sundance 2006 - Zoael

BY JOSE MARTINEZ
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE
state of Texas likes to do things big.
From the mere size of their state to
the magnitude of their famous barbeques
to the enormity of a ten-gallon cowboy
hat, big is how they like it, and that most
certainly includes their film festivals.
Film buffs, tech geeks and music lovers
around the globe always know that the
month of March is a big extravaganza in
Austin, Texas. The home of SxSW, Austin
is the Mecca for anyone who loves independent
film, great weather, even better
food (Mmm, Texas barbeque!), rock and
roll and a damn good time.
SxSW is so big that it not only consists
of a renowned film festival but an interactive
festival (both of which are celebrating
their thirteenth year) and a music &
media conference now twenty-years old.
The interactive Festival brings together
uber-geeks, tech entrepreneurs, and digital
innovators from around the world for
four days of keynote speeches, exhibits,
panels, parties and assorted evening fun.
It’s billed as “the event where the Web’s
most creative minds share their ideas
about how interactive technology will
shape our future.” The 13th Annual
SxSW Interactive Festival will take place
March 10th through the14th, 2006.
The music and media conference, the
original component of SxSW, showcases a
thousand musical acts from around the
planet on over fifty venue stages in downtown
Austin. By day, conference registrants
do business in the SxSW exhibit
area in the Austin Convention Center and
participate in a full day’s worth of informative,
provocative panel discussions featuring
hundreds of speakers of international
stature. The 20th Anniversary of
the SxSW Music & Media Conference and
Festival will take place March 15th
through the 19th, 2006.
Taking your average film festival to
new heights (and size), HYPERLINK
“http://2006.sxsw.com/film/,” the SxSW
Film Conference and Festival runs from
March 10th through the 18th, 2006 and
showcases all aspects of the art and business
of independent filmmaking. The
Festival has gained international acclaim for
the quality of its programming with a special
focus on emerging talents who bask in being
included in the company of the cinematic
greats whose work is regularly presented.
Documentaries that screened last year
that are now nominated for Academy
Awards include Enron: The Smartest
Guys in the Room and Murderball.
The largest annual conference held in
the city of Austin, last year’s SxSW Film
Festival screened one-hundred and
eighty films to approximately 3,800 film
conference participants, including 125
trade show exhibitors and nearly 500
members of the press.
Highlights of this year’s film conference
and Festival include a panel discussion
with Palm Pictures founder Chris
Blackwell and John Sloss, head of Sloss
Law/Cinetic Media, titled “DVDs Vs.
Theaters.” These two powerful figures in
the world of independent entertainment
will join other influential decision-makers
such as Eric Besner from Netflix, Ted
Mundorff from Landmark Theaters and
more for the Saturday, March 11th session.
The participants will discuss and
engage with the audience about the growing
debate and diminishing window
between the world of DVD releases and
theatrical releases.
Another discussion of note is an interview
session with Henry Rollins. The
musician, author, actor, iconoclast, standup/spoken
word performer and host of
IFC’s The Henry Rollins Show, Rollins
will sit down for a one-on-one chat with
journalist Andy Langer (Esquire) to
address his feelings on the current state of
the media, pop culture, politics, education
and all the ties that bind them. Having traveled
extensively to Iraq, Kuwait, Siberia
and South Korea, Rollins notes, “We are
living in interesting times and, as bad as
things are, I draw considerable inspiration
from the things I’m seeing and the people
I’m meeting.” This joint session, open to
both SxSW Film and SxSW Interactive reg-
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SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PREVIEW
A Festival So Big, It Can Only
Take Place In Texas
60s hot-rod designer “Big Daddy” Ed Roth is the focus of Ed Mann’s new documentary.
istrants on Sunday, March 12th, is a conversation
not to be missed.
The Opening Night film at this year’s
fest include the North American premiere
of Robert Altman’s A Prairie Home
Companion starring Woody Harrelson,
Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin
Kline and Lindsay Lohan in the adaptation
of the popular radio program by
Garrison Keillor.
World premieres at SxSW will include
the following:
Al Franken in God Spoke, directed by
Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus, a cinema
verite pursuit of Al Franken, shot over the
course of two years. The film follows the
former SNL writer-turned-political attack
dog from his feud with Bill O’Reilly to the
2004 Presidential election.
Fired!, is directed by Chris Bradley
and Kyle Labrache. After being fired by
Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch
set out, with the help of some famous
faces to look at what it means to be both
hired and fired as an American worker in
the global economy.
Heavens Fall, directed by Terry
Green, features Timothy Hutton, David
Strathairn, Anthony Mackie and Leelee
Sobieski in this film based on the
“Scottsboro Boys” trial of the 1930s. A
lawyer meets obstacles and injustice
while defending the accused.
The Life of Reilly, directed by Barry
Poltermann, is about popular character
actor and TV staple Charles Nelson Reilly
as he delivers his final performance of his
touching and hilarious one-man show.
loudQUIETloud: A Film About
Pixies, directed by Steven Cantor and
COURTESY RATFINK.COM
Matthew Galkin, is an engrossing, uncompromising
document of the difficult yet
successful Pixies reunion tour.
The Oh in Ohio, directed by Billy
Kent, stars indie film-maven Parkey
Posey, Paul Rudd, Mischa Barton,
Danny DeVito and Liza Minnelli.
Priscilla Chase seemed to have everything
going for her with one small, private
exception. She never thought
much of sex. When her husband unexpectedly
leaves her to regain his manhood,
she embarks on a wild journey
that leads her to satisfaction and love
in the most unlikely place.
Tales of the Rat Fink, directed by Ron
Mann, is a fun and comprehensive documentary.
John Goodman narrates a journey
through the cult status and international
influence of hot-rod designer Ed
“Big Daddy” Roth, creator of the popular
“Rat Fink” character.
Making its North American premiere is
The King, directed by James Marsh and starring
Gael Garcia Bernal and William Hurt, is a
tale of family turmoil in small town Texas.
The Notorious Bettie Page, directed
by Mary Harron, will make its U.S. premiere.
Starring Gretchen Mol, David
Strathairn and Lili Taylor, the film focuses
on legendary pin-up girl Page in this
acclaimed biopic.
Acclaimed French action film,
District 13, will be part of the Round
Midnight program at SxSW 2006. The
film won raves at the Toronto Film
Festival and will be released in the U.S.
during spring 2006.
Another standout film to look out for is
Neil Young: Heart of Gold by filmmaker
Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia and
Silence of the Lambs), an intimate musical
portrait of legendary singer/songwriter
Neil Young, filmed on the occasion
of the world premiere of Young’s “Prairie
Wind” concert at Nashville’s hallowed
Ryman auditorium last summer. Young’s
music provides an emotionally rich view
into this unique artist’s relationship to
family, friends, mortality and the passage
of time. Young is accompanied onstage by
many long-time musical companions,
including country star Emmylou Harris,
Neil’s wife Pegi Young, and band
leader/steel guitarist Ben Keith.
SxSW will also include a Kris
Kristofferson retrospective, showing a
restored print of Eagle Pennell’s influential
The Whole Shootin’ Match, in addition
to numerous competition features,
shorts, special screenings and more!
For more information on SxSW 2006 go
to www.sxsw.com.