Author Archives: Austin Culp

1. Staff Picks: Favorite Films of 2019 at AFS Cinema

   December 13, 2019 9:02 am Leave a Comment

   (Still from CHAN IS MISSING) 

   It’s been an incredible year for film and as 2019 comes to a close, we wanted to look back at some of the favorite films that screened at the AFS Cinema during the past twelve months. We showed over 400 films this year—ranging from new to newly restored, cult to classic—so there is plenty to choose from. For our end of year wrap up, we asked the AFS staff about which films struck them the most this past year and why.

   

   Ellie Kotapish, Development Manager

   SHOPLIFTERS (2018)

   A movie I saw really early in the year, and I am still eating way too many noodles since watching this at AFS Cinema. Such an emotional movie with outstanding performances.

   THE FAREWELL (2019)

   This was a community experience. The whole theater was laughing, and the Q&A after with Lulu Wang was such a treat!

   EUROPA, EUROPA (1990)

   Such an honor to have Agnieszka Holland visit us at AFS and present this spectacular film. So funny despite the backdrop of an infamous time in European history.

   

   Cassie Craig, Austin Studios Coordinator

   THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (2019)

   This moving film was the perfect mixture of heart-warming and funny. A touching story with excellent writing and acting. You leave this movie feeling warm and fuzzy. Shia Labeouf and Zack Gottsagen are an awesome pair. 

   THE AMAZING JONATHAN DOCUMENTARY (2019)

   Probably my favorite movie I saw all year long. HILARIOUS and SHOCKING. You really don’t know what is coming next in this movie. Every twist and turn is funnier than the last. The first documentary I have ever seen structured like this – when it begins, you really have no idea where it will end up going.

   

   Yolanda Gamble, Youth Media Specialist

   CHAN IS MISSING (1982)

   Jewels in the Wasteland continues to be one of my favorite AFS series. It’s always full of gems and this year I watched CHAN IS MISSING. I first heard about it on a podcast and was searching for this film, it’s known to be difficult to come by and I was thrilled to discover that Richard Linklater selected it for this series. It’s filled with great characters and I was smiling ear to ear while watching it! 

   BIRDS OF PASSAGE (2018)

   The film was mesmerizing and learning about the indigenous Wayuu culture in Colombia framed around one family’s story was compelling. The costuming and setting are a total feast for the eyes. 

   PARASITE (2019)

   This. Film. Director Bong Joon-ho continues to captivate through his layered storytelling that speaks volumes to modern culture and elitism. He does it with humor, love, fear, and every other human emotion and it took me on a crazy ride! 

   HAUSU (1977)

   I still can’t believe I had never seen this movie before! I heard about the wackiness of this film, but it was definitely something I needed to see for myself! I’m glad I did. 

   

   Lisa Dreyer, Programming Coordinator

   THE QUEEN (1968)

   This beautiful restoration of the rare documentary covering the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant was such a highlight of my year in film. An amazing snapshot of early drag culture in NYC, with a scene-stealing Crystal LaBeija (who later starred in PARIS IS BURNING) showing us she was already ICONIC in the 60s. Live performances by local drag legends Mandy Quinn and Colleen DeForest before the film made this a night to remember at AFS. 

   FLAMING CREATURES with Contrast Fest (1963)

   Guest programmers for our monthly Homo Arigato series, Tish Sparks and Jeremy Stilb have brought Contrast Fest, their festival featuring boundary-pushing film to AFS Cinema for two years now. Their screening of the previously banned and rarely screened FLAMING CREATURES, paired with a live score from Austin’s own Thor & Friends was transcendent. 

   QUEEN OF DIAMONDS (1991)

   Great example of a film that must be seen on the big screen to fully appreciate—a burning palm tree makes a lot more impact at 10 feet tall rather than 10 inches. Director Nina Menkes makes real ART that is beautiful and boundary-breaking, and her calling in after the screening to share her filmmaking philosophy with the AFS audience was illuminating and inspiring.

