"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.

Great write-up on FOURPLAY in Austin American-Statesman

I'll admit this much: Of all our local publications, I did not expect such coverage from what seems to be a center-right paper like the Statesman. Maybe that's just the front page and not their movies section.

Teeing up tonight's centerpiece hometown premiere of Kyle Henry's Fourplay - a feature made up of four short films about sexual intimacy, of which I edited three; the fourth was edited by the talented and delightful Rita K. Sanders - the Austin American-Statesman published this glowing article by Charles Ealy. In it he writes:

... [T]he fact of the matter is this: “Fourplay” is so good, so uncomfortably revelatory and so resonant that the word needs to get out quickly. This is the festival’s best film, as well as one of the most provocative features of the year.

It’s like four perfect short stories from Flannery O’Connor or Eudora Welty, with one exception: All of them are sexually adventurous — and no, not in the way that Hulga gets her wooden leg stolen by a traveling Bible salesman in O’Connor’s “Good Country People.” While O’Connor usually implies sex, Henry dives right in.

That's a great take on the movie! I'm very proud of this project's adventurousness. I grew as an editor with Kyle's guidance and I collected a few morsels on wisdom for when I direct my next project.

Fourplay screens at the historic Paramount Theater tonight, October 5th, at Austin's PolariFest!

DO OVER screens at Dallas Video Festival

"Do Over" screened at the Dallas Video Festival tonight as part of the prestigious Texas Show program. It's the screening that closes out the festival. You can tell the programmers put a lot of work curating and presenting this particular program. We were in the company of many strong films that have represented Texas film on the festival this year, including Kat Candler's "Hellion" and Hannah Fidell's "The Gathering Squall" to name just a few.

Our screening went very well. We received lots of laughs and even more "awwws" when this joke-driven film takes a turn toward something heartfelt and sweet. The Dallas audience was kind to us and open to all the films.

Director Bart Weiss led the Q and A afterward. He talked to each filmmaker by moving down the line and holding the mic for us, making the questions more conversational. By the sound of the laughs, co-writer/editor Taylor Allen and I hopefully entertained the audience with our banter as much as we did with our film. Or we made asshats out of ourselves. A win is a win, I guess.

I wish I could have stayed longer to chat with audience members or other filmmakers, but alas, I have to head back to Austin early to get some work done on Bryan Poyser's The Bounceback. However, it was nice to see this message on our Facebook page by Adam C. Garrett:

Saw your short at the Dallas Video Fest, thought you should have won hands down. Great work.

Picking up a new fan at each screening is the best award we could ask for!

Off to bed. Long drive ahead of me, but I have this to look forward to on my way back south:

If you would like to know where "Do Over" plays next this fall, visit this page.

DO OVER Fall Festival Run

I'll be the first to admit: My short film had a quiet summer. After winning Best Comedy at the Iowa Film Festival, we did not hear much until late in the summer. Let me clarify - we did not hear much in the way of positive news. I'm not going to pretend we haven't had our share of rejections, and I'll even go so far as to say I was a little worried we may not screen anywhere after Iowa. The rest of the year would have this cloud of disappointment despite our award and previous screenings.

Just as soon as I was getting down on myself, good news rolled in. Before I knew it September, October, and November started filling up with "Do Over" screenings. Is it too revealing to admit that I'm as relieved as I am grateful and excited to be screening at these festivals (three of which have past as of this posting):

September

Cinesol - 9/8 - 9/9: Even though I have ties to the Rio Grande Valley, I was unable to attend this screening due to scheduling conflicts. I wish I could have. I'd like to make inroads in the film community in south Texas. But word got back to me that the film played well and was well received.

Atlanta Shortsfest - 9/15: Again, I was unable to attend this festival. Short films just don't have the kind of travel budget I wish they could. Heck, most indie features don't have much of a travel budget. While The Goat Farm Arts Center doesn't sound sexy on paper, the photos on their web site make that a fest look like a wild party. I'd love to attend with another project in the future.

