Fat Man and Little Boy seem like innocuous pejorative phrases, possibly used to tease other kids on the monkey bars, but when associated with a date, specifically August 6th and 9th, 1945, those words become something else altogether. No longer mere verbal darts, those words evoke images of pillars of fire and shredded skin, of a war certainly ended, but possibly not won. Wednesday night, Academy Award winning director Steven Okazaki will take you on... more ›

more ›

In the first bit of Las Manitas news this year that has nothing to do with small business displacement or forgivable loans, Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme has announced plans to shoot a new film at the embattled downtown eatery. The film (mentioned at the tail end of this Washington Post article) will apparently be a concert documentary featuring Austin roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo. No word yet on a timeframe for the shoot, but... more ›

We love a good cry, and we are expecting a Niagra Falls worthy Wednesday night, as Austin Film Festival brings us Away From Her, the directorial/screenwriting debut of Canadian powerhouse Sarah Polley. You may remember Polley from Dawn of the Dead, My Life Without Me and of course, the Road to Avonlea series. (Come on, we know you have the entire Anne of Green Gables spinoff on VHS right next to your NKOTB action figures.)
more ›

FRIDAY [16] music •Of Montreal, Elekibass, DJ Jester the Filipino Fist at Emo's (outside) music •Those Peabodys, Ume, Oh, Beast!, El Paso Hot Button at Emo's music •Spank Dance Company, Hello Lovers at Emo's Lounge music •Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Reckless Kelly at La Zona Rosa music •Long John Thomas & The Duff, Bellfuries, Eddie Clendening & The Blue Ribbon Boys, The Aquasonics at Continental Club music •Bruce Robison at Cactus Café (9pm,... more ›

Tonight, as part of their South By Southeast: The Films of Thailand and Vietnam series, the Austin Film Society presents Academy Award nominee Anh Hung Tran's elegiac 2001 drama Vertical Ray of the Sun. Set in modern Hanoi, Vertical Ray of the Sun follows three sisters (Suong, Khanh and Lien) as they prepare a memorial feast in honor of their deceased parents. The more time the sisters spend together, the more they discover hidden truths... more ›

Tonight, Alamo Music Mondays presents a rare 16mm print of the 1971 British film Melody. Starring Mark Lester, Jack Wild and Tracy Hyde, Melody is the story of two pre-teen children who fall in love and declare their intention to get married – an announcement that is (of course) met with ridicule by overbearing parents and teachers. All we’ve actually seen of this film is the Japanese trailer (that has now been removed from Youtube),... more ›

The Austin Film Festival may officially be over, but the good folks at AFF are not done bringing you excellent film. Tonight and tomorrow they team up with the International Documentary Association to present Docuweek, a public theatrical exhibition of outstanding new works that helps to qualify feature and short documentaries for Academy Award considerations. Since its inception 10 years ago, 17 of the screened films have been nominated for Oscars, with 4 winning AFF... more ›