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Interview: Jesse Trussell, Paramount Theatre Film Programmer
The theatre attracts both big-ticket shows and classic staples, so it's no surprise that they chose to hire local cinephile Jesse Trussell to help expand their offerings. Trussell previously worked as the Film Competition Programmer and the Young Filmmaker's Program Director at Austin Film Festival, and most recently managed accounts for distribution powerhouse B-Side Entertainment (now Slated); additionally, he's curated his own outdoor summer screening series, hosted panels at a variety of festivals, started grassroots efforts to publicize personal favorites (like the now-in-theaters Greek masterpiece, Dogtooth) -- plus, we guarantee his encyclopedic knowledge of film lore is an asset to any trivia night team. We sat down with Jesse to discuss the future of the Paramount and his thoughts on Austin cinema.
What are some ideas you have for the future direction of the Paramount's programming?
As a long time attendee of the summer series, I love what the Paramount brings to the Austin film landscape. What I want to do is continue the great traditions of the Paramount while bringing a little of my own perspective and tastes to the programming. There's a great wealth of films out there that are a little more obscure, perhaps not even on DVD, that I would love to bring to the theatre. By combining them with the great cinema classics I want to give people a chance to see some great films, whether they are Casablanca or a lost gem.
You've been involved in many local film ventures; what are some striking differences between programming for a festival and programming for a venue?
Programming for festivals is about the new: new films, new voices, new techniques. It's really about fostering the growth of artists. Repertory film is a different mindset altogether, you think more about presenting the canon of cinema while at the same time expanding the list of what's considered a classic. I find movies inspiring and my goal is to inspire audiences. The all encompassing "WOW" of seeing a great movie on a big screen, that's what I want for people that come to the Paramount.
What's one of your favorite programming moments?
When I was at Austin Film Festival in 2007 our feature competition winner was the film Shotgun Stories by the incredibly talented local filmmaker Jeff Nichols. That film was such an amazing discovery for me: raw, honest and beautiful. I knew that Jeff was an artist that we wanted to champion, an example of how great American independent cinema can be. If you haven't seen the film track it down on DVD, just great work.
What do you think makes Austin a particularly unique city for film, for both productions and screenings?
The best thing about Austin is that for a smaller city we have such a big concentration of cinephiles. It's amazing to see them come out and support the festivals, the screening series and the theaters. Every night of the week there's going to be an amazing film on a screen somewhere, and that really makes this one of the best towns in America to be a film lover. I see the Paramount as one of the central hubs of that community, and I'm going to work hard to bring them some exciting events.
Check the Paramount Theatre's calendar for upcoming event listings.
