Fantastic Fest

Today was a short day for me, and I'm wishing I had greater endurance. I managed to snag a ticket to the Fantastic Debates, where Michelle Rodriguez (Girlfight, Avatar) dukes it out with Tim League. The debates added boxing last year, and was a huge hit, not just because League challenged director Uwe Boll to a debate in the ring. But I need sleep, so I missed it. I also missed the celebration of Zack Carlson's publishing debut at the Destroy All Movies!!!: Class of 1984 screening. Never fear though, we will have some photographic coverage of the bouts ... errr ... debates.

But I didn't miss Carancho, because I'm a big Ricardo Darin fan. Carancho doesn't quite live up to my two favorite Darin films Nine Queens and The Secret in Their Eyes, but it's worth catching. I was also able to catch the restored 1960 version of The Housemaid. It's a trippy little film, and unfortunately I had to choose between the 2010 remake and the world premiere of Agnosia. 

Agnosia won, as I just had to see the follow-up to a Fantastic Fest inaugural year film called The Birthday, with Corey Feldman in one of his most memorable performances -- like you've never seen before. I think I still have the glossy booklet that was available at the screening somewhere around the house (it was beautifully photographed).  Director Eugenio Mira's latest feature has some stylistic similarities, but is a completely different movie, and not just a period piece.  It's another beautifully shot film, and one worth catching. 

Drones co-directors Amber Benson and Adam Busch were here to support their film, along with star Angela Bettis.  It was probably one of the more fun Q&As with jokes and stories from the set, including onset harmony and daycare, and offset arguments over who ate the last sausage (answer: a vegetarian). Being alums of the Whedonverse, lots of fans wanted pictures, and both graciously obliged. Busch may still be in town for the second screening of their fun and snarky tale of aliens in the office, but Benson had to leave. Glad she's working, but I'd love a discussion about independent filmmaking with her next time she's in town. Remember, this is someone who found distribution.

Here's Drones star Angela Bettis with Benson.  I love Benson's face in this picture, she clearly enjoyed her time in Austin. It's great Bettis is back, as she's not only a great actress, but also a Fantastic Fest alum as director as well (remember Roman?). Benson talked a lot about indie films and being blessed with lots of talented friends and the two are excellent cases in point, as they're proven talents in front of and behind the camera.

I am utterly amazed -- after only three days at Fantastic Fest, it feels like I've been at it a solid week. So many wonderful films and conversations, many that I'll share in later entries. I've yet to be in bed before 4 am, but it's been worth the lack of sleep to be part of the magic and chaos of Fantastic Fest. As a veteran attendee, the best advice that I can impart on newbies is to "go with the flow." Plans are great, but you never know when being in the wrong place at the right time means seeing firsthand why Fantastic Fest is what you make of it -- and there might be someone filming, more on that after the jump. The best part is seeing celebrities relaxing and enjoying the festival along with regular attendees, without fanfare or massive entourages.

My Saturday was one of martial arts and karaoke, with my first dive in the deep end of the Fantastic Fest party pool. Here are the highlights:

I started the day with Naan Kadavul, described as "a music-infused Tamil epic about a dope-smoking Vedic superman and a group of beggar slave children." Nothing could have prepared me for the culture shock of this film. Naan Kadavul is one of those films that I -- or any American, for that matter -- would have been able to see if not for the dedication of Tim League and the Fantastic Fest programmers in bringing this film to the festival. The film is not a masterpiece, but its gift is a view of a landscape that is both colorful and dirty, full of tradition and tragedy. 

My Fantastic Fest experience this year, I realized this morning, has been focused on the goofy, off-beat and not too intensely violent films. Other contributors can cover the blood-soaked offerings; I'm seeking out the animated films and the silly films and the martial-arts films that have good fight scenes without anything too tortuous.

In fact, after the secret screening of I Saw the Devil last night, people who know me advised that maybe I wouldn't want to see that particular film at the press screening the next day, that its violence was a little too intensely realistically brutal for me. (I saw Zombie Roadkill this morning instead, which is entirely unrealistic and therefore lots of fun for me.)

I got to Alamo on South Lamar on Friday 10 minutes before the box office was supposed to open to pick up tickets -- only to find out that everyone else had been there for hours, the box office opened early, and I was left with relatively slim pickings in terms of screenings. I didn't particularly mind. I am going into most movies with few expectations and I'm enjoying just about everything I've seen so far. I wasn't into the mood for the Paramount today, so I left a couple of slots open and hoped that I would be able to get into some films on standby. So far, the standby lines seem to have been working well for many people, although I probably shouldn't tell you all this. Now you'll all do it and that's the end of easy standby. (I'm editing this while I'm in a standby line now, in fact.)

I'm thinking that keeping "Chaos Reigns" as a slogan is not such a good idea for a film festival. Last year's Fantastic Fest seemed about as big as it could get, but this year it's even more extreme. With every badgeholder trying to access the same website at the same time Thursday to reserve tickets on the fest's new online reservation system, things didn't go exactly as planned. Shortly after, badgeholders were advised to go down to the venue, making some nervous as the first films began seating before the line died down.  Fantastic Fest co-founder Tim League sent out an email later that morning, both apologizing and and changing the reservation system procedure to only VIP badgeholders. Regular badgeholders are back to getting up early and enjoying the ambience of an in-person line.

