Slackery News Tidbits: July 8, 2013

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Here's the latest Austin and Texas film news. 

  • Texas filmmakers Kat Candler (Hellion), Russell O. Bush (Vultures of Tibet), Craig Whitney (The Garden and the Wilderness), Tony Costello (Little Lions), Eric Steele (Cork's Cattlebaron), and Angela and Mark Walley (Vincent Valdez: Excerpts for John) were recently honored at this year's Texas Filmmaker's Showcase in L.A. (pictured above). The Houston Film Commission selected these filmmakers' short works to represent the Lone Star State and be screened for producers, agents and studio reps at the annual event.
  • The Texas Archive of the Moving Image recently received an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History for its newly redesigned website, Austin Movie Blog reports. The website, which launched last September, was credited as having "an overall richer interactive experience" for visitors, who have online access to historical films. TAMI, one of 88 national recipients, will be presented with the award during this year's AASLH annual meeting in Birmingham on Sept. 20. 
  • Austin-based graphic designer and filmmaker Yen Tan's third film Pit Stop (Debbie's review) has recently been acquired for U.S. and Canadian distribution by Wolfe Releasing, according to IndieWire. The Texas-shot drama, which tells the parallel stories of two gay men living in a small town in the state, was also an offical selection at this year's Sundance. Wolfe is expected to release the film on VOD and DVD next year. 
  • In more LGBT film news, former Austinite Jonathan Lisecki's (our interview) SXSW 2012 premiere Gayby (Elizabeth's review) was recently picked as iTunes's film of the week and subsequently rose to the top of the iTunes movie charts, during the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, IndieWire reports. The film, which gained vocal support from actress Kerry Washington and director Paul Feig, follows two longtime best friends, a gay man and a straight woman in their thirties, who decide to go through with their youthful promise to have a child together.
  • University of Texas at Austin alumna Maggie Carey's upcoming film The To Do List (trailer), the script of which was performed as a table reading at Austin Film Festival under the working title The Hand Job (Jette's article), will be screened during AFF's Conversation in Film series on July 20, prior to its July 26 U.S. theatrical run. Writer/director Carey will be in attendance. Carey's husband Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live) co-stars in this ensemble comedy about recent high-school graduate Brandy (Aubrey Plaza) who, with the help of her friends (Alia Shawkat and Sarah Steele), makes a list of sexually explicit acts to accomplish before college. Friday Night Lights alums Connie Britton and Scott Porter also star as Brandy's mother and love interest respectively. 
  • The Paramount Theatre and Austin Pride will present The Majestic Party, a dance party inspired by and a screening of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, at 6 pm on Aug. 17 at the Paramount. All ticket proceeds will benefit the theatre and the nonprofit Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation.
  • Austin-based filmmaker and producer David Hartstein (Where Soldiers Come From, The Happy Poet) was profiled in The Jewish Outlook last week. The Long Island native received his master's degree in film and media production from UT Austin in 2004 and decided to stay in town because of work and his now-wife, Texas Tribune Editor Emily Ramshaw.
  • One more news item from Jette: Austin has a new film website this week. One of Us features film podcasts from Austin film critics Chris Cox and Brian Salisbury, along with contributions from Luke Mullen, Martin Thomas, Jason Murphy, Slackerwood contributor J.C. De Leon, and others. In addition, the site is published by Slackerwood contributor Rod Paddock. Congrats, guys!

[Photo courtesy of Craig Whitney]