SXSW

The SXSW Film Festival announced more 2010 audience awards today in the Spotlight Premieres, Emerging Visions, Lone Star States, 24 Beats Per Second and Midnighters categories. One Austin-shot film and one Houston film were among the winners.

The juried awards were announced Tuesday night, but these accolades are from the audiences. With 134 feature-length films, these are the ones audiences really went wild for. So without further ado...

SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
Winner: Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission (listen to Debbie's interview with Garriott)
Director: Mike Woolf (of Austin's Beef and Pie Productions)

LONE STAR STATES
Winner: Thunder Soul (pictured above)
Director: Mark Landsman

On the first Saturday morning of SXSW 2010, I got up at a time that would be reasonable for a weekday, but for a weekend during a film festival is best described as "Oh My [Expletive] God AM." I found out that at 8:30 on a Saturday morning, free downtown parking near Alamo Ritz abounds. This is great advice for earlybirds, but you'd have to be insane to be that kind of earlybird during SXSW Film.

I was headed to a press screening/conference for Predators, the latest movie co-produced and co-written by Austin filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. The film was shot on location in Hawaii as well as here in Austin at Troublemaker Studios. The night before the press event, people had waited in line for hours on end to see the footage I was about to watch. You can read Rod Paddock's account of the "First Look" event for more details.

The press screening was just for the Predators footage shown at the public event -- we didn't get the conceptual artwork or a visit from special-effects/make-up master Greg Nicotero. Here's what we saw:

• A trailer for Predators, which tells us that a bunch of people who don't know one another and are very dangerous folks have all been transported to the Predators planet. Looks like Adrien Brody's character takes the lead. I particularly liked Laurence Fishburne and Alice Braga, even though she appears to be a permutation of Jenette Goldstein in Aliens (or Michelle Rodriguez in Avatar).

Remember my Survival Guide? I remember a few people laughing at me saying to plan for all types of weather. Little did you know you had to plan for sunblock to scarves?  The windchill is below freezing right now. BRRR. 

I almost didn't leave the house this morning, but there was the promise of barbecue after the first screening. The Paramount wasn't sold out for Waking Sleeping Beauty, but it was very full for the last day-first screening.  It was worthwhile, too. Don Hahn, a Disney animated film producer, used vintage footage and audio interviews to tell the story of Disney animation from 1984-1994. And what a time, too.  I highly recommend this film if you get a chance to see it.

Then, it was a Smitty's run with half the film bloggers in town for SXSW. But not just a Smitty's run, a Smitty's and Black's. Personally, I preferred Smitty's, even though they were out of prime rib. But the pork ribs were amazingly good. Had to wait quite a while to get it, too, as we weren't the only ones with the great idea for Smitty's, but the line was much more tolerable close to the flames of the pit. 

Then it was back to freeze in line for the closing-night Film, Four Lions, a terrorist comedy. Only, it wasn't so much a comedy but slapstick with a serious ending.  I wanted to love it, but it sabotaged itself at the end. 

You can read more of contributor Laurie Coker's SXSW reviews and features at True View Reviews.

I do not like watching concerts on film or television. Just ask my husband. Unless the movie has some special draw, like that I want to share the experience with him because he loves music, I avoid concerts that are not live. I also have a huge problem with most music videos. This Movie is Broken, which is having its world premiere at SXSW, is basically a long, long music video with a tiny, interesting but all too brief story woven in between songs, performed in concert format by Toronto's famous indy rock band Broken Social Scene.

Directed by Bruce McDonald and written by Don McKeller, This Movie is Broken had me engrossed in the story of its characters, but since the film's main footage shows the band in performance, I felt frustrated and dissatisfied. However, I did like the story, what little there was of it.

This is it folks. One day left. Friday was quite a full day for me. I don't know about you, but I'm kinda looking forward to it ending and not just the fact that means the music people will leave.  But it also means the films are coming to a close, too.

Today was my first five-film day of SXSW 2010. And what a group of films. I started off with brunch at the Ritz for All My Friends are Funeral Singers with a live score performed by Califone. As it turns out, the music came first, then the film, with the intent of a live score version as the final part of the trilogy, and the director is in the band. 

Next, I dodged many already tipsy wristbanders to get over to Thunder Soul. This is going to be the standout film of SXSW 2010 and while I normally don't participate in awards forecasting, I bet that it will at least get an Oscar nod.  A friend had recommended it, and she mentioned she knew about "Kashmere" and well, I'm not big on the music docs.  But like many people, did I get my eyes opened. Kashmere is not a band per se, but a groundbreaking 1970s high school stage band  in Houston that shook up the music world, focusing on their band director, Conrad O. Johnson. 

