So, we know that there is some other film awards show going on this weekend that involves statues and crimson carpets and such, but how many nominees can claim Austin as their hometown? None that we can think of, which is what makes the Film Independent's Spirit Awards a bazillion times more interesting to us than the stodgy old Oscars!...

MovieMaker Magazine has just named Austin the "Number One City to Live, Work and Make Movies". This is the seventh year in a row that Austin has placed in the top three, and the second time we've been numero uno (unseating longtime fave New York City, which slipped all the way down to #4 this year)....

Are you tired of the same old narrative structure in todays Hollywood and/or Independent Films? Thirsty for the more challenging side of cinema? We're happy to tell you that your welcome glass of avant-garde respite is about to be served up by the good folks over at the Austin Film Society. In keeping with the more artistic nature of our fair city, AFS boldly bounds into the world of the other with their new bimonthly Avant Cinema series, with the first installment Going Nowhere Slow scheduled for next Wednesday, January 30th at the Austin Studios Screening Room....

Just a short time before George W. announced his intentions to run for King of Amurca, the New Haven-born hopeful bought a ranch in tiny Crawford, Texas. From this suitably folksy pulpit, he engineered that down-home, aw-shucks presidential campaign persona that captivated/divided the nation, and then there were those hanging chads and...well, you know the rest. Who Is Crawford Texas follows, through the eyes of the Crawford citizenry themselves, the crazy arc that accompanied two......

Stop-Loss is the first film from director Kimberly Peirce since her brilliant, award-winning 1999 drama Boy's Don't Cry. Filmed in and around Austin, Stop-Loss follows an Iraq war hero named Brandon King (played by Ryan Phillippe) who returns home only to be called back to active duty under the US military's "stop-loss policy". But rather than return to Iraq, King flees with his friend Michele (Abbie Cornish) while trying to figure a way out of......

In a lot of ways, Trinidad, Colorado isn't so different from other small towns. They've got a population of 9,000, the local economy is transitioning away from once-prosperous mining and ranching, and Christ is Lord. But Trinidad, like many of its visitors, has a little something extra: Over the past forty years, six thousand people have traveled there to undergo sex-change operations. Dr. Stanley Biber secretly began performing genital-reassignment surgery, or GRS, in 1969, hiding......

FRIDAY [13] fashion • RARE Magazine Spring Fling Fashion Show at The Belmont Hi-Lo (Moved due to rain) art/music • Take That!, a show of new images by Lance McMahan, plus music by Amanda Jones, Connie Ball, & Teddy and Marge at The Opera House (7-10pm) art • Hot and Cold: The Best of Canadian Contemporary Art at Art on 5th, 1501 W 5th (10am-6pm) art • Opening Reception for abstract paintings and encaustics......

TUESDAY [10] music • Brand New, Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra at Stubb's music • Richard Swift & Sons of National Freedom, David Vandervelde & the Moonstation House Band, Zookeeper, the Gigantic Rubber Band at Emo's Lounge music • Gurf Morlix at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • DJ Trevor, A Few Nice Things at Beauty Bar music • Radioland Murders, Pack of Wolves at Whisky Bar books • Randall Pinkett presents The Campus CEO......

Okay, maybe we're not the kind of friend you'd invite to your wedding, or ask to hide a gun for you until the heat dies down. But we do try our best to keep you informed about awesome new films and film-related events—which is something your regular, non-blogger friends probably almost never do. Now that we think of it, why do you even hang out with them? Anyway, this Tuesday April 10th you'll get a......

For the sixth year in a row, MovieMaker Magazine has ranked Austin in the top 3 of its “Top Ten U.S. Cities to Live and Make Movies” list. And though we’ve slipped a little this year (we sat at number two for the last two years, just behind New York City), we still beat the crap out of Shreveport, which feels pretty good. Moviemaker cited the “unique education and support that the [Austin] community fosters......

Yes, folks, when people say "I'm for 4", this is the proposition they're talking about. Proposition Four, in ballot language:“The issuance of $31,500,000 in tax supported General Obligation Bonds and Notes for constructing, renovating, improving, and equipping community and cultural facilities including, without limitation, the Zachary Scott Theater, an African American Cultural and Heritage Facility, an Asian American Resource Center, the Austin Film Studios, the Mexican American Cultural Center, a Mexic-Arte Art Museum, and......

In its six years of existence, Austin Studios has become a hallmark of the creative environment of the Third Coast. Home to countless film productions, the studios offer an attractive alternative to those looking to make films outside of the chintzy glare of Hollywood. But Austin Studios needs some help. Come election day this November, you can add your voice to the cause. Proposition 4 is one of seven propositions up for bond consideration. The......

As part of a summer movie selection featuring all things that slither, live underground and otherwise make us go, “Eww,” is the Austin-filmed How To Eat Fried Worms, based on Thomas Rockwell’s timeless children’s book. Starring Austin, Texas, the production attempted to slip in and out of town last summer, but the L.A.-based group had no idea what they were in for when they put out a call for extras. Hoping for a few......

We remember the things our friends used to dare us to eat—dog kibble, crayons, congealed bacon grease—and that was just last month. We also remember the last time we won a bet (thank you, Italy), and the last time we felt social pressure to fit in (henna tattoos can look real if done professionally). That’s why the screen adaptation of Thomas Rockwell’s book, How To Eat Fried Worms is something we’ve been waiting for......

Wanna fight a dragon or bareback ride a nuclear missile into outer-space? Well, if you've got the money, Austin Studios now has the goods you need to fulfill your green screen fantasy. A new 40-by-20 foot blue screen wall has been added to Stage One at Austin Studios. The wall is composed of a curved screen incorporating floor and wall, thereby making it appear as one seamless unit. Austin Studios' director of operations Rachel Blackney......

Austin Film Society turns 20 this year, and tonight they're celebrating by hosting a huge party at Austin Studios. Acclaimed director and Austinite Richard Linklater and AFS founders will be debuting the brand spankin' new 20th Anniversary Retrospective Book, which AFS members (current and new) will receive a copy of. The free soiree comes replete with music, Ruby's BBQ and drinks from Tito's Vodka and Dos Equis/Capitol Beverage. They'll also have a whole new......

M O N D A Y [ 9 ] [film/music] End of an Ear Presents "Shield Around the K," which "profiles the birth and growth of influential Olympia-based punk rock DIY record label K Records," at The Drafthouse Downtown (9:45pm) [info] [film] Super Happy Fun Monkeybash DX Gaiden (Vol. 2) at The Drafthouse Downtown (7pm) [info] [art] Check out the new gallery exhibit, Liz Ward's Aqueous, at Women and Their Work (All Day) [info] [music]......

We aren't the morning type so much. In fact, if we wake up before 9 a.m., we tend to look like we spent our night doing things that would disqualify us from ever running for public office -- this holds true even if we sat at home, knitted a scarf and drank cups of hot tea the night prior. That being said, we might have to slap on our hangover sunglasses and head over......

M O N D A Y [3] film · "Bamako Chic"'s creator Maureen Gosling, a former Austin resident, is back in town hosting a special fundraising screening of "Blossoms of Fire" - her 16mm documentary film about the people of Juchitán, Oaxaca, Mexico - at Austin Studios. (7pm, map) music · 54 Seconds play Lucky Lounge (10pm) in-store · Billy Joe Shaver at Waterloo Records (5pm) film · aGLIFF runs through Saturday - check their......