Austin360 blogs > Austin Movie Blog > Archives > 2007 > January
January 2007
Keep film in Texas
You — yes, you — should be there:
An Oscar for ‘Sunshine’?
The Boston Globe is one of the many media outlets proclaiming that “Little Miss Sunshine” is now the Oscar front-runner for Best Picture:
If the upcoming Oscar race actually were a race, Queen Elizabeth II would be haughtily sprinting neck and neck with the bickering internationals of “Babel” while the Boston mobsters of “The Departed” took running potshots at the Japanese soldiers of “Letters From Iwo Jima.” And then, seemingly out of nowhere, a dented yellow VW mini-bus would break through the front line, its broken horn bleating in triumph.
One year after it stormed the Sundance Film Festival and six months after it conquered the nation’s art houses, “Little Miss Sunshine” is starting to look like the film to beat for best picture.
This is not how the script was supposed to read. The top Oscar doesn’t go to a comedy but to an important, weighty film, the sort Hollywood likes to hold up as its annual contribution to Culture. “Sunshine” is the scruffy upstart that, at best, gets tossed a best original screenplay bone. After winning the Golden Laurel from the Producers Guild on Jan. 20, though, and then, on Sunday night, taking the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, “Sunshine” now has a momentum other best picture nominees don’t.
The Globe’s theory is that “Sunshine” wins Best Picture, but Martin Scorsese wins Best Director, which I could totally see happening.
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Be a better filmmaker with classes and workshops
Lots of educational stuff going on — as usual — at the Austin School of Film @ Motion Media Arts Center, including a music video workshop and free editing class.
Get the lowdown right here.
Over at the Upstart Media Arts Center in Bastrop, Bonnie Orr will teach an adaptation workshop Feb. 17.
Get pricing and details at Upstart.
Classic art films free at UT
The new season/semester of the great Austin Cinematheque is up and ready.
The lineup so far:
Feb. 5 — “Spirit of the Beehive” (1973, Spain)
Feb. 19 — Fassbinder’s “Lola” (1981, Germany)
March 5 — “Woman in the Dunes” (1964, Japan)
These are all new prints from Janus. Shows are free at 7:30 p.m. in the Texas Union Theatre at UT.
See more at Austin Cinematheque.
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On the set of ‘Grindhouse’
They let The New York Times on the set, but not us. Check out the edifying piece on “Grindhouse” from Sunday’s Times. It’s called “Directors Who Go Together, Like Blood and Guts”.
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National magazine singles out Cine Las Americas
Austin’s own Cine Las Americas International Film Festival gets a hearty shout-out from MovieMaker magazine in its online edition.
Click here for the article. Leave a comment while you’re there.
Cine Las Americas happens April 19-26. See its Web site.
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The official Sinus sign-off
As you know, sniffle, the wickedly popular Sinus Show has called it quits. The heckling trio has finally agreed on a farewell letter, which follows in whole.
“After six incredibly fun years, the Sinus Show is ending its run at the Alamo Drafthouse. Our last show was Jan. 13. We are sad to see it end, but we are also proud of the shows we’ve had. Over six years of bad movies, unrestrained jokes and partial male nudity, it’s been a blast and we’ve loved being a part of the Alamo.
“We understand there’s plenty of questions — What’s next for Sinus? What’s next for the Alamo? — but for now we’d rather simply say thanks for all the people who have come and laughed with us.
“Thanks Austin.”
That sound you hear is 1,000 tear drops.
Don’t expect the Sinus Show, but one of its poly-talented members Jerm Pollet has a new gig hosting Italian Movie Night at The Belmont each Sunday night at 8 p.m.
The show features an Italian-themed movie — it’s “The Godfather II” this weekend — and food specials, with Pollet providing banter, anecdotes, games and songs.
The show skips Super Bowl Sunday, returning Feb. 11 with “Moonstruck” and Feb. 18 with “Goodfellas.”
