Austinite Mike Judge, creator of that cultural zeitgeist and all-around-super-cool-guy, got his start on the art house circuit with traveling animation compilations and in turn has cultivated The Animation Show, a blitzkrieg of independent animation talent, the 4th annual edition of which will have its world premier tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse. Featuring a wide range of styles and narrative structures, including repeat appearances of some jail-bait bunnies, a Teletubby like crotch-cruncher and a couple of wacky, half-witted Australians, our eyes were glued to the screen for the full hour and a half.... [continue]

After taking a short pause in their bi-monthly schedule to allow everyone a full recovery from the nine day movie marathon that is SXSW, the Avant Cinema Series is back with a bullet. The series featuring short experimental, avant-garde films and videos by regional filmmakers, curated by Austin Film Society programming director extraordinaire Chale Nafus and local filmmaker Scott Stark, presents its second night of films-that-you-won't-see-in-theaters tonight, yes tonight. A Dazzling Trio highlights the works of three prominent Austin filmmakers: Samantha Krukowski, PJ Raval, Rick Reed.... [continue]

Basically, the consumption of food is an inescapable facet of life; there are those to whom the act gives not even the slightest pause, but for some people it consumes every moment of conscious thought, whether it be avoiding caloric intake or hoarding it. Members of the later group, three women to be exact, are the focus of the dark and whispery Malos Hábitos (Bad Habits), the feature film debut of Mexican director Simón Bross, which is screening tonight at the Alamo South Lamar as part of Cine Las Americas. ... [continue]

For some reason, we as a culture have spawned an entire generation of college aged people who have all of the opportunity in the world, but absolutely no direction or decision making skills. The four characters in Box Elder fall into familiar archetypal roles: the ladies man, the idiotic ape, the sweet hearted romantic and the wise sage (well, as wise and sage-like as an early-to-mid-20s dude can be), but none of them are particularly noteworthy or spectacular. Think of them as Animal House meets Clerks, with even slightly less ambition. At some point they realize that they cannot continue just coasting through life, but not before many sammiches and beers are consumed and many hilarious moments brought on by everyday situations have occurred. If you are a dude, or an appreciator of dudeism, then this film is for you.... [continue]

Tipping their hat to this immortal glory of fluorescent heartache that was the New Wave Scene, the Alamo Drafthouse debuts their newest concert/theater/dance explosion this Thursday evening, promising such running-in-place classics as Whip It, Rio, and, well, I Ran (So Far Away). If you have never been to an Alamo sing-along, then we can personally assure you that it will be just like heaven. ... [continue]

Beaufort, an Academy Award nominated narrative, follows the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Southern Lebanon, 18 years after the occupation began. As opposed to rooting out terrorists and massively destructive (and non-existent) weapons, the Israelis had come to Lebanon in 1982 to secure their purported birthright—the land of their forefathers, or, the Abraham side of the coin—and did so by bombing the hell out of Beirut and anything else they could hit, forcing their mortal enemies, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, to retreat. Granted, Lebanon was not necessarily the land of Abraham, but since the PLO was camped out and had attempted to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to the UK, we suppose Israel figured that whatever place Palestinians chose to inhabit was fair game for bloodshed. Clearly, we are oversimplifying this and depending on which side of the strip you stand on, the view may be very different. ... [continue]

Tonight, the Alamo Ritz will be holding a free screening of the award winning documentary For the Bible Tells Me So, a film that digs into the basis of this hate filled view and how five God fearing families reconcile their faith with the realization that one of their members is gay. Featuring the families of former House Majority leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, we will be led through a conversation of healing, offering clarity and understanding to a topic that is seldom spoken about sans fire and brimstone.... [continue]

To be honest, of the narrative features premiering at SXSW shot by Texas based filmmakers, the two that we were immediately drawn to were Bob Byington's RSO [Registered Sex Offender] and Alex Karpovsky's Woodpecker. The first initially drew us in because we have a morbid fascination with all things criminal, especially criminal acts that traditionally allow for no possibility of redemption and the later because of the duality of a film that injects a non-fictional situation with fictional characters. Serendipitously, we recently had the chance to sit down with both Byington and Karpovsky at the same, and during a very circuitous conversation we got the chance to discuss film festival groupies, Olive Garden movie goers, fanatical birdwatchers and well, registered sex offenders.... [continue]

