Outfest Line Up is released - FOURPLAY is in competition!

FOURPLAY will make its official world premiere (after a sneak preview at Frameline 36 in San Francisco) at the 30th Outfest Film Festival this July. It will compete in the narrative competition. Looks like a great crop of films in the competition with us, including Jonathan Lisecki's GAYBY (which is hilarious and shot by my friend Clay Liford) and SUNSET STORIES from directors Silas Howard and Ernesto Foronda, both of which I saw this year at SXSW. Not only is it a charming film, SUNSET STORIES was also shot by FOURPLAY's cinematographer, PJ Raval.

Here's Indiewire's Outfest Announcement.

Follow the FOURPLAY BLOG (NSFW)

FOURPLAY is a feature comprised of four short films about sexual intimacy. Directed by Kyle Henry, each story mixes tones and gender relationships and approaches sex for what it is: an emotional, physical and sometimes transcendent experience. Shot over the course of four years, the film was funded partially by Kickstarter campaigns, the Texas Filmmaker's Production Fund, and other funding; it is executive produced by Jim McKay and Michael Stipe's C-Hundred Films and was shot on multiple formats, including the Sony EX3, the Canon 5D, and the Red camera.

About Outfest

Outfest is the leading organization showcasing, nurturing and preserving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film images and artistry. For 29 years Outfest has led the charge, spotlighting emerging talent, creating community between filmmakers and audiences and offering a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform LGBT lives.

Since its founding in 1982, Outfest has showcased over 4,500 films for audiences well over half a million people. Our festivals, year-round screening series and special events bring together film lovers, innovative artists, celebrities, entertainment industry professionals … and some of the hottest parties around!

Outfest is also the only nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that the extensive but threatened LGBT film heritage is preserved. Since the beginning of the struggle for LGBT equality, visionary filmmakers have recorded their lives, challenges and triumphs on film. Outfest is committed to saving, preserving and providing access to that precious, affirming heritage for generations to come.

FOURPLAY feature to screen at Frameline 36 in San Francisco

I am pleased to announce that on Sunday, June 17th the feature film FOURPLAY will screen at the 36th Annual Frameline Film Festival. FOURPLAY is comprised of four short films which take place in four different cities around the US. Each story explores sex and intimacy through melodrama, comedy, suspense, and the absurd. It's funny, it's sad, it's heartfelt and it's important filmmaking from director Kyle Henry.

I edited three of the four short films - SKOKIE, AUSTIN, and TAMPA. Rita K. Sanders edited SAN FRANCISCO. The films are explicit, yes, but also deeply emotional and gripping.

If you are in the San Francisco area, please check it out if you can.

Frameline 36 Screening times

More about Frameline 36 (from their web site):

"Founded in 1977, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival is the longest-running, largest and most widely recognized LGBT film exhibition event in the world.... Frameline’s mission is to strengthen the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and further its visibility by supporting and promoting a broad array of cultural representations and artistic expression in film, video and other media arts."

AN ORDINARY FAMILY available to watch on iTunes and YouTube!

You can now check out an indie I edited on iTunes and YouTube, Mike Akel's An Ordinary Family.

Click here for iTunes

Clicker here for YouTube

And if you need a preview of this award-winning and heartfelt feature film:

My short film "Do Over" wins Best Comedy Film at the 2012 Iowa Film Festival!

My short film "Do Over," which I co-wrote and directed, was named Best Comedy Film by the 2012 Iowa Film Festival. Awards will be presented on June 25th. The festival runs June 25th-27th.

I share this award with my chief collaborators - producer Andrew Logan and co-writer/editor Taylor Allen - as well as with a hard working, dedicated Austin, TX based cast and crew.

I've never been to Iowa before. Although the main venue for the festival is in... Illinois? Well, I've been to Illinois already! It's a long story, but oddly enough the awards will be handed out in Moline, IL.

No matter where the award is handed out, this is wonderful news and I am humbled by it as I'm sure there were many great films in contention and many others that were not fortunate enough to be a part of the festival. For as many acceptances and positive feedback we have received, we have also dealt with our fair share of rejection. I write this simply to say to anyone reading this who is currently or about to send their film out into the world via festival submission: It's tough (and it's expensive) but there's an audience out there for your work and it makes the process so worth it when you find them.

Here are the full list of winners of the 2012 Iowa Film Festival.

Learn more about the feature narrative I'm currently editing, "All That Remains"

I've known director Marko Slavnic since the seventh grade. We both went to film school together and both pursued film careers after college. Now we get to work together on Marko's feature All That Remains, which I'm editing for him.

Another former classmate of ours, Leila Kalmbach, wrote this piece about the film. Check it out and consider donating to the Kickstarter campaign.

My script wins an award at Las Vegas Comedy Festival

A short sketch I wrote called "iPad: Weather Control" won "Best Other Script, Skit, or Commercial" at the 2012 Las Vegas Comedy Festival. I had no idea they had announced the winners until my friend and AD on my short "Do Over" Derek Franzese texted me congratulations. Thank you, Derek!

By the way - check out Reticent Pictures, the home for Derek and his team's comedy shorts.

As for "iPad: Weather Control," it's a spoof on iPad apps and Apple fanatics (and don't get me wrong - I do all my work on Apple products; it's just some friendly spoofing). Don't know if I'll be able to shoot it as it involves some complex special effects, but maybe someone out there will see this award and think, "I should give this guy some money to make this. I want to see this 'other' script made right away!"

See all the other winners here.

"Test Day" gets some exposure

The short film I made at the University of Texas at Austin, "Test Day," has been generating a bit more activity than usual in the last week or so. An educator in Los Angeles posted it to her facebook page, I received an email message via YouTube asking me where I fall on the issues the film explores (if that sender happens to read this post, I apologize for having yet to respond - I will!) , and now assistant professor Gabriel T. Saxton-Ruiz of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has posted it to his blog. Hmm... is something in the air? "Test Day" has always sparked debate and discussion, but aside from placing it on my website, I haven't ever let it out there on the internets for whatever reason. Maybe that should change.

50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain Blog by Gabriel Saxton-Ruiz: He re-posts some very interesting and engaging articles about Latino identity that I think is worth checking out.

If you're curious: "Test Day" played numerous film festivals from 2005 to 2008 and won prizes at festivals such as the 8th Cine Las Americas, the 1st Flatland Film Festival, the 2008 Phoenix Film Festival, and the 2005 Sidewalk Moving Picture Film Festival. I have included it at the bottom of this post. Hope you enjoy!