The Belmont is at 305 W. Sixth St. 457-030
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Austin enters (David) Lynchland
The Paramount premiere of “Inland Empire” was certain cause for celebration. There was Lynch, the pompadour-haired savant of the surreal, in Austin for the first time. He offered free coffee to the 1,200 audience members at the sold-out Austin Film Society screening. Lord knows we love coffee here.
Then there was the movie itself, exquisitely Lynchian and damn near impenetrable, even for die-hard Lynch fans (this writer included). For just shy of three hours, the film enthralled and enraged. One moment, brilliantly dark, dreamlike and unforgettable, the next flat, ugly with pixellation, and laughable.
Lynch introduced the film with a brief spoken-word bit and a very brief song by Austin’s Chrysta Bell who also performs music with the director for the film. (In the Q&A session afterward, Lynch assured the audience that there’ll be a soundtrack.)
Some audience members got up and stretched mid-movie, others shifted in their seats as the running time extended. One young couple in front of me was visibly annoyed by the end of the movie and mocked the director’s fluttery hand movements, giggling during the question-and-answer session with John Pierson.
Most of those asking questions were more reverential, if a little annoying. Why must those who brave the mic at the Paramount always ask questions designed to make them look smarter than the filmmaker? At least most were polite, thanking the director profusely for bringing the film to Austin. They asked about a DVD release date for “Lost Highway” (“August,” Lynch said, but added that Universal has been sitting on the DVD for a while for reasons he feel have to do with the limited audience for the picture). They asked about similarities of theme among, “Lost Highway,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Inland Empire,” which prompted Lynch to acknowledge that those similarities might be there, but aren’t part of some grand intellectual design.
Lynch weathered one question-asker’s pointed rhetorical question, “What the (expletive!?)” and mostly focused on his creative method, which involves fishing ideas out of a greater consciousness, as he explains in his book on transcendental meditation, and finding connections among those ideas.
He confirmed that he shot “Inland” without a prepped, unified script. He lamented that the fantastic Laura Dern was overlooked for Oscar consideration this year despite a personal “For your consideration” campaign involving a cow. Lynch swore to never go back to TV (he said the Internet is the new TV) and that he plans to self-distribute “Inland Empire” and continue to work on digital video. Look for John DeFore’s full review of the movie later today.
For many, “Inland Empire,” will be a love-it or hate-it affair. It’s certainly admirable, even when it’s a complete mess. But as for Lynch himself, it was clear that Austin was in love with the auteur behind “Twin Peaks” and “Eraserhead” and likely always will be. He could have more aptly titled the film, “Women Opening Doors/Walking Down Hallways” and they’d have packed the Paramount just the same.
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One more “Idiocracy” cult signifier
According to my queue list on Netflix.com, there’s a “Long wait” for “Idiocracy.”
Says the site’s help section, a “Long wait” means: “There’s considerably more demand than available copies for this movie. It’s unlikely that we’ll be able to send you this movie within the next week or two. The wait time in this instance is generally less than 30 days.”
Does somebody (Mike Judge, you out there?) want to lend Netflix a few more copies?
Check the trailer for Austin-made comedy ‘Homo Erectus’
As it gets its world premiere at Slamdance this week, we stumbled across the trailer for Adam Rifkin’s slapsticky caveman comedy “Homo Erectus,” which was shot in 2005 in Austin. It’s produced by the UT Film Institute and Burnt Orange Productions.
To see it, click “Homo Erectus.”
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Your money aiding Austin film
Now that Prop. 4 passed in November, Austin Studios is getting a wad of salutary cash. On Wednesday, Richard Linklater will reveal the architectural plans to upgrade the studios after voters approved $5 million in bond funds to get new sound-proofing and air-conditioning for the busy facility.
He’ll be joined at the press conference by architect Robert Steinbomer, Austin Film Society head Rebecca Campbell and Brewster McCracken, chair of Emerging Technologies Committee of Austin City Council.
