Two Films at SXSW 2013

I was born and raised in Austin, so the South By Southwest Film Festival is as much a fabric of my life growing up in central Texas as breakfast tacos, bar-b-que or Longhorn football. This festival single handedly shaped my perception of what a film career might could look like. Once I got out in to the real world (and lived & worked in LA for a brief spell), I discovered the many paths you can take in making moving picture stories. Still, SXSW has left its mark.

As a kid surrounded by independent film, I dreamed of having my work play at SXSW, and of being a panelist at the festival (I just thought it was so cool people might sit in a room and willfully listen to me pontificate via microphone; most of the year, I do it against their will... sans microphone.... Basically, I'm yelling my opinions at people when I'm not a panelist at a film festival). I've accomplished both a few times over now, but I still get a thrill when I can share with everyone that I have a project playing at the festival.

The SXSW line-up was announced yesterday and Texas films & filmmakers are well-represented, maybe more so than any other year I can remember. There's a handful of Texas-based or Texas-tied holdovers from Sundance [Yen Tan's Pit Stop (Yen designed the official "Do Over" poster); Andrew Bujalski's Computer Chess; Hannah Fidell's A Teacher; Jeff Nichols' Mud; David Gordon Green's Prince Avalanche; and Richard Linklater's much awaited Before Midnight].

On top of that, we have world premieres from other talented Texas artists, including Jacob Vaughn's Milo, Geoff Marslett's Loves Her Gun, Paul Stekler's Getting Back To Abnormal, and cinematographer-by-day/director-by-night PJ Raval's documentary about gay retirees, Before You Know It.

It's a very exciting year to be a part of the festival and to be a part of the Austin, Texas film community.  Click on the jump to find out which projects I was involved in that will be premiering in March...

FOURPLAY Official Theatrical Trailer and Theatrical Release

FOURPLAY - Official Theatrical Trailer from Kyle Henry on Vimeo.

The official theatrical trailer for the +FOURPLAY Film feature is available to view. Fourplay is a feature comprised of four short films that explore sexual intimacy. I had the good fortune of editing three of the four short films (I cut "Skokie," "Austin," and "Tampa" while the ever-talented Rita K. Sanders cut "San Francisco") and we're all very excited for its upcoming release.

UPDATED: Reel 13 Online Contest - Vote For "Do Over"!

UPDATE: "Do Over" won this week's Reel 13 short film contest! Check it out Saturday night on WNET/13 in New York City. Thank you to everyone who voted. I'm so happy to be able to share this win with our hard working and talented cast and crew.

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My short film "Do Over" is currently competing in an online contest against two other short films.

Visit Reel 13 now to watch "Do Over" and give it a vote!

The winner gets to air on WNET/Thirteen this Saturday night (01/19), the flagship public television station of the New York City Tri-State area. If "Do Over" wins, that could mean a lot of extra eyes on the film that otherwise wouldn't have seen it. 

This opportunity came to us by way of Devin Assuncao the programmer of the Brownfish Short Film Festival at NYC. Many thanks to Devin!

If you enjoy "Do Over," please help us spread the word and share the link to the Reel 13 site. Another way to show your appreciation is to tip us a small donation via the Vimeo Tip Jar, a great feature that allows viewers and fans to show their support for the independent filmmakers they love.

"Do Over" is a romantic comedy that has screened at film festivals across the country, including Cinequest, Aspen Shortsfest, LA Shortsfest and Austin Film Festival. It was named Best Comedy at the Iowa Film Festival and received the Chris Caddel Filmmaker Award at the Flatland Film Festival.

Two Bits Of Good News To Start Off 2013

Happy New Year!

It's been a quiet winter (by design - I've been decompressing and re-compressing all at once - more on that in a future post) but now that 2013 is here I already have two fun bits to share.

First - Austin based film critic Don Simpson listed his favorite Austin films of 2012 and +FOURPLAY Film  was one of them. Check out his list here which includes an eclectic sampling of what the Austin film scene has to offer. (I edited three shorts in +FOURPLAY Film for director +Kyle Henry).

Second - "Do Over" will continue its festival run in 2013 as it screens next month at the Love Your Shorts Film Festival. Check out the full line up; you'll find "Do Over" in the comedy section.

