August 20, 2012

Location: Angelika Film Center—Dallas
Time: 7:30 p.m.

SEARCHING FOR SONNY

We’ve joined the Texas Independent Film Network and the Angelika Film Center to present a series of Texas-made indie films screened with the filmmakers in attendance.

Each month, Starting in August, we will show one of four films that are traveling to cities throughout the state to promote Texas Film and to expose new audiences to some of the states most talented directors, producers and talent. It’s a great chance to support local film, meet the filmmakers and discuss filmmaking in Texas.

The screenings are $10 and open to the public. We have limited free seats available for DFS Members who show their membership card at the theater.

SEARCHING FOR SONNY

With Director Andrew Disney in attendance.

When directionless twenty-something Elliot Knight attends his 10-year reunion in Texas, a complex murder mystery leads his crew of high school pals on a mission to find their missing friend, Sonny. Elliot enlists the help of his fraternal twin Calvin, a pot-smoking barista, his timorous former classmate Gary Noble, and his high school sweetheart Eden Mercer.

While digging up a forgotten time capsule, the friends discover the body of Eden’s husband, and find themselves the chief suspects in his murder. The mystery turns meta when the three bumbling friends discover that everything happening seems eerily similar to a play they performed in high school — a play Sonny wrote. Deception leads to problems, and it soon seems that shady businessmen and school officials are involved in a complex scheme of money and murder.

It was at SXSW 2011 that someone tweeted about realizing that not all their clients had smartphones and tablets, followed by a telling hashtag: #beyondthebubble.

This was followed by a tweet from our friends at Native Public Media, heralding the wonderful achievement of reservation homes surpassing the 75 percent mark for landline phone penetration.

Seeing these two tweets back-to-back just showed how out of touch many of those in the SXSW bubble were with the rest of the country—especially rural and poor areas.

Failure FTW with Ted Hope and Ed Burns from Vimeo Festival + Awards on Vimeo.

State incentives are reaping the work and TXMPA is working to increase Texas incentives.

Join industry members at the TXMPA Annual Meeting, Saturday, July 7^th 1pm-3pm.  Then kick off your industry shoes and join SAG-AFTRA members as we host the TXMPA Luau & Mixer from 6-10pm.  All activities will be held at the Omni Southpark Hotel.

TXMPA announces its most aggressive legislative plan in five years, introduces new partnerships to strengthen our effectiveness and confirms the new TXMPA Board of Directors.

Hotel: A TXMPA block of rooms at the Omni Southpark for July 3-8 is now available for $99/night.  Call (800) 843-6664 and ask for the TMPA room block rate or go online at Omni Southpark.

Omni Southpark Hotel

4141 Governors Row

Austin, TX

For more information, contact info@txmpa.org.

“Morehshin Allahyari is a new media artist and an art activist. She was  born and raised in Iran and moved to the United States in 2007. Her  creative and research interest encompasses 3D animation, digital  filmmaking, web-art / design, performance and extensive activity as a  curator and producer. The topics of her practice include the social, political and cultural issues of Iran, creative writing, art activism, media art, and collaborative art. Morehshin’s animated films and curatorial projects have received world wide acclaim. She has been part of exhibitions, festivals, and conferences in Tehran, Denver, Dallas  (Dallas Biennale + oliver Francis Gallery), Chicago, New York, Germany (The 7th Berlin International Directors Lounge (Berlin) + 25th European
Media Art Festival (Osnabrück), Virginia (The Taubman Museum of Art),  San Francisco, Denton (University of North Texas), Portland, Ohio, Brazil, Sweden, Romania (Arad art Museum), Netherlands, and Canada.”

What Media is Morehshin consuming?

“You might have heard of this Iranian film called “This is Not a Film”… I was just watching it and thought you probably will really like it. The full thing is on youtube:

Panahi is baned to make any movie for 20 years in Iran or leave the country. That’s why this movie is called “This is not a Film”, and it’s about censorship, etc”

Here is a short film that captures the moment in a relationship when all communication has broken down; when neither partner wants to talk civilly for fear of having to admit they themselves have screwed up. Kight Haberer interrupts this moment with a neighbor who is acting anything other than neighborly. The film hilariously captures a couple trying to rediscover what they liked about each other in the first place.

Texas Show Official Selection

Will Shipley tells the short tale of a boy, Mauricio, who must decide if he prides his heart or his face more. Mauricio enjoys telling his share of lies; but he finds himself in a difficult situation when someone demands he prove one of them true. Now he must wrestle with his own image of who he is and what he wants to stand for. Mentiroso finds ways to undercut your narrative expectations at every turn.

Kat Candler’s fiery short film captures a wide spectrum of childhood emotion through the eyes of its central character – Petey. Petey is the youngest of three boys in his family and he must survive his older brothers’ slash and burn approach to the world. These older boys are rebellious in a way that is both terrifying and intriguing to Petey; and he must decide if he wishes to become a just like them or remain the sweet innocent child in the eyes of his father.