Stay tuned …
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Scandinavian Film Fest gears up
Calling it the “best line-up to date,” the Scandinavian Film Fest has announced its four-title fest, which runs from 2 to 9 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Texas Union Theatre at UT. The shorts and features are all Oscar nominees that haven’t played stateside yet.
“Mother of Mine” (Finnish)
“Hawaii, Oslo” (Norwegian)
“The Election Night” (Oscar-winning Danish short)
“After the Wedding” (Danish)
An after-party follows the screenings, which is sponsored by the American-Scandinavian Foundation and UT’s Germanic Studies Department.
“Mother of Mine”
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New life for ‘Idiocracy’
Now on DVD, Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy” is finally getting some attention.
The movie about a dumbed-down future gets a shout-out in the new Wired magazine (the one with John Hodgman on the cover. Don’t think it’s online yet) and was the subject of an astute piece in Slate that found similarities to the current film “Children of Men.”
Seems like the first steps on the road toward cult-hit status. The movie is ranked 61 on amazon.com’s list of DVD best-sellers.
Reel Women has a special “North Monday Mix” tonight at 6:30 p.m. It’s at Opal Divine’s Marina on MoPacBoulevard just north of Parmer Lane. If the mixer proves popular, it could become a regular event.
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Penguins boffo at the Bullock
“Happy Feet … The IMAX Experience” has had a great run at the Bullock museum’s IMAX theater.
Robert Hicks, the museum’s head of public relations, said the theater is No. 4 in gross receipts for the IMAX “Happy Feet,” behind theaters in Boston, Chicago and New York. The film wraps up its run at the Bullock Jan. 26.
Also next weekend, the museum’s theater will be celebrating the opening of a new movie. “Hurricane on the Bayou” starts its run on Jan. 27. On Jan. 28, the museum will present a free concert by Dr. Zog and the Funky Zydeco Band from 3 to 5 p.m.
For more information about these events, visit the museum’s Web site.
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New Austin Movie Awards categories
Vote on Best Actress and Best Place to Rent a Movie.
And you can still vote in categories from past weeks. Here’s how the results are going so far:
— Best Picture: Jack Nicholson and Abigail Breslin are locked in a mighty battle, with “The Departed” and “Little Miss Sunshine” neck-and-neck.
— Best Indie/Arthouse Movie: “Little Miss Sunshine” is thoroughly dominating here, with “An Inconvenient Truth” a distant second. Even global warming is no match for Abigail!
— Best Actor: This one’s close! Leonardo DiCaprio is out front right now for “The Departed,” but Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat”) and Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”) aren’t far back.
— Best Film Festival: Austin Film Festival has a strong lead, with South by Southwest in second.
Don’t like those results? Vote. You can even send us write-in choices.
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Oscar shorts, Bollywood downloads
Two movie items for those who don’t mind watching online:
Animation World Network will be offering clips from the Oscar’s Outstanding Animated Feature and Outstanding Animated Short Subject categories as soon as they’re announced next Tuesday morning. The site says it’s the only place with cleared, guaranteed clips from all of the short-listed nominees. You can find those clips on AWN.com/oscars07.
Fox Interactive Media and indya.com have teamed up to offer STAR India content online via the media site Direct2Download.
You can find shows starting at 99 cents per episode including “Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii,” “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge” and “Koffee With Karan.” Bundled pricing is available as are 45-minute recap episodes that cover a whole week’s worth of shows.
You can find them at broadband.indya.com, though because of some spotty Internet service today, we weren’t able to get to the site and check it out for ourselves. A friend in Toronto who got to the site just fine assures us it must just be a problem on our end.
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‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ one step closer to Oscar
Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” is on the short list for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, according to the Associated Press.
