We caught this terrific documentary from Errol Morris when it screened during SXSW earlier this year. It takes a Rashomon-style approach to unraveling the story of Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming winner who was accused of abducting a man she had been dating to bring him back to the United States from a missionary trip overseas. Long before the News Of The World scandal, this story exploded in the British tabloids and made Joyce a sensation. Tabloid is genuinely outrageous and unexpected. more ›

Not a fan of reality dating shows but still a sucker for true-life lasting love? Maybe you've seen the Sundance original series "Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys," a show that explores relationships between straight women and gay men. Big fan? Good news: Sundance is looking for ten couples to feature on the next series of GWLBWLB, and they're hoping to shoot in either Austin or Nashville. more ›

The early films of Miguel Arteta didn't really predict where he would be today. His 1997 debut Star Maps told the story of a teenage boy pimped out by his father. Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl, while having moments of dark comedy, were kind of depressing. Last year's Youth In Revolt was really the first indication that Arteta could even craft a film like Cedar Rapids. more ›

As far as new movies go, it looks like Austin is still in a tryptophan-induced coma this week. Still, we're only a week away from Black Swan and this also is a good excuse to get out and see some movies you haven't caught yet (like the Alamo's brilliant satire Four Lions). more ›

Documentary fans are in luck this weekend as two very different, but very acclaimed titles hit town. If you're looking for an antidote to the mostly boring slate of Hollywood picks in release right now, you might want to try one of the following films: more ›

If you need help planning a trip to the movies, here are some of the weekend's highlights across town: more ›

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. more ›

In Winter's Bone, Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) may not look like Dog the Bounty Hunter, but when it comes to tracking down a fugitive from justice, she aims to get her man. Especially when that fugitive is her ne’er-do-well father, and what’s at stake is her home. Now that he’s disappeared, Ree has become the de-facto caretaker for her mentally ill mother and two siblings, and she’ll be damned if she’s going to let them lose their home. The quest for her father is on. more ›

• Money, grown on trees, for Gaza.
• On unemployment numbers: this hardly seems like news anymore.
• Ford posts loss but doesn't take the federal handout. Err, bailout.

Austin dweller Margaret Brown brings her new documentary, The Order of Myths, to SXSW after a successful showing at Sundance. Brown was born in Mobile, Alabama, where Myths takes place. The film follows Mobilians through one cycle of their Mardi Gras celebrations—a festival which the city is proud to have begun celebrating before New Orleans. Unlike the Big Easy’s do, however, the Mobile Mardi Gras is, effectively, segregated. more ›

Spiral follows a lonely, nerdy telemarketer who sketches portraits as a hobby. But when he begins sketching a hot new ladyfriend (Amber Tamblyn), shocking secrets from his past begin to emerge. If the reviews on the Fantastic Fest B-Side site are any indication, it's quite good. more ›

MovieMaker Magazine has just named Austin the "Number One City to Live, Work and Make Movies". This is the seventh year in a row that Austin has placed in the top three, and the second time we've been numero uno (unseating longtime fave New York City, which slipped all the way down to #4 this year). more ›

"Tales Of Mere Existence" By Levni R. Yilmaz Esq more ›

As we waited for our feature presentation at the Drafthouse over the weekend, we laughed at the trailer above. The film is titled Teeth and it doesn't take long to figure out that the pearly whites they refer to aren't found in the mouth, but in a curious teenager's "vajajay". more ›

Photo from ImageAfter Starting today, we'll be publishing a weekly roundup of various arts & entertainment news that we've come across. Most of these developments, whether national or international, have a direct relationship with something local, whether it be an organization, individual, or our collective culture. In any case, it's a nice chance to broaden our world view -- a definite bonus (or necessity, some might argue) for a city that revels in creativity! --... more ›

Last New Year’s Eve, experimental film artist Luke Savisky gave us the eye. This Halloween season, he'll create a surreal urban oasis on film at one of Austin’s historic parks. It may be hard to top images of a giant eyeball projected on to a downtown water tower, but Savisky’s latest large-scale film installation promises to be just as imaginative—and maybe just a little less creepy. On Friday night, Savisky will present Film Actions VI:... more ›

Another Friday means another round of fresh outta the box movies. With summer's end possibly mere weeks away, these are our last days to indulge in the pastime of escaping Austin's scorching good vibes to sit in distracted air-conditioned comfort. And in some parts of the country it's already fall, which means there's a bumper crop of new movies out! The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: On one hand, this period... more ›