LA Shortsfest - 9/12: This festival I did attend. Of the fests to travel to long distance, I could not turn down the chance to network in the heart of the industry. I also have a handful of close friends there and also managed to catch The Master in 70MM at the Arclight the night before I left. Totally worth it.

Dallas Video Fest - 9/30: I will be attending this screening at the end of the month. "Do Over" screens as part of the Texas Show program which is lovingly curated with the best in short filmmaking coming out of Texas in 2012.

October

Austin Film Festival - 10/18 - 10/19: Obviously, I'm very excited for this screening for myself and the rest of my cast and crew. There is nothing like finding appreciation in your hometown and to be able to share your work with your peers. We screen in front of a feature in the Comedy Vanguard section - Missed Connections - which will hopefully expose us to a different audience than if we were in a shorts program.

The Flatland Film Festival - 10/20: This will be the second time I have a short screen at the Flatland Film Festival in Lubbock. It will also be the second time I cannot attend. The first time, back in 2005, my short "Test Day" screened there and won both the Grand Prize and the Audience Award. I think the festival may have been a little miffed I wasn't there for the first year of their fest. I was living in Los Angeles at the time, just starting out in the industry and I couldn't afford to fly out to Lubbock. This time, Flatland is scheduled against the Austin Film Festival. As much as I'd love to visit this festival in northwest Texas, I can't pass up the hometown screening for "Do Over."

The Rumschpringe International Short Film Festival - 10/27 7PM - That's a tough one to fit onto our poster, lemme tell ya. But we're excited to be screening at this great little festival in Lancaster, PA. In German, Rumschpringe means "to jump around." To learn more about RISFF, go here. Our schedule can be found here.

November

The Brownfish Short Film Festival - 11/1 - 11/3: I'm very excited to be screening in New York City! That will mean we were able to screen in both major markets for the industry and cover quite a bit of ground between all these festivals. I won't be able to attend Brownfish, but maybe some of my recently re-located crew will be able to.

The Rockport Film Festival - 11/1-11/3: Whoa, we're in two festivals at once? What kind of magic is that. Ah, yes, that' right: We're living in the digital age. Very pleased to be covering so much ground in my home state. Wish I could attend this one, but I got some personal matters to attend to that weekend. "Do Over" screens Friday, November 2nd at 1 PM.

There are other fests I'm waiting to announce until they go public on their web sites. So maybe I'll come back to this post and update it as I make those announcements. I can say that we'll have, as of this writing, at least three more festivals to brag about. I'm just happy to be getting my work as a writer and director seen. I've worked hard as an editor on other people's projects. I feel like the next step for me as a filmmaker is to be considered a director just as much as I'm seen as an experienced editor. 

As John Cassevettes said: There are no geniuses. It's just a lot of... hard work and trying to get it.

FOURPLAY is AGLIFF's Centerpiece Film!

Looking at my posts from this summer it looks like I was a member of the Fourplay PR team, which maybe I am (unofficially - at this level of filmmaking, you have to do everything you can to get the word out yourself!).

In October, the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (which is going through a rebrand to the name Polari) will feature Fourplay as its centerpiece film. We will screen October 5th at 845 PM. It's a screening not meant for kiddies (as though the title itself wasn't warning enough).

"Fourplay: Austin"

I'm very excited to finally screen our work in Austin where it was mostly shot and produced from. I'm also nervous about what the response might be. There is some controversial material, for sure, but hopefully people accept the film as all in good fun, audacious, and a (positive) conversation starter rather than anything malicious.

I attended AGLIFF's launch party last Friday at Cheer Up Charlie's. Everyone there was supportive and pumped for the start of the festival season. AGLIFF has a close community and a rabid fan base, it seems, and I think the festival is going to provide a diverse and adventurous program. I only wish I could have won something from the raffle - I bought twenty tickets!

Directed by Kyle Henry, Fourplay is an anthology-of-shorts feature film that explores four tales of sexual intimacy. Executive produced by Jim McKay and Michael Stipe.