   

   

   

   One of my favorite films of the past few years. The music, the drama, the longing, and that ending! And all of that beauty in only an hour and a half. Such a masterpiece!

   VAGABOND (1985) 

   I had the chance to experience this treasure by Agnès Varda at the cinema as part of Richard Linklater’s Jewels in the Wasteland series. It was incredibly special to watch it by myself but then get to hear other peoples’ perspectives on the film in the discussion that followed.

   MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991)

   The Homo Arigato series is one of my favorite at AFS, and I loved watching another beautiful screening on 35mm.  

    

2. Interview with Julien Elie, director of DARK SUNS

   June 3, 2019 9:17 pm Leave a Comment

   Julien Elie is a Montreal-based filmmaker who has spent more than 20 years getting to know the people and culture of Mexico. During that time, his shock at reading about killings of women in northern Mexico got him thinking about making a film. The result is the monochrome documentary Dark Suns chronicling the devastation of decades of murders and disappearances perpetrated by drug cartels in that country. The film closed the 2019 edition of Doc Days. The following is an edited transcript of an interview by festival co-programmer Todd Savage.

   What led you to this subject matter?

   It’s a really long process. About 20 years ago I read in newspapers about the killings of women in northern Mexico, and I was, of course, shocked by it. It was shocking but also mysterious. But in those years I didn’t have the relationship that I have now with Mexico. So I thought there were people in better positions than I to do the film so the years passed but I kept really digging on the subject. About 10 years I started travelling a lot in Mexico, doing photos, and the country really inspired me. Five years ago I read a book by [investigative journalist] Sergio González Rodríguez, who we quote as the opening of the movie about the violence in Mexico. He wrote an incredible book, Bones in the Desert, the first portrait and investigation about the femicides. I was completely blown away by the book. Sergio [who passed away in 2017] believed to be a foreigner was probably a good idea because he said Mexicans did not do it yet because they were too close to it.

   How did you gain the trust of people and get them to speak to openly despite the potential risk to their safety?

   I’ve been there many, many years before shooting I met the people again and again. I went to visit everyone in their hometowns and in their houses. I can say I have so many friends in Mexico because all those people now are friends. They trusted me, but it was a lot of work. Of course they live in fear, but what can happen to them worse than what happened? So they are free to talk. I was surprised how much they opened their hearts and their stories to me in the end. I think they consider that the movie gives voice to them completely.

   How long were you working on this film and what what kind of research was involved?

   It was probably five years of work. I was working only on this and had no other jobs and I just sacrificed everything to make it happen. I went to Mexico many times. I investigated many stories. We read almost everything that was written about the situation in Mexico.

   How did you choose to photograph the environment in which these events happened and capture a sense of place?

   At first I visited all of the places alone and took a lot of photos. We asked each other a lot of questions about how we are doing to do the work. It is a long process of patience and reflection about how to show Mexico. It was important for me as I love Mexico very much. Despite what is happening it was important to me for me to show in all that sadness that there’s—I don’t know if it’s hope—but some light in all the darkness.

   What do you hope the audience takes away from the film? And how is the film being received in Mexico?

   I don’t make films to change the world. I don’t see myself as an activist. I really try to do the best movie that I can, and I’m looking for stories that make me believe that I can make a good film out of it. Of course I’m really touched and concerned about what is happening there, but my first concern is not about changing the world. I think it’s usually not making good movies when you want to change the world. You should do something else. But I say that with all the respect for the people who do that work.

   It’s amazing to see the movie is bringing a lot of hope now in Mexico. The reaction is really exceeding all my expectations. The movie will be in theaters in a few months in Mexico. Of course I will be the first to be happy if it can help give a conscience to what is happening. My main idea was to share the fear that is in Mexico. I’ve seen it a lot during my travels. This film is about fear invading a country. It I could have been another one, but in this case it’s Mexico.