The former Austinite’s film is Mexico’s entry in the category, for which there were 61 qualifying films. It’s one of nine films to make the short list. The others are “Days of Glory” from Algeria, “Water from Canada, “After the Wedding” from Denmark, “Avenue Montaigne from France, “The Lives of Others” from Germany, “Black Book” from the Netherlands, “Volver” from Spain and “Vitus” from Switzerland.
A committee of voters will narrow the field to five nominees, which will be announced Tuesday.
Judge’s cartoon tour heading to Austin
Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt’s traveling animation tour “The Animation Show” winds its way to its final stop, the Paramount Theatre in Austin, on March 4.
The two animation geniuses have handpicked a bunch of the best cartoon shorts for the show and are trundling them cross-country. DVDs of the the first and second installments are out now.
Get the local details here and see the official site, with a trailer and lots of other junk, here.
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Lunafest returns with distaff shorts, and more
Austin’s fine Reel Women again presents the touring film show Lunafest at 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Alamo Downtown. Tickets for the program are $10.
Get film titles and complete details at Reel Women.
And check out the Lunafest trailer here.
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Shoot your own grindhouse trailer
The South by Southwest Film Festival is calling for entries for its grindhouse trailer contest, coinciding with the April 6 release of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s exploitation flick “Grindhouse.”
A sample of the best submissions will be judged by Rodriguez himself, says SXSW Film producer Matt Dentler, and presented during SXSW, on March 11. The deadline for the two-minute trailer is Feb. 12.
“We really want filmmakers to come up with something fun, scary, freaky, and out-of-this-world for the competition,” says Dentler.
Entry rules and application at SXSW.com.
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Lynch and Bell: a musical duo
David Lynch tells us that he and chanteuse (and one-time Austinite) Chrysta Bell will perform before the screening of his film “Inland Empire” on Jan. 24 at the Paramount. The two co-wrote a song for the film, which Bell sings on the soundtrack and will perform at the show’s after-party at 10 p.m. at the Lucky Lounge.
According to the Lucky Lounge site, “Chrysta Bell has been artistically collaborating with Lynch for 7 years and just been signed to David’s new record label, Strange World Music.”
Get tickets for this singular after-party here.
Has he got a story for you
An aspiring filmmaker from Austin has won a national online storytelling contest.
Kelley Caleb Hunt, 25, bested the competition with a video in which he tells a story about a shady job opportunity.
The contest is sponsored by TNT, MySpace and The Moth, an organization dedicated to the art of storytelling. The Moth is flying Hunt to New York for a live event Jan. 23-25, and he’ll also compete in a national storytelling competition in August.
Judges for the contest included actress Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”) and author and humorist Andy Borowitz (“The Borowitz Report”).
In addition to being a filmmaker and a storyteller, Hunt is an actor, playwright, songwriter and music producer.
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Reel Women cancels meeting
Because of the bad weather, Reel Women will not meet tonight as scheduled. The “Meet the Board” program has been moved to next month.
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New AFS series
The Austin Film Society is starting a new annual film series. “Children of Abraham/Ibrahim” focuses on the films of the Middle East and North Africa and will run Feb. 20 - March 27. Screenings will be 7 p.m. Tuesdays at the Alamo South and are free for AFS members, $4 for everyone else.
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Sinus Show calls it quits
The ever-popular, always sold-out Sinus Show — three guys, one movie, gales of hilarious heckling — are breaking up due to those old, thorny “creative differences.” Which means tonight and Saturday night’s comic dismantling of “Die Hard” at the Alamo Downtown will be the troupe’s final shows. They are, of course, already sold out.
Evidently things got pretty ugly, so the Sinus guys — Owen Egerton, Jerm Pollet and John Erler — decided to go their solo ways. We’ll share details as they come in.
This gaping new rip in Austin’s cultural fabric will deprive fans of the trio’s pro-grade heckling of such deserving movies as “Xanadu,” “Crossroads” and “Footloose.”