This Thursday night, the Alamo will host a special advance screening of the new documentary No End In Sight. The film (which won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year) paints a grim picture of the current situation in Iraq, and suggests that key errors in policy and strategy have caused a slow but certain spiral into chaos in the war-torn country. more ›

Captivating, stereotype-busting material centered on the theme of disability often comes in the form of poignant documentaries (although the possibilities are endless in this genre, we recommend checking out Sound and Fury and 2003 Sundance favorite My Flesh and Blood). When it comes to feature films, it may take you a while to cite more than a few decent offerings that revolve around a character with a disability or a theme of disability. The... more ›

Finding hot button issues in Austin is not unlike finding a needle in a needlestack and no issue is as passionately debated as real estate. When Liz Lambert left her law practice with the Attorney General’s office and purchased the run down San Jose Motel, she had designs to create an oasis of hip on South Congress Avenue before the condo-boom had even begun, and little did she know that what she was building would... more ›

These days, when it ain't raining, it's blazing hot--definite shorts weather. So put on your short-shorts and head over to Salvage Vanguard Theatre next Wednesday for an assortment of offbeat short movies, all of which will quench your thirst for knowledge just like a Shiner quenches actual thirst. From car crashes to dead dogs to hustlas from Galveston, these films have it all: The Aftermath on Meadowlark Lane (David and Nathan Zellner) A car crash... more ›

Go ahead and order that failure bowl at KFC and dig in with your spork of sadness, it might be the only thing that will smother the despair that will come with missing Patton Oswalt present Ratatouille tonight at the Alamo. That’s right kids, it’s sold out. In fact, it was sold out last Thursday. You will just have to wait until June 29th for your yearly dose of Pixar magic and Brad Bird brilliance.... more ›

Qué tan lejos | How Much Further Regal Metropolitan #11, 7 PM Qué tan lejos narrates a journey of self-discovery, as two girls in their mid-twenties travel through the Ecuadorian mountains and coastline. Esperanza and Trizteza will not find postcard views or true love, but their journey will open them to a world beyond such illusions. Tania Hermida was born in Cuenca, Ecuador. From 1988 to 1991 she studied Film Direction at the San... more ›

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SXSW Presents returns to KLRU TV tomorrow for its third season, with four brand new episodes slated to run through the end of February. The critically acclaimed series, hosted by SXSW Film Fest Producer Matt Dentler, showcases some today's finest examples of independent filmmaking, many of which have a local emphasis -- past epiodes have featured Viva Les Amis, 24 Hours on Craigslist, and Witches in Exile. BBQ: A Texas Love Story February 6th,... more ›

Tonight, Screen Door Film and the Austin Museum of Art present Screen Door's Best Short Films of 2006. The winners were chosen by audience vote from among the 41 shorts presented by Screen Door Film throughout the past year. All of the eight films being screened tonight are national or international award-winners (including awards from film festivals like Palm Springs, SXSW, Sundance, Melbourne, Tinklai, Palm Springs, Tribeca, IndieWire and more) and three of the winners... more ›

Opening this weekend with a lack of fanfare is the flagship Burnt Orange Productions feature film, The Quiet. Seasoned film and television director Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader, Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Nip/Tuck)directed the project as part of the Texas Film Institute’s program, which provides real-world training to University of Texas film students. The screenplay by writing team Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft was chosen by the Sundance Institute in 2003 for their infamous workshops in Park City. more ›

Tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse the Flicker Film Festival celebrates the creativity, passion and art of short filmmaking. The Flicker Fest is a great way for nascent filmmakers to get their works screened. All of the movies in competition are shorts that run no longer than 15 minutes and must have originally been shot on film. more ›

Imagine you’re on a bus traveling halfway across the country to your destination. A destination that, in your mind will mark you a “winner” or a “loser” in life. It’s your life’s ambition waiting there, so you go. On the bus are the people your mother warned you about, types you normally wouldn’t associate with in life: An aged heroin sniffer with a porn collection; a self-imposed mute teenager who worships Nietzsche and communicates... more ›

Screen Door Film started off in 2004 by showcasing a bunch of wonderful short films they'd found from all over the country, with a particular emphasis on works by Austin directors. Many of their selections have appeared at Sundance, SXSW, and other festivals around the world. Most recently, they began hosting a series of combination screenings and presentations, focused on the business aspect of indie filmmaking; programs in the last two months included the Duplass... more ›