   Unfortunately what is happening in Mexico is like a concentrated worst of the modern world and economy. We should be scared because that can be the future of many places in the world if we let it happen. This is what I want to show. I’m going in Israel in two days, and a lot of people told me that I should not go and I should boycott Israel. But I think this still has to be seen everywhere because it’s concerning all of us.

3. Four Films on the Fringe: Filmmaker Ron Mann Visits AFS Cinema this February

   February 4, 2019 6:55 pm Leave a Comment

   Get tickets for our Films of Ron Mann series.

   This week, we’ll have the first of many visits this month by filmmaker Ron Mann. Over the past 40 plus years, Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann has documented culture from the fringe inward, often focusing on outsider artists and others on the edge.

   

    

   Based in Toronto, Ron Mann is one of Canada’s foremost documentary filmmakers. He has established his international reputation as a chronicler of the counterculture and the visionary while with a series of award-winning theatrical documentaries, including IMAGINE THE SOUND (1981), POETRY IN MOTION (1982), COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL (1988), TWIST (1992), GRASS (1999), TALES OF THE RAT FINK (2006), KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS (2008), IN THE WAKE OF THE FLOOD (2010) and ALTMAN (2014). his newest film, CARMINE STREET GUITARS, about the legendary New York guitar shop, its staff and remarkable group of regular customers, screens this year at SXSW Film. Watch the trailer here.

   We’ll be screening four of our favorites by Mann this month with introductions (and, we hope, lots of amazing stories) from the man himself. Read on for more information.

   IMAGINE THE SOUND

   Ron Mann’s documentary shows us several masters of avant-garde jazz, both in conversation and performance – with Cecil Taylor, Paul Bley, Bill Dixon, and Archie Shepp. If you’re a bit unsure how to approach free jazz music, this will open up the philosophical space that these musical high priests operate in.

   COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL

   In Ron Mann’s doc, the history of comic books and sequential art in twentieth century America is presented by a nonpareil cast of major creators including Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Lynda Barry, and R. Crumb.

   POETRY IN MOTION

   An invaluable document of some of North America’s greatest poets, circa 1982, captured by filmmaker Ron Mann, including Charles Bukowski, Amiri Baraka, Ntozake Shange, Gary Snyder, Tom Waits, and many others.

   GRASS

   Ron Mann’s often funny documentary shows us the many ways that cannabis prohibition in the United States has been intertwined with social attitudes about race, gender, and class.

    

4. Watch This: You Must Remember This Podcast Host Karina Longworth and Richard Linklater in Conversation

   January 29, 2019 7:54 pm Leave a Comment

   This past December, Karina Longworth, host of the essential film podcast You Must Remember This (which just released its final episode of the season this week), joined us for a special presentation of WAIT TILL THE SUN SHINES, NELLIE at AFS Cinema.The rare screening of the Jean Peters’ film was followed by a lengthy discussion between Longworth and AFS Founder & Artistic Director Richard Linklater. We captured this special evening and have included the full conversation below. It’s fascinating to see these two film experts talk about the film, Jean Peters, Howard Hughes, and more. As a forewarning, there are spoilers about this bonkers film within.

   P.S. If you haven’t picked up your copy of Longworth’s new book, Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood, you can purchase it online or at AFS Cinema (copies are signed).

5. Meet the Programmers: Homo Arigato

   January 15, 2019 6:51 pm Leave a Comment

   photo by John Anderson for The Austin Chronicle

   Since re-opening the doors of the AFS Cinema in 2017, AFS has been able to expand our offerings and bring in new partners to help program the screens. One of our monthly collaborators is Homo Arigato, a 5+ year-running film series focused on rare and beautiful queer films. Homo Arigato made the move to AFS Cinema in January 2018, where the programming has since included KIKI, PINK NARCISSUS, THE WILD BOYS, and more.

