CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL WRAP UP
The city of Houston celebrated cinema earlier this month. The 3rd annual Cinema Arts festival unspooled November 9th thru 13th, 2011 with 35+ events all over town. As usual with festivals you can't see everything since there are multiple screening at the same time and I still haven't figured out how to clone myself. So, the following is a wrap up of what I did get a chance to see.
First up was the annual Texas Filmmakers Showcase. The Houston Film Commission seeks out the best short films made in Texas and the winners are first screened in Los Angeles. Notables from this years competition were Soham Mehta's, (in photo) "Fatakra," Bradley Jackson's "The Man Who Never Cried," which you can see below in a previous post and "LCD Soundsystem - Home" filmed by Houstonians Mark Armes and Rick Darge.
Next up was "Echotone." Directed by Nathan Christ, the film takes it's viewer through what happens when Austin's music community has to adapt to the city growing population with high rise condos going up next to or near some of that cities most well known live music venue. After the sceening we were treated to a live performance by one of the music artist featured in the film Dana Falconbury.
Next I got the chance to see "Trimpin: The Sound of Invention." The documentary feature follows the artist/inventor/engineer/composer while he collaborates with the Kronos Quartet. (Photo of Trimpin on the left) After that was the period piece "The Artist." This French made black and white feature takes place in the 1920's and follows the silent film actor George Valentin and how he deals with the end of his silent film career as talkies become the new norm in Hollywood.
On Sunday I had the chance to catch the feature film "Tape." Texan Richard Linklater directed the film which stars Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman as three former high school friends who come to grips with their relationship when Leonard's character comes back to town to screen his latest film at the local film festival. Director Linklater and Ethan Hawke talked about their working together after the screening. Lastly I got to see the feature film "Natural Selection." Houston area native Robbie Pickering wrote and directed the film with follows the ultra religious and sexually frustrated Linda from suburban Texas wife who takes a road trip to find her husband's son after he suffers a stroke.
All of the films I got to see were enjoyable. Can't wait until next year.
Next up was "Echotone." Directed by Nathan Christ, the film takes it's viewer through what happens when Austin's music community has to adapt to the city growing population with high rise condos going up next to or near some of that cities most well known live music venue. After the sceening we were treated to a live performance by one of the music artist featured in the film Dana Falconbury.
On Sunday I had the chance to catch the feature film "Tape." Texan Richard Linklater directed the film which stars Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman as three former high school friends who come to grips with their relationship when Leonard's character comes back to town to screen his latest film at the local film festival. Director Linklater and Ethan Hawke talked about their working together after the screening. Lastly I got to see the feature film "Natural Selection." Houston area native Robbie Pickering wrote and directed the film with follows the ultra religious and sexually frustrated Linda from suburban Texas wife who takes a road trip to find her husband's son after he suffers a stroke.
All of the films I got to see were enjoyable. Can't wait until next year.
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