My first film was the ambitious German sci-fi film Transfer, where the very rich could transfer their consciousness to younger, healthier bodies. While daring, the provocative concept is diminished by an ending that doesn't match the rest of the film, and some of the worst subtitle timing and displays I've seen to go with looped audio. I can say this, it has one of the best scores I've heard in a long time.

Yoshihiro Nakamura's followup to last year's hit Fish Story has sealed Nakamura's place in the hearts of Fantastic Fest fans, taking the same time jumping non-linear storytelling to new heights. Golden Slumber surpasses expectations, and is going to be hard to beat as my favorite film of the festival.  The earnest and sweet Aoyagi thinks he's going on a fishing trip, only to find out he's being set up as a fall guy. As he runs from the national police and unsure who to trust, it turns out his friends -- old and new -- are the key to his survival.  At 2.5 hours long, Golden Slumber rarely lets up and is ultimately one of the most satisfying films I've seen in years -- without resorting to a Hollywood ending.

Does it get any better than this? Yes, by reading Jette's Fantastic Fest 2010 Survival Guide I'll be better prepared for my sixth year at Fantastic Fest. You'll notice in the picture above the whole family recognizes how much I enjoy spending time at the Alamo Drafthouse -- thanks, Dad, that present is a perfect fit!

Although I managed to buy a VIP badge in the short minutes they were available last year and I have the first boarding passes for Transfer and Golden Slumber, it's not a perfect scenario. My fiance missed by seconds and has a regular film badge this year, so we'll either have to coordinate our schedules or go our separate ways.

Since Simon Rumley's Red White & Blue will be returning for a screening at Fantastic Fest this week, I felt it was high time I shared an exclusive behind-the-scene photo I'd taken during the shoot at our house, where part of the film was shot. Nick Ashy Holden ("Alvin") was taking a coffee break while Emmy award nominee makeup artist Meredith Johns (off-screen) put, the finishing touches on his special effects makeup. 

With all the new media nowadays it's increasingly difficult for filmmakers to keep a lid on their projects, but it's also a great way for filmmakers to promote their films with less money and effort if done properly. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger are not only free, but can have a viral effect if fans help promote a film. Red White & Blue was able to secure locations and extras through the Alamo Drafthouse blog, and is how our house was selected as a filming location. Check out more behind-the-scenes photos after the jump.

As mentioned in my blog entry Fantastic Fest Flashbacks: Appreciating the Shorts, you'll never find a lack of high quality and innovative short films at Fantastic Fest. This year, the shorts are split almost evenly between screenings before feature films, or one of the two shorts programs: Short Fuse! Severe Fantastic Fest Shorts and Drawn and Quartered: Animated Shorts. Thanks to Fantastic Fest programmer Zack Carlson, I had the opportunity to preview over 30 of the 50-plus shorts that will be screening over the course of the next week. Hundreds of filmmakers from around the world submitted short films to Fantastic Fest, and judging from the final selections, it must have been challenging to narrow down. Here are some highlights from this year's shorts, including my personal favorites.

Texas-born actor Thomas Haden Church returned to Austin this past March to lend his dry wit and charm as emcee of the Austin Film Society's annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards. Church first served as emcee in 2009, and personally I would love to see him become a long-running host. It's probably not that unlikely -- Church resides on his cattle ranch near Bandera, Texas.

I've been a fan of Church since his eccentric role in the 1990s television sitcom Wings, and enjoyed his conflicted portrayal of villain Flint Marko aka "Sandman" in Spider-Man 3. He recently appeared in the teen comedy Easy A, but can also be seen in Zombie Roadkill, a new FEARnet web series. The trailers and PSAs for the series are hysterical and had me jumping out of my seat. Check out my favorite PSA after the jump.

Fantastic Fest attendees have a chance to see the first two episodes before their online debut at a special screening on Friday, September 24, at 8 pm. Director David Green, stars Thomas Haden Church and David Dorfman, producer Ryan Hendricks and writer Henry Gayden will be in attendance. The screening will be followed by the FEARnet party at The Highball.

View Fantastic Fest 2010 Survival Map in a larger map

Welcome to the 2010 Fantastic Fest Survival Guide. We've tried to cover every little thing you might want to know while you're spending the week in lovely South Austin ... literally from A to Z. If we left anything out, feel free to post a comment.

This year, as you can see above, we also have a fabulous Fantastic Fest 2010 Survival Map that includes most of the places mentioned in the guide. We're hoping this Google Map will be very handy to use with smartphones.

A few notes about relative location: If you are standing in front of Alamo and facing South Lamar (the big busy street), left is north and right is south. Left/north takes you to Barton Springs Road (land of many restaurants) and eventually downtown. Right/south takes you away from downtown but about a mile down, to a number of good restaurants as well.

Check out our other Fantastic Fest guides for more helpful advice: the 2010 Venue Guide and How to Drink Like an Austinite.