Festival Roundup: Austin Film Festival 2008
I didn't attend AFF last year, but have in previous years, with access ranging from from the glorified Producer's Badge to a measly pass. The pass is free for me, since my level of membership in the "Friends of the Festival" includes one. I almost bought a badge this year just to hear Danny Boyle talk. But knowing the schedule and knowing how many films I'd miss even without panels to choose from, I stuck with the pass again. The programming was very diverse, but the logistics meant it was physically impossible to see even half the movies I wanted to see. The logistics of this festival make it impossible to see even half the movies I want to see.
It was physically impossible to get to half the films I wanted to see without missing out on others. I saw 16. I might have been able to see 20, but not more. The special presentations were great, and I was one of the many who packed the Paramount to see Shallow Grave (for my third time), but I would have preferred better scheduling to experience more gems I could lament about not getting a release or wide release in the future, such as:
100 Feet, All Roads Lead Home, American Swing, Bart got a Room, Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, Cowboy Smoke, Eden Log, A Good Day to be Black and Sexy, Happiness Is, How to Be, I'll Come Running, The Last Deadliest Mission, Lost & Found, Noble Things, On the Count of Zero, Paper or Plastic, The Poker Club, A Quiet Little Marriage, Shades of Ray, Sita Sings the Blues, Splinter, Strange Girls, The Thacker Case, Trucker
One category had half it's films one time only screens conflict with each other on the same night. That's crazy. I don't know why they don't work with the original Alamo team to have a screen at the the South Lamar theatre as well as the Ritz, which was only used for the weekend films. I'm not going to hike up to Cedar Park to see something during a festival. Going up to the Arboretum was bad enough (and because they didn't realize the hysteria over Robert Pattinson (Twilight), even being at the theatre meant I couldn't get in to see How to Be, which really should have screened at the Paramount).
While it's never possible to see everything, there should be more opportunity to see more than 16 films. At Fantastic Fest or SXSW, I could get in as many as 6 screenings a day if I was willing to kill my knees, ultimately being more a choice than a restriction. At AFF I was lucky to get in three on the few days that was possible.
That being said, I was impressed with the program and wished it was possible to see more. And thankfully they kept their relationship with B-Side, which meant it was easier to plan my schedule. Although shaky finger at them for not promoting it more; B-Side reviews help everyone involved at the festival, from helping film goers share buzz and plan their schedules, to feedback to the film makers and the festival organizers, who can use the feedback for next year's festival. A simple "don't to forget to vote on the website" would suffice during each introduction, and/or at the end of each Q&A. The same goes for panels, and other conference events, too. It made it a lot easier to decide on films I didn't know much about at Fantastic Fest.
AFF has a strange habit of intentionally or not quite so intentionally getting a real mixed bag of films. It's the writers film festival, but they've programmed such questionable films in the past as Uwe Boll's BloodRayne. But they also get some great films, like The Queen, Brick, and this year's Slumdog Millionaire. They even got Charlie Kaufman to present his directorial debut, Synecdoche, NY. I'm still not sure how I feel about Synecdoche, though.
My favorite was clearly Slumdog Millionaire. The one that I unexpectedly liked was Role Models, which I only saw after my schedule that day was blown by not getting into Paper or Plastic. I intentionally skipped Role Models at Fantastic Fest (and why the screened it I have no idea, of the Austin festivals, FF and AFF are the two that shouldn't have any overlap, being less than a month apart).
W. was very interesting; knowing Oliver Stone's politics means you know he reviles GWB, yet the character is portrayed very sympathetically by Brolin and the material he's given to work with. It's ultimately a reinforcement of the 'can't be good enough for Daddy" hypotheses, but the performances and the lack of broad condemnation makes it worth a watch. The creepily wonderful Thandie Newton will haunt me; her Condoleeza Rice is so repressed, it's like she's shrunken in on her self. Newton normally gives vibrant performances, even when playing a tragic role (well, she's one of my favorite actresses).
I do hope Paper or Plastic gets a theatrical release because I've known about the competition for years, and frankly, there are some folks at the grocery store who need a tutorial in sacking groceries. Didn't get to see it, it sold out quickly, since it was in the smaller Ritz theatre.
My dirty pleasure film was Psycho Sleepover, a film that reveled in it's D movie standards, if only because of the mime death scene. That was beyond good. That needs to get into the Fantastic Fest's 100 Best Kills show! Psycho Sleepover had no pretention of being more than it was, and if the actors had played it straight it would have been better. Regardless, this would be a good Terror Thursday film at the Alamo. And I'm not just sayin' that because I sat with the filmmakers. An honorable mention to the student filmmakers of "Fresh Fruit"... an animated short contemplating the meaning of life in the context of fruit in a fridge... very funny! I hope to see more of your work in the future.
While I'm ranting on (I know it's hard to believe that AFF is a must-see festival for me), I have to comment on the surveys. I may have only seen 16 films (including one shorts reel), but I filled out the audience ballot a whopping three times. Why? Because it takes a long time to fill out, and there's a survey, and no real place to write. I recommend the 'tear' ballots used at other festivals. Faster, and causes less confusing and less traffic congestion.
And one more thing; It would be great if you would list all the AFF online locations in one, easy to find location. The website is very opaque, and not very user friendly. And make better use of your twitter account!
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