Sinus, you will be missed. Share farewells at www.sinusshow.com.
Two new films; two overrated films
A pair of films shot in Central and Western Texas by Glen Stephens are hitting the big and small screens.
Super gory thriller “Hoboken Hollow” will open at the Galaxy Theater on Feb. 2, followed by its DVD release in April. Shot in Menard, it stars C. Thomas Howell, Michael Madsen and Dennis Hopper.
On the genre flipside is Stephens’ family action-drama “River’s End,” arriving on DVD on Feb. 20 after a short theatrical run in Fort-Worth. Sam Huntington (“Superman Returns”), Barry Corbin and Charles Durning star.
More at www.hobokenhollow.com and www.riversendmovie.com.
Great film though it is — and it’s pretty amazing— “Pan’s Labyrinth” is hands down, no contest, the most overrated movie of 2006. Funny how the gushiest reviews are coming from Austin or from former Austinites: The film’s creator Guillermo Del Toro once lived here. What a spectacle.
Second most overrated: “Volver.” Almodovar is getting so terribly tiresome.
Austin Movie Awards, Jewish Film Fest
— Cast your vote for Best Actor and Best Film Festival in this week’s Austin Movie Awards ballot. You can also still vote in the categories we introduced last week: Best Picture and Best Indie/Arthouse Picture.
— The Austin Jewish Film Festival gets under way on Jan. 20 and will run through Jan. 26. Screenings are at the Arbor at Hideout theaters. You can buy badges and passes online, and individual tickets will be on sale at each theater’s box office before screenings. For schedules and more information, visit the festival’s Web site.
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Get your film badge before prices go up
Time is running out to get a lower price on your SXSW Film badge. After 10 p.m. (Central) on Friday, prices will increase. You’ll save $75 off the walkup rate by beating the clock. Visit sxsw.com to register.
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Actors read Rapp’s new comedy, live
Austin screenwriter Anne Rapp — who wrote “Cookie’s Fortune” and “Dr. T and the Women” for the late Robert Altman — is presenting a script reading of her new feature comedy “Double Wide” at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 at Capital City Comedy Club (8120 Research Blvd.). The cast features local celebs Johnny Hardwick, Kit Gwin, Dale Dudley and Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel.
Sponsored by the Austin Film Festival, the show is free and open to all.
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High marks for Marc
Austin graphic designer Marc English has made these pages before for his innovative and award-winning DVD packages, including the Criterion editions of “Naked,” “Slacker” and “Dazed and Confused.”
Now indie filmmaker Allison Anders (“Gas, Food and Lodging”) has come out in a Criterion newsletter effusing about English’s innovative design for the “Dazed” package:
I LOVE this movie, and always have! And now I get to love it more on this far-out DVD package! … The packaging is an artifact to have for keeps: the cover artwork by Marc English is supremely inspired — based on the Led Zeppelin 3 album cover, and the booklet is a high school notebook, it’s great pop culture folk art! I own a collection of Memoryware folk art that people used to make with all their left over trinkets and little pieces of their lives: earrings, coins, buttons, etc. They’d take these mementos and put them in plaster on top of an old jug or jar and they called them “Memory Jugs” or “Memory Jars.” … And this is what this DVD is for me — it’s a keepsake. A memory jar of 70s pop culture.
And now “Slacker” and “Dazed” director Richard Linklater has asked English to design the Warner Bros. DVD of his film “Suburbia.” Congrats, Marc.
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Jack Bauer takes over the Alamo
What’s the only thing better than the fact that “24” is FINALLY coming back? The fact that the Alamo Downtown and Alamo Village are having viewing parties Sunday and Monday starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but you can guarantee you get a seat by preordering your food. The Village will have a standing Monday night date with Jack Bauer: The theater will have “24” viewing parties all season. Visit originalalamo.com for more details.