   The team behind the series, Jeremy von Stilb and Tish Sparks, have been working hard for years to bring queer cinema and events to Austin, including Contrast Film Festival, which launched last year. We had a few questions for the programmers of Homo Arigato on their careers in programming, the series itself, and what they’re looking forward to in the future.

   Where and how did you begin doing film programming?

   Tish Sparks: I started doing film programming while attending Antioch College in Ohio. One of the campus work-study jobs was to program weekly screenings on campus, and since I was involved with event production and studied film, I was able to hold that position for a little while – which was super fun. After graduating college, I had taken a break from film programming for a while as I focused more on DJing and doing music stuff, but shortly after moving to Austin I started a screening series that was held at a couple of bars around town. Jeremy attended a couple of those and asked me if I wanted to collaborate on a screening to take place during SXSW, so we first worked together on that. Maybe a year later, he approached me about starting Homo Arigato at the Alamo Ritz, and almost 5 years later we are still doing the series and are about a year into our partnership with AFS. 
   
   Jeremy von Stilb: I did a couple of short film series at Cheer Up Charlies.  I always thought short films are more imaginative than current feature films and loved things like Res Fest while living in LA.  I did a couple nights of strange things I found on the web and then saw Tisha was doing her own series and we started talking about doing something together.  

   What advice would you give to budding programmers?

   T: I would say to trust your instincts and be true to your vision. You can’t be everything to everyone, so focusing on what excites you instead of trying to please a hypothetical crowd will likely be what creates more opportunities and moves you forward. Anytime we have tried to choose a film because we thought it had broader appeal, it didn’t work as well. Our most successful events have always been the films we were super excited about and the choices that were seemingly ‘harder sells’. 
   

   J: Curation is about discovery and taking chances.  A curator is part of the audience as well, so peek at anything and everything, you never know what will surprise you.  
   

   

   What is Homo Arigato?

   T: Homo Arigato is a film series focused on presenting ‘hard to find, hard to forget’ films from the queer film canon. We love to dig up oddities and treasures and present films that are hard to see elsewhere. I also think the series has a kind of punk vibe, we are always looking for films that are subversive, challenging, DIY, or freaky in some way. You won’t find a lot of ‘feel good’ films in our archives, haha.

   How did this series come together?
   

   J: The series happened a bit by accident. A friend got hired as a programmer at the Alamo Ritz and I made the suggestion of a midnight screening of Daft Punk’s ELECTROMAa. I primarily work as a DJ so I thought it would be exciting to present a film made by two music producers.  He liked that idea but not much came of it as the French film distributor was on a very French, very long vacation and weren’t getting back about lending a copy of the film to the Alamo.  So, the theater asked if I would instead come up with a queer film series for them. I asked Tisha to join me because she has a deep knowledge of film but also drawn to different types of things to me, so it seemed like a good match. 

   What’s been your most memorable experience with Homo Arigato thus far?
   

   T: I think our finest moment so far was screening Curt McDowell’s THUNDERCRACK! off of a Beta tape loaned to us by his sister. The theater was packed and the crowd was super into it. I think it was kind of illegal too, which is always a little more fun. 
   

   J: Most of the films we show lean more to the cult side of things, but I once talked everyone into doing a sing-a-long night of SISTER ACT with our friend Ursula doing commentary throughout.  It was sort an idea so bad it was good and everyone had fun. I think we showed THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT the next month so it showed we were ready to take the audience on adventure from screening to screening.

   Do you have any particular filmmakers you hope to explore in your future programs?

   T: I’d like to show an Andy Milligan film one of these days, we haven’t shown any of his work yet and I think it would fit right into what we do. I’d also like to show some early 90s queercore films from GB Jones, Bruce LaBruce, etc. 
   

   J: I’d love to show more current films from around the world to show how their queer communities are finding their voices.  
   

   

   What do you love most about your next two films, FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES and THE CEREMONY? Why should folks not miss seeing them on the big screen?