Two of his former students who organized and performed a reunion concert as a tribute to the man who changed their lives.  Step aside, fictional Mr. Holland.  Conrad Johnson's Opus is the many lives he touched, and through him, many more.  During the Q&A everyone had to comment how much they loved the movie and two people mentioned they were inspired to pick up their instruments again. It's now by far my favorite movie of SXSW 2010.  And now I know that Waterloo records has the double disc re-release of the Kashmere Stage Band recordings ...

Young film stars Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart joined Cherie Currie and writer/director Floria Sigismondi at the SXSW premiere of The Runaways last night. Fanning portrays Currie and Stewart delivers an outstanding performance as Joan Jett in this biopic based on Currie's novel, "Neon Angel."  The Runaways covers the formation of the all-girl musical group of the same name through to Currie's departure at the peak of their success. The relationship between lead vocalist Currie and guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett is highlighted as well as Currie's drug addiction.

Check out Jenn's review for more details. If you missed the screening, don't worry -- The Runaways opens in theaters today.

More photos of the Q&A are available on our Flickr page -- and no, I do not have photographic evidence of Floria's wardrobe malfunction so don't ask!

[Photo credit: 'Cherie Currie, Floria Sigismondi, Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart at SXSW for The Runaways', by Debbie Cerda for Slackerwood on Flickr]

How perfect is it that a headliner film at SXSW would be a biopic of a groundbreaking all-girl rock band that jump started the careers of rock-and-roll legends? Maybe not perfect, but certainly entertaining.

Floria Sigismondi, a veteran of music videos, penned and directed the biopic of The Runaways, a 1970s band that included Joan Jett and Lita Ford. Jett (Kristen Stewart) is the focus along with lead singer Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), and the movie follows them in the classic rise and fall expected in most rock-and-roll tales. 

One would think that a film that starts off with a graphic punctuation of coming of age would be more risky. After so many rock films, especially Sid and Nancy, it's hard to be shocked anymore. The closest thing to shock value is the raw sexuality of Jett and Currie, singularly and together.  Joan Jett apparently hasn't publically declared her sexuality (although she's been seen with "Dykes Rule" slogans), and Sigismondi's script doesn't try to categorize it while playing up the attraction between Jett and Currie. The disturbing part of the film is the sexualization of Currie, who at 15 becomes a sex symbol onstage and off despite being underage, and neither Fanning nor Sigismondi back away from any line. Fanning is disturbingly sexual, emphasizing the underage aspect to the sexuality and the exploitation of a girl in the name of success.

Decided on another late start today, I just needed that extra sleep. But I did have a nice talk with Clay Liford before the last SXSW screening of his latest, Earthling. If you missed the film, it's playing at the Dallas International Film Festival next month, and a few others in the coming weeks.  I hope you caught it.

I barely made it back to Alamo Lamar for Geoff Marslett's Mars, but I did, with two whole minutes to spare. Phew. This animated space rom-com was sweet and funny, and occasionally sly with a twangy Austin style soundtrack.  Personally, I loved all the BSODs. I want one of the little creatures as a plush toy, it was so cute.  I wish I could have made it over to the party at the Gibson, but I felt compelled to at least try to see three films today.

So I watched Cold Weather, a mumblecore-ish sleuthing tale. I think I liked it. I shouldn't mind the complete lack of resolution, but I don't think I do mind the lack.

The documentary For The Sake of The Song: The Story of Anderson Fair tells the tale of Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, the renowned Houston more-charity-than-business venue that has anchored the Texas singer/songwriter circuit for decades. Beloved Texas musicians from Lyle Lovett to Townes Van Zandt have honed their craft on its stage -- which, in its earliest days, was more cleared corner than actual stage.

The film opens with a shot of the Anderson Fair sign being ripped off the face of the building. That bit of dramatic tension creates some misdirected expectations. The film really is about capturing a moment in time, when Anderson Fair became the home base for Texas' most revered folk singers. The story is told through interviews with both musicians and staff, with many musical performances interspersed.

The movie will be a treat to fans. The production is beautiful and the sound is lovingly produced. Numerous performances are complemented by an original soundtrack from Austinite Gurf Morlix. Even the archival footage was crisp and clear on the Paramount big screen (and sound system).

Writer/director Gareth Edwards makes his feature film debut with Monsters, which premiered at a sold-out midnight screening at SXSW Presents: Fantastic Fest at Midnight. The English filmmaker and his cast and crew traveled in a van for several months throughout Central America to create a tale that is more of a road movie than simply another alien invasion. Through a combination of CGI effects created on his own laptop and natural settings, Edwards establishes a plausible reality.

Monsters is based on a simple premise: Six years ago, NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. New life forms began to appear there and half of Mexico was quarantined as an infected zone. The American and Mexican military still struggle to contain "the creatures."