"Do Over" Update: Hometown premiere; Flatland award

"Do Over" had two great screenings at the Austin Film Festival last month. It screened in front of Missed Connections, a very funny indie romantic comedy directed by the editor of such studio comedies Role Models and The Dictator. We screened Thursday night, October 18th, at the Texas Spirit Theater at the Bob Bullock Museum and Friday night, October 19th, at the Alamo Village.

By the end of that same weekend, "Do Over" also received the Chris Caddell Filmmaker Award at the 2012 Flatland Film Festival in Lubbock, which is awarded to a regional film. This is our second award after winning Best Comedy at the Iowa Film Festival earlier this year. This is also the second short I've directed that has won an award at Flatland, following "Test Day" in 2005. Unfortunately, it's also the second time I've been unable to attend Flatland, which looks like a fest that expands year after year. The first time I missed it, I was living in LA; this time, I just couldn't be in two places at once. (I hope to attend in the future and hope audiences enjoyed "Do Over" as much as the judges apparently did.) 

I've had films that I edited screen at Austin Film Festival but never something I directed. Honestly, it was a relief to finally be able to screen in one of the major festivals in Austin. It helps me to be viewed as not just an editor in this community but also as a writer and a director. The film played well both nights. On the second night at the Alamo Village there was one gentleman in the back of the theater who laughed loudly and heartily. Whatever joke set him off I was grateful that it did because his laugh alone filled the entire theater. If only I could plant him at every screening.

DO OVER screens at AFF this weekend: 10/18 - 10/19

Adam gives himself a pep talk before his big date with Sara

The short film I co-wrote and directed, "Do Over," screens on Thursday 10/18 and Friday 10/19 as part of the Austin Film Festival. It screens in front of the romantic comedy Missed Connections, which has played numerous festivals throughout the year. 

For anyone in the Austin area: The Thursday screening is at 7:15 PM at the Texas Spirit Theater at the Bob Bullock Museum. The Friday screening is at 730 PM at the Alamo Drafthouse Village.

Missed Connections is a comedic romance about a guy named Neal. Neal’s been trying to get over a traumatic break up with his ex-girlfriend by doing what anyone would do… tricking women on the Internet. Neal’s plan is going amazingly well, until he meets Jane, who just may be as devious as he is.

"Do Over" is about Adam, who has his first date with Sara planned to the moment. And he'll try everything to make sure that moment goes just right.

Co-written with Taylor Allen (who also edited), produced by Andrew Logan, with cinematography by Ricardo Diaz, I made "Do Over" at a time when I was itching to switch from the editor's chair to the director's chair. I wanted to keep the story simple but relatable; Taylor and I both wanted something that delivered as much heart as it does laughs. While we honed our gags we also made sure the story wasn't held hostage by them. I don't want to over-write about something that is, at its core, a crowd-pleasing entertainment, but I stand by we always put character and emotion first so that the jokes actually mean something and aren't there for their own sake. 

I'm very proud of our cast and crew. I found Garrett Jester and Jacobi Alvarez at the private school I teach at. Garrett is a great personality and a kind soul. He's funny, he's not self-conscious, and extremely intelligent. Great kid. Jacobi is a natural at screwball comedy, but she offers so much more. I think I could cast her in just about anything. She's as innocent as she is lovely and I hope that never changes. Brett Shaw - who doesn't get enough credit because of his limited screen time - is a scene stealer.

As far as I'm concerned, the night belongs to Missed Connections, but I hope that "Do Over" can serve as funny, sweet lead-in to what looks to be a winning indie comedy. I am really happy to finally be able to show the short to a local crowd. I grew up here, we shot the film here with a badass Austin crew, and I've always dreamed of showing something I directed at one of our major local film festivals.

Click here for more information about our screening.

And go here to see where else "Do Over" is playing this fall.

FOURPLAY AGLIFF/Polari Screening

Last Friday evening, the feature film Fourplay was unleashed on Austin, TX by way of the former Austin Gay and Lesbian film festival/now-rebranded-Polari Film Festival. As I've documented here in the past, Fourplay is comprised of four short films that explore sexual intimacy in a number of ways. It is at times shocking, funny, intense, frustrating, confusing, and emotional but always humanistic.

