Connell's blog. Formerly The Burial, the Bartlesville, Oklahoma-shot film about a love triangle is now called To the Wonder. The movie is still seeking U.S. distribution.
• Robert Rodriguez's movies have been in the news a lot lately. The Machete Kills production is looking for extras for next month's shoot. Distribution rights for the Machete sequel in other countries have been selling well at Cannes. And you can see the first teaser posters for Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For over at Movies.com.
• Austin-based writer/director Bob Byington's latest comedy Somebody Up There Likes Me (Don's review) will kick off the Cinema East summer film series on June 10, according to The Austin Chronicle. Byington's follow-up to his 2009 film Harmony and Me stars Keith Poulson and Nick Offerman as best friends who are aided through life by a magic suitcase (read Jette's interview with Byington and Offerman). Expect more SXSW 2012 favorites from the Cinema East film series, which will run every other Sunday until Aug. 19. Cinema East is holding its launch party for the series on Thursday, May 31 at 9 pm at Cheer Up Charlie's.
• Other Austin summer film series include The Show! Presents: Austin Auteurs, the annual Paramount Summer Classic Film Series and the Harry Ransom Center's Biblical Film Series, according to The Austin Chronicle. The Harry Ransom Center begins its Biblical Film Series on June 7 with a screening of The Ten Commandments. Check out Elizabeth's article about the Paramount series, which starts Thursday. And look on Slackerwood next week for our annual guide to free and cheap movies in Austin this summer.
• In awards news, writer/director Steve Mims' latest documentary Ruthie Foster: Live at Antone's, about the Texas singer/songwriter whose voice has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald, won the 2012 Blues Foundation Award for Best DVD, according to The Austin Chronicle.
• Don Simpson's Film School Rejects column "Austin Cinematic Limits" reports that writer/director Alex Karpovsky (Lovers of Hate), who sometimes lives in Austin, will be back in town soon to act in UT RTF alumna Carlyn Hudson's (Z and Beau) next film. We'll keep an eye out for details. Elizabeth interviewed Hudson last year for her Slacker 2011 segment.
• Austin-based filmmaker Kat Candler's short film Hellion continues to perform well on the festival circuit, with upcoming screenings at deadCENTER Film Festival in Oklahoma and the Los Angeles Film Festival, according to Film School Rejects. Other Austin films on the festival circuit are Jonny Mars' America's Parking Lot (Little Rock Film Festival), Byington's Somebody Up There Likes Me (deadCENTER), David Zellner's Kid-Thing (Rooftop Films), Jonathan Lisecki's Gayby (Provincetown International Film Festival, Rooftop Films, the Los Angeles Film Festival and BAMcinemaFest) and Mark Potts' and Cole Selix's Cinema Six (deadCENTER).
• Austin Film Society will screen a sneak preview of former Austinites Jay and Mark Duplass' new comedy about two brothers who compete in their own version of the Olympics, The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (J.C.'s review) at 7 pm on June 4 at Alamo Drafthouse Village, according to The Austin Chronicle. The "Duplass-A-Thon!" event will also include the brothers' short films This Is John, a rare screening of their first short, The New Brad, and Jay's documentary Kevin about musician Kevin Gant. Jay Duplass will be in attendance. The Do-Deca-Pentathlon is scheduled for a limited U.S. theatrical release on July 6; check out the trailer below.