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SXSW Film updates
Eli Roth (“Hostel,” “Hostel 2,” “Cabin Fever”) has joined “Panel of the Dead: Horror Films of Today,” the March 11 panel that will be moderated by Harry Knowles. Roth will screen an excerpt of “Hostel 2,” due out this summer.
“South by Southwest Presents” returns to KLRU on Feb. 6 with the documentary “BBQ: A Texas Love Story,” narrated by the late Ann Richards.
SXSWies headed to Sundance this month include Film Festival Producer Matt Dentler, Production Manager Jarod Neece and Sponsorship Manager Scott McNearney.
For more, visit here.
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Sweat by Southwest: fest volunteers wanted
See as many shows as you can free at South by Southwest film, music and interactive festivals in March by becoming a fest volunteer. It’s time for the annual roundup of hearty, bushy-tailed, non-paid workers for spring’s Big One.
A wealth of day and night spots are open. Volunteers must be able to work a minimum of 30 hours or four nights during the event. Applications are available online, and crew selections will take place at the Volunteer Call on Jan. 21 at the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel, 500 E. Fourth St. Come between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.
All you need to know at SXSW.com.
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Vote on your favorites!
What are your picks for the best in film from 2006?
You can let us know your choices by voting in the first Austin Movie Awards.
We’ll be rolling out a couple of new categories each week. We’re starting off with two biggies: Best Picture and Best Indie/Arthouse Film. Besides national films, we’ll also be seeking your opinions on some Austin-specific categories.
The award winners will be unveiled to coincide with the Oscars on Feb. 25.
SXSW gearing up
This press release just in from Matt Dentler, programmer of the South by Southwest Film Festival, which happens March 9-17:
On March 9, SXSW will host the world premiere of “The Lookout,” written and directed by Oscar-nominated (“Out Of Sight”) screenwriter Scott Frank. … Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Isla Fisher, Matthew Goode and Jeff Daniels, the new film is a crime thriller with a twist.
The festival will announce its full selection of feature films on Feb. 6 and the full selection of short films on Feb. 13 In the meantime, SXSW is thrilled to share a sample of some selections that will be presented at this year’s film festival. They include:
638 WAYS TO KILL CASTRO Directed by Dollan Cannell. This documentary examines the incredible and controversial story of 638 alleged plots to kill Cuban leader Fidel Castro. From CIA agents to Cuban exiles, exploding cigars to femme fatales, the film also provides a startling glimpse into the evolution of Cuban politics. (North American Premiere)
BLACK SHEEP Written and directed by Jonathan King. Starring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Tammy Davis. Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop injects dazzling effects in this New Zealand black comedy about a herd of mutant sheep on the rampage in a quest for human blood. (US Premiere)
HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS Directed by Joe Swanberg. Written by Swanberg, Greta Gerwig, and Kent Osborne. Starring: Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Andrew Bujalski, Mark Duplass, Ry Russo-Young, Todd Rohal. Acclaimed filmmaker Swanberg returns to SXSW with his most accomplished feature yet. A group of Chicago writers are embedded in a tempestuous love triangle when Hannah inadvertently steals the hearts and minds of two close friends. (World Premiere)
THE LAST DAYS OF LEFT EYE Directed by Lauren Lazin. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lazin delivers her latest documentary story with the sad tale of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, from platinum-selling pop act TLC. Weaving video-diary footage of Lopes’ last days before dying in an automobile accident, with the story of her personal and professional roller-coaster ride, this new film is both a memorable music doc and a personal account of the fragilities in fame. (North American Premiere)
MANUFACTURING DISSENT Directed by Debbie Melnyk & Rick Caine. Featuring: Noam Chomsky, Janeane Garofalo, Ben Hamper, Christopher Hitchens, Harlan Jacobson, Dave Marsh, Albert Maysles, Michael Moore, Errol Morris, Ralph Nader, John Pierson, Roger Smith. A documentary that seeks to separate fact, fiction and legend tracks Michael Moore on tour during the release of the explosive Fahrenheit 9/11, all the while chronicling the politically supercharged climate in America that has fueled Moore’s transition from mere filmmaker to icon of the political left. (World Premiere)
SUFFERING MAN’S CHARITY Directed by Alan Cumming. Written by Thomas Gallagher. Starring: Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz, Henry Thomas, Anne Heche. Alan Cumming’s latest directorial effort features a stellar cast in this darkly funny portrayal of unrequited love and unfulfilled artistic ambition. (World Premiere)
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? Directed by Rob Vanalkemade. From producer Morgan Spurlock comes this entertaining and enlightening documentary look at the commercialization of the Christmas season. The famous Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping serve as the anchor for a disturbing and humorous portrayal of the way Christmas has evolved over centuries in America. (World Premiere)
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Learn to make a short film
Local filmmaker Kat Candler is offering a pair of workshops at the Austin Film School.
