Please Be Upstanding for Kat Candler

You just finished the Austin Freescale marathon! Crazy! When did you decide to run a marathon? How long have you been a runner? Was it worth it?

I've been running for three and a half years now. Wow. It's strange that it's been that long.

I trained for the marathon by myself two years ago. I did everything wrong. I ran on sidewalks, had bad shoes, never kept myself hydrated, ran too much. I was in physical therapy for three months.

This time around, I actually had no intention of running the Freescale. I figured I was damaged goods. But then last July, my friend and editor, Nevie Owens signed up to run with Gary Walker's TexFX team. I knew if Nevie, who had never run before, was going to do it, I was too. And then my other friend and producer, Stacy Schoolfield signed up too. Stacy didn't even know how long a marathon was, luckily, or else she wouldn't have signed up.

It was totally worth it. I think. I've had pretty bad knee problems since though. Sadly, I start physical therapy again this week. Actually, it's not that sad. I love physical therapy. It's a chance to strength train and get better at the same time. You kill two birds with one stone. And there's massage involved too!

Stacy and I were talking this morning at the KUT interview. We're the kind of girls that take on huge projects, events, marathons, movies because we're insane. And we can't stop. We can't sit still for very long. Ask my boyfriend. I can't even sit on the couch for more than a minute without freaking out.

How exciting is it to be showing at SXSW? Do you feel any special affinity for SX?

Not only am I thrilled to be screening at SXSW, I'm thrilled to be screening alongside so many of my friends ... Heather Courtney, the Zellners, Steve Collins, Bryan and Jake, Korey Coleman, Eunhee Cho and Alan Chan ...

We've been incredibly fortunate to premiere at SXSW. Matt Dentler and Jarod Neece have been so wonderful to us. We can not thank them enough.

Any festivals you wish you had gotten into? Still applying?

Honestly, I'm really happy that we're premiering here. I feel like we have Austin on our side. It's nice. Because the city and the community gave us so much, it's fitting to screen it first for them.

Festivals I'd like to get into ... hmmm ... Roger Ebert's festival of unseen films. I forget what it's called. I'd like to screen in Jacksonville, my hometown, so I can show my high school teachers what I've been up to. Anywhere in Italy would be nice. Just because I need to take my mom to Italy.

Ok, the truth comes out, I wish we'd gotten into Berlin. I'd like to screen in Berlin someday.

One of the actors in jumping off bridges [Michael Emerson] is on Lost right now. Have you been watching? I think he's great. Tell us about working with actors.

Michael Emerson is playing a possible "Other" on LOST right now. I missed last Wednesday. I was so bummed. I heard he was still locked up and getting beaten on. Poor guy. He gets beaten up, shot at and pummeled quite a bit for films and television. But he's a total trooper. Luckily, the only thing he had to suffer through on our set was the Texas heat.

I love working with actors. It's my favorite part. I used to be terrified of them, but as I've grown confident in myself, I can talk to them and work with them much better. Of course, I still feel nervous sometimes that they think I'm a total amateur and I have no idea what I'm talking about which is probably true. It's just bad self esteem.

Your soundtrack is pretty rockin. How did that come together? Anybody you wanted that you didn't get? Anybody that you can't believe you did get?

I owe all credit of the soundtrack to my music supervisor Daniel Gill. We went to high school and college together. He's been in the music business as long as I've known him and he just has such an extensive knowledge and love for music.

Here are the bands I wanted but couldn't get:
Eric's Trip
Adorable
Throwing Muses

Here are artists I can't believe we got:
Sufjan Stevens
Amina
Karp
Jose Gonzalez
Jeff Hanson
Bosque Brown

I'm so proud of the soundtrack. Initially, I wanted to have all early 90s bands, but we just couldn't afford it, so we had to fake it with new artists. But I'll sit at my desk all day long and listen to the soundtrack over and over and over again and never tire of it.

What is next for Kat Candler?

I've been waking up at 5am every morning to finish (hopefully) the last draft of my next film, BRAIN BRAWL. I want to have it ready going into the festival. I forget how time can make something better. I did several drafts of JOB a few years after I first wrote it. I made some good changes after I'd had time to reflect on it and let it sit. Now I'm doing the same with BRAIN BRAWL. I've had several friends give me great feedback which has influenced the rewrites. I find myself giggling a lot when I read over it. I'm guessing that's a good thing. I can't wait to get it off the ground. My friend Korey was asking me the other day why I make such sad movies. I don't know. But this one is happy and funny and silly and stupid and I absolutely love it. It's about kids embracing their intelligence. If only I can
make a film that excites kids about math and books and being smart, I'd be on cloud nine.

I've put together a mini-Texas tour of Stacy Schoolfield's documentary
Rescue Me in April.

I'm getting married in May to an amazing boy who I love and adore. So after SXSW I have to dive back in to wedding plans. It's another production of sorts. We're getting married and having our reception in movie theaters. We're putting together clips and scenes from films that we'll screen. That's what I'll be diving into next.

Someone gave me a card in college (years and years ago) that said "Follow Your Bliss". One of those quotation cards. Anyhow, I always had it posted somewhere I would notice it every day. It followed me
from house to house and has old tape remnants and holes from tacks all over it. Not to sound cheesy and retarded, but it's something that's always been a constant reminder, y'know?

Austinist congratulates Kat Candler for jumping off bridges and for completing a marathon. We would also like to send our best wishes for her upcoming marriage.

jumping off bridges
March 11, 2006
Alamo Drafthouse South
2:30pm

March 16th, 2006
Paramount Theater
1:30pm

set stills (c) jumping off bridges