   T: FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES (screening January 22) will blow your mind if you haven’t seen it before. It’s so far ahead of it’s time, it’s punk before punk was a thing, it’s got some humor, it’s just totally wild. Even if you have seen it before, this is a move that deserves a re-watch, especially on the big screen.

   THE CEREMONY (screening February 19) never got a proper release, so most people haven’t seen it, but it’s a fascinating glimpse into the world of Catherine Robbe-Grillet and an exploration of an expression of sexuality that is still seen as provocative to a lot of people. Celebrate Valentine’s month with some light S&M on the big screen!

   Homo Arigato programs a new film every month at AFS Cinema. For a current schedule of upcoming films or to see past selections, click here.

6. Costume Experts Discuss Edith Head’s Work in THE LADY EVE

   January 11, 2019 6:17 pm Leave a Comment

   Edith Head’s Hollywood continues through January 31. Don’t miss next week’s screening, ROMAN HOLIDAY. Get tickets.

   We’re fortunate in Austin to not only have a major university with hundreds of scholars, but also a great museum and archive, the Harry Ransom Center. For our ongoing Edith Head series, we’ll be joined each Thursday by professionals from The University of Texas and the HRC. Below we have a fun, insightful discussion with Susan Mickey (University of Texas Costume Designer) and Jill Morena (Harry Ransom Center Costume Specialist) on Edith Head’s costumes for THE LADY EVE. Enjoy.

   P.S. For some bonus content, Jill Morena wrote an article for The Austin Chronicle on Edith Head. Read it here.

7. Remembering Filmmaker Al Reinert (FOR ALL MANKIND)

   January 4, 2019 11:07 pm Leave a Comment

   We were heartbroken this week to learn that one of our much-loved shining stars of the Texas film community, Al Reinert, passed away over the holiday. While Al was perhaps best known for his Academy Award-nominated screenplay, APOLLO 13, he was a passionate non-fiction storyteller who worked closely with our artist services team here at AFS on several recent documentaries, including  AN UNREAL DREAM (2013), about the false imprisonment of Texan Michael Morton, and the John James Audubon film, AUDUBON (2016).

   Al’s 1989 immersive, poetic documentary about the Apollo missions, FOR ALL MANKIND (nominated for an Academy Award), is as unforgettable as the man himself. We had the great pleasure of hosting what we expected to be a semi-regular retrospective screening of the film several years ago, not realizing at the time it would be the last time we’d have Al in attendance. You can watch the fascinating Q&A here, with Al and a truly incredible group of retired Apollo mission ground controllers. This will remain one of our most special memories of our work with Al.

   We will miss our friend, who was endlessly warm, kind-hearted and curious. Despite the fact that he could have been a Hollywood insider, he felt more at home in the hills of Wimberley than southern California. He followed his own passions in filmmaking, which led him to make beautiful and unusual films on subjects that fascinated him. In short, he was the consummate Texas filmmaker—big-hearted and creatively adventurous. You can read more about Al, his life and work, in this obituary from the Houston Chronicle.

   Contributed by Holly Herrick

8. Celebrating Hollywood’s Greatest Costume Designer: New Edith Head Series Begins Tonight

   January 3, 2019 8:36 pm Leave a Comment

   Edith Head’s Hollywood begins January 3rd with THE LADY EVE and continues through January 31st. See the full line-up and showtimes here.

   You learn a lot of names in film school: Godard, Garbo, Griffith. But, regardless of the talent of these towering figures, the one name associated with nearly every iconic film of the twentieth century is one you rarely come across but that changed the history of cinema forever: Edith Head. Even with the foresight that her career spanned over 400 films, when you truly break it down, it is staggering the impact Edith made on Hollywood and the individuals who at one point in their career were fitted, seen, and admired in an Edith Head original. Ruling the Costume Design departments at Paramount and Universal Studios for nearly 6 decades and garnering 35 Oscar nominations and winning 8 — the most of any woman in history — Edith Head is not only the most influential costume designer of the twentieth century but one of the most influential artists as well. Fashion would simply not be what it is today were it not for Edith and her tirelessly inventive and sophisticated palette.