One Minute to Nine is the story of a family crushed in the tyrannical grip of an abusive patriarch, and what happens when the saying "enough is enough" is a monumental understatement. Director Tommy Davis met the Maldonado family a couple of days before Wendy, the mother of four boys, was to be incarcerated on the charge of murder. Using hand shot chronicles and aging home videos, Davis pieces together the last moments of freedom for a family who has already lead a long life of imprisonment. We had the chance recently to pick Davis' brain about courage, exploitation and a little bit of old fashioned luck. ... [continue]

This isn't your typical high school student council race—it is a full fledged election with primaries and running mates, televised debates and newspaper endorsements. The candidates must take such things into consideration as "Can a ticket without Asian representation win?", "What is the best way to market our platform?", and "Will I have to quit the theater council if I am elected?" These kids take themselves incredibly seriously and fight for their right to rule until the final ballot is cast.... [continue]

In this follow up to his moving documentary Mojados: Through the Night, which won the Audience Award at SXSW 2004, Director Tommy Davis pieces together the puzzle of what happens when, after 18 years, one woman reaches the summit of suffering and finally summons the courage to deal with her husband in the only way that she knows how.... [continue]

Alex Karpovsky is fascinated with extraordinary birds, regardless of the presence of feathers or bills. Indeed he is so fascinated with them that he set his new film, Woodpecker, in the bosom of birdwatching's newest mecca, Brinkley, Arkansas, amidst throngs of Ivory Billed Woodpecker enthusiasts and the townies who have a love/hate relationship with this group of fanatical treasure hunters and the bird on which they pin all of their hopes and dreams. ... [continue]

In the midst of a kidney-punching divorce and a morale-deflating demotion at work, this eternally disenfranchised man, played by David Zellner, who also wrote and directed Goliath, lives in the malaise of mediocrity. Everything he does is a menial, unrewarding task, even watching porn. He is constantly muffling the words and actions that would pull him out of his droning, joyless life, storing up a pressure cooker of rage, passion and ill-advised tirades that could, and do, blow without warning. His one respite from the daily spirit beat down was the knowledge that a tiny, beating, feline heart needed him. Once that fur ball is no longer leaving deposits in the old catbox, this nameless man goes completely and utterly berserk.... [continue]

RSO [Registered Sex Offender], follows the unenviable life of one ex-convict, played by newbie Gabriel McIver, who must reintegrate into a world that has indefinitely deemed him a social leper. He must deal with all of the minutiae that all of these other sad, pitiful, white males that we love to capture on film must deal with, but with the dark cloud of criminal damnation hovering somewhere just above his brow, to humorous effect. We don't know what he did (just yet) but we are guessing that, in his case, the punishment and repulsion may not fit the crime.... [continue]

Romanian powerhouse 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, scary ha ha flick The Signal, teen dream Charlie Bartlett, Sweede fest Be Kind Rewind, presidential pistol Vantage Point and, well, Larry the Cable Guy.... [continue]

So, we know that there is some other film awards show going on this weekend that involves statues and crimson carpets and such, but how many nominees can claim Austin as their hometown? None that we can think of, which is what makes the Film Independent's Spirit Awards a bazillion times more interesting to us than the stodgy old Oscars!... [continue]

With incredibly varied subject matter, there is sure to be an Oscar nominated film that you really love, that is if you don't fawn over every single one. And, come on, if you hate any of the films, the next picture will start in about 20 minutes, at the most.... [continue]

"Both funny and emotional, both indie and Hollywood, both entertaining and political, both real and magical," is how SXSW Film Festival Producer Matt Dentler describes the palette of films being shipped into town March 7-15 for the 15th annual South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival. "It's a well-rounded slate of films, from both veteran masters and promising newcomers." With 113 new feature films, 64 of those being world premiers, there is truly something for... [continue]

Truthfully, every week is shark week in our hearts and minds, but this week brings with it a very special engagement of the eco-mentary Sharkwater, which follows the often dangerous, sometimes illegal, but always passionate pursuit of two men to save our fine finned friends of the big blue sea from imminent destruction at the hands of careless humans.... [continue]

Annie Hall once said of Los Angeles, "It's so clean out here," to which Woddy Allen's character, Alvy Singer replies, "That's because they don't throw their garbage away, they turn it into television shows." Well, apparently since there aren't any TV shows being made right now they are funneling all of that refuse into the romantic comedy market.... [continue]