Jury Duty

In 2005, I was lucky enough to win the Best Hecho en Tejas (Best Made in Texas) Film Award at the Cine Las Americas Film Festival for my short film "Test Day." The shorts we screened with were strong, powerful narratives. The Hecho en Tejas section that year was comprised of only four short films. Today, it has expanded to include two features and around eleven shorts.

For that matter, Cine itself has grown since 2005. It is screening somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 films, shorts and features, docs and narratives. No film screens twice. There's a lot to experience in under a week's time.

I've been looking forward to getting back to Cine Las Americas ever since "Test Day" screened and was warmly received. This year they asked me to be a jury member for the Hecho en Tejas section. What I've discovered is I am a one-person jury - so if anyone is upset at the end of the weekend they only have me to blame! No pressure...



In the program book, my picture looks huge next to the sections that have three jury members. It's a little embarrassing, but funny:

I've always been told I have a sizable head and now here's the photo evidence to prove it.

And if you think being a jury all unto myself will make picking a winner easier... ha... you don't know me very well.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the regional films this weekend. The festival offered to provide screeners but I want to see these movies in a theater with an audience. I've never been a film festival juror before and I'm a little wary of judging other filmmakers' work. I know how hard it is to get a film made. I've sat in the audience of an awards ceremony trying to tell myself, "Enh - it's no big deal," but really deep down you know it'd be kind of cool if you won. An award can bring nice exposure to a film. So being on the other side of it will be a little strange and new to me.

Courtesy of gablescinema.com

Tuesday night was the opening film and reception at the Stateside Theater. The festival opened with the Goya Award-winning black and white silent movie Blancanieves. I was skeptical going in: A black and white silent adaptation of "Snow White" sounded like it could be too annoyingly whimsical. But the film won me over. It is classically framed, with beautiful 4:3 compositions and lighting. I love how direct and precise the cutting is. It is constructed in very defined sequences that each build to their own emotional conclusions before the next one starts up again.  It's playful and silly at times, but in just the right doses. Plus - bull fighting dwarves!

During the reception members of the festival staff were good enough to introduce me around. I was able to catch up with executive director Eugenio de Bosque who told me he still remembers and talks about "Test Day." I ended up in conversation with a Spanish filmmaker who is screening a documentary Friday night that one the Goya for Best Documentary. Turns out he was also a producer on Ché and 7 Nights in Habana. It was funny how those titles kind of got peppered into the conversation. He said them matter-of-factly in answering my questions about his work, so it wasn't a case of name dropping. He was a little sheepish about it, even. It was funny.

If you're in Austin the festival runs through Sunday. There are two Hecho en Tejas features playing this Saturday at the Alamo Village beginning at 11 AM. Two shorts play in front of those films. There is a shorts program Sunday morning, also at the Village at 11 AM, that rounds out the regional programming. Click here for more information on the Hecho en Tejas films.