SXSW Film Preview: Cold Weather

We don't know much about writer/director Aaron Katz other than the fact that his John Cassavetes Indie Spirit Award winning film Quiet City played during SXSW 2007 and we somehow managed to miss it. We also don't know much about his newest film Cold Weather, which premieres at SXSW Saturday night. What we do know is that from the very first moments of the cryptic trailer, which hit the internet right before its screening at Sundance, we were captivated by its atmospheric, almost creepy tone.

In Cold Weather, Doug (Cris Lankenau), a former forensic science major and crime novel connoisseur, has royally hosed his life in Chicago and returns to his hometown of Portland, Oregon and to his more responsible sister, Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn). Doug continues a general life of slack: reading crime novels, loafing about Gail's house and being good-for-nothing. He finally secures employment at an ice factory and befriends a fellow employee named Carlos (Raúl Castillo). When Carlos's girlfriend goes missing, Doug finds himself embroiled in a mystery not unlike the ones he reads about in books.

Stay tuned for our interview with director Aaron Katz, which should be up sometime in the next couple of days.

Trailer after the jump.

Cold Weather screens Saturday, March 13th at 7 PM at the Alamo Ritz. It’s also screening Tuesday, March 16th at 1:15 PM at Alamo Ritz and Thursday, March 18th at 9 PM at the Alamo South Lamar. For the full schedule, see my.SXSW or B-Side.