I served as editor for the first three short films: "Skokie"; "Austin"; and "Tampa." Rita K. Sanders edited the final segment, "San Francisco."

The film screened at the historic Paramount theater in downtown Austin. While I have had a number of films screen here in the past, it never gets old when your work plays at the Paramount. The theater is almost one hundred years old. It can seat somewhere near 1,200 hundred patrons. It's home to live performances (I saw Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band there a year ago), red carpet premieres, and the Classic Films Summer Series.

With a warm and funny introduction by Paul Stekler (who represented co-sponsor the Department of Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas at Austin), plus some further kind words by film programming director Curran Nault, director Kyle Henry was brought on stage to thank everyone for coming to the screening.

The opening credits for Fourplay sets the mood in graphic detail. Like the rest of the film, its playful while it also doesn't shy away from the content it explores. I think the credits is a great lead in to "Skokie," a short that manages to find the cross section between desire and absurdity.

This post will not serve as a review of the film (seeing as how you would never trust my judgement on it) nor will I go into detail as to how I think the audience responded to each segment. Let's just say I think the fun and adventurousness of the project is found in how each short has the potential to elicit a wide range of reactions from its audience. Each one has the potential to be just as divisive it has the potential to be embraced. I think we entertained 99% of the audience Friday night, but there may have also been a few who felt the movie crossed a line for them - and that's perfectly fine.

Afterward, we had ourselves - as Kyle quipped - Altman-esque Q and A. This project was years in the making and involved a number of talented cast and crew that took up the entire Paramount stage. We provided insights into some of the productions elements in the movie; Carlos Trevino, the writer of three of the shorts, discussed his inspiration, including a personal revelation even I had not heard before; and our only four legged member of the cast - Sassy the dog - made a delightful appearance.

I was not expecting to be called up seeing as how large the cast is, but I was humbled and honored to be the last to be invited up to the stage by Kyle as "the man who put these all together." (Full disclosure: It was a team effort shared by myself, Kyle, Rita, and producer Jason Wehling).

Curran asked if the project had an impact on our own sexual lives. Glad I didn't have to answer that one! He also asked everyone at one point how we got involved with Fourplay, and we went one by one telling our stories. The common thread: We all wanted to work with Kyle and the project had a significant impact on each of us. For my part, I explained that I was working late one night in the halls of UT-Austin RTF (probably in 2009 or 10... hmmm....) when Kyle pulled me aside out of the blue and asked, "Will you screen something for me? It's over twenty minutes and I'm just looking for a fresh pair of eyes." We had been familiar with each other's work (and hung out at local parties and bar gatherings); he provided amazing notes and assistance on the first feature I edited, Spencer Parsons' I'll Come Running. While I jumped at the opportunity I was also nervous. What if it isn't good, I thought. I don't want to tell Kyle I don't like his movie.

He showed me "Fourplay: San Francisco." It was just Kyle, Carlos and me in a screening room at UT. When it was over, I felt bad for a different reason: I had few notes. I really, genuinely loved the movie. What the hell were they showing it to me for? Isn't it done? I thought. Kyle, always the consummate professional, was just trying to find ways to make it better from where it already was. Maybe they just needed a cheerleader that night because they found one in me. I was an instant fan of the project.

I knew he had three other segments to come as he was making each short one at a time. Seeing as how Rita did such fantastic and beautiful (seriously - beautiful) work with "SF," I just assumed she would cut the next one. But Rita moved away from Austin (now based in LA, she's doing great!), and then I got a call from Kyle asking me if I'd help him with "Austin." He was so apologetic that he didn't have much to pay me, but I knew I'd be gaining invaluable experience and mentorship if I could cut even just one of these shorts for him.

And I did. And when "Austin" was done, things were quiet for a little while as he balanced editing a documentary and prepping "Tampa." When he called me for "Tampa," I thought, Well, he still wants to work with you - didn't screw this one up, Fabelo! (Something like that, I'm sure, if not exactly like that). And we cut "Tampa," which is the most purely visual storytelling I have ever done seeing as how there's nary a line of dialogue. And finally, after some time went by, he called me again for "Skokie." Voila, Fourplay was assembled into one feature from four beautifully complex, vibrant parts.