“From Script to Screen Workshop” covers all aspects of making a short film, from writing to distribution. The 12-week course will meet Tuesday evenings and starts Jan. 23.
“A Teen Guide to Making Movies” begins on Jan. 20 and will also meet for 12 sessions. The hands-on class, which will meet Saturday mornings, takes teens through the process of making a short film with other young filmmakers.
For more details, visit storieproductions.com.
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Austin critics make their choices
The still new Austin Film Critics Association has announced its 2006 awards.
Following the lead of New York, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C., critics, they voted the 9/11 movie “United 93” as best film.
“Children of Men” picked up three awards, including a best director prize for Alfonso Cuarón. The Mexican filmmaker also took the award for best adapted screenplay for his adaptation of the 1992 novel of the same name. Emmanuel Lubezki won best cinematography for his camerawork in the film.
Martin Scorsese’s crime thriller “The Departed” swept the lead and supporting male acting categories. Leonardo DiCaprio was named best actor, while Jack Nicholson received the best supporting actor award.
Ellen Page, who plays a precocious 14-year-old girl in “Hard Candy,” won best actress. Rinko Kikuchi, an integral part of the multinarrative drama “Babel,” scored a win for best supporting actress.
Guillermo del Toro picked up two big awards for his avant-garde fairy tale “Pan’s Labyrinth,” an adult-themed fantasy myth set in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. “Labyrinth” was awarded best foreign film and best original screenplay.
In the categories honoring newcomers in their respective profession, Jennifer Hudson took the breakthrough artist award in her debut acting premiere after losing in the third season of “American Idol;” Rian Johnson, who directed the hard-boiled detective film “Brick,” a neo-noir mystery, won the award for best first film.
Pixar’s seventh feature film, “Cars,” was voted best animated feature while Kirby Dick’s “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” a nonfiction film about the biases of the MPAA, received best documentary. The Austin film award, which goes to the best picture filmed locally, went to Richard Linklater’s “A Scanner Darkly.”
Top Ten: 1. United 93 2. The Departed 3. Pan’s Labyrinth 4. Children of Men 5. Brick 6. Borat! 7. Little Children 8. The Queen 9. The Prestige 10. The Fountain
Best Film: “United 93”
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, “Children of Men”
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Departed”
Best Actress: Ellen Page, “Hard Candy”
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Nicholson, “The Departed”
Best Supporting Actress: Rinko Kikuchi, “Babel”
Best Original Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, “Children of Men”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Children of Men”
Best Foreign Film: “Pan’s Labyrinth” (“El Laberinto del Fauno;” Mexico)
Best Documentary: “This Film Is Not Yet Rated”
Best Animated Film: “Cars”
Best First Film: Rian Johnson, “Brick”
Breakthrough Artist: Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”
Austin Film Award: Richard Linklater, “A Scanner Darkly”
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‘Grindhouse’ official site is up and grinding
Dimension Films has put up an old-school-style site for the Austin-shot “Grindhouse.” Check it out here
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