   

   Our Edith Head’s Hollywood series begins (tonight, January 3rd) with THE LADY EVE, starring Barbara Stanwyck. Preston Sturges’ deliriously inventive 1941 screwball comedy allows Stanwyck the perfect opportunity to show off her virtuosic talents by playing two wildly different characters: con artist Jean Harrington and aristocrat Lady Eve Sidwich. Regardless of Stanwyck’s talents, pulling off a double performance in 1941 was a difficult task and, at that time, there was only one person capable of providing the necessary materials: Edith Head. Stanwyck elegantly drifts from Jean to Eve while draped in Edith’s marvelous costumes and spouting out the kind of lines only Sturges knew how to write. Stanwyck insisted to producer Samuel Goldwyn that Edith Head be commissioned to create her costumes and, years later, would continue to request that Edith be loaned out to work for Warner Bros. Though these later collaborations produced interesting and certainly worthwhile designs, their initial work on THE LADY EVE remains the benchmark for what can be done when comedy, charisma, and craftsmanship are blended to such perfection that anything seems possible.

   • 

   • 

   • 

   • 

   • 

   • 

   • 

   “From then on I had Edith Head’s name written into every contract, no matter what studio I was working for.”– Barbara Stanwyck
   

   Edith Head on The Lady Eve:

   “THE LADY EVE changed both our lives. It was Barbara’s first high fashion picture and her biggest transition in costuming. She was already a top star and had an image long before I got to her. She was always playing plain Janes, women to whom clothes meant nothing. Yet Barbara was quite trim and had a better shape than most of the other actresses around. She possessed what some designers considered to be a figure “problem” – a long waist and a comparatively low rear end. By widening the waistbands on the front in her gowns and narrowing them slightly in the back, I could still put her in straight skirts, something other designers were afraid to do, because they thought she might look too heavy in the seat. Since she wasn’t the least bit heavy, I just took advantage of her long waist to create an optical illusion.”

   “For her gambler character I had used sharp contrasts – black on white, all black, all white, to make her appear a tad coarse. Naturally I chose much richer, more luxurious fabrics (later in the film). I left the sequins and the glitter to the lady gambler in the beginning.”

   “I had used Spanish motifs on much of THE LADY EVE wardrobe… Barbara looked sensational in poncho and serape styles and she was so sexy in the clothes that suddenly Latin American fashions swept the country.”

   • Contributed by Davis Rivera

9. “The Year’s Most Compassionate Movie” SHOPLIFTERS opens Thursday at AFS Cinema

   January 2, 2019 7:26 pm Leave a Comment

   SHOPLIFTERS opens this Thursday, January 3rd at AFS Cinema. Buy your tickets today.

   This week we emerge from holiday hibernation into an all new year, and we’re already hearing some rumors that it is going to be the Best Year of All Time. If SHOPLIFTERS, the new film from Hirokazu Kore-eda, is any indication, we’re inclined to believe it. We are proud to present this film, which won of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and has found its way onto virtually every critic’s year-end list (also Barack Obama’s, somehow). We won’t say much about it – it’s a movie about a family that lives on the edge of society – but we will encourage you to see it at the AFS Cinema with people you love.

   “It’s a pretty amazing neo-neo-realist film about a family of very poor people in a city in Japan who make a living hand-to-mouth: stealing, hustling, begging, living however they can. Things happen over the course of the family’s life of course, which I won’t spoil here. A really nice, really wonderful, well-acted film.” – AFS Film Programmer Lars Nilsen

   Here’s what the Critics Are Saying:

   Ranked at #10 of the Austin Chronicle’s Top 10 Films of 2018

   “SHOPLIFTERS achieves that ultimate goal of art as expressed by the artist Robert Filliou: It’s art that makes life more interesting than art.” – Slate

   “Kore-eda has the sensitive, calibrated touch of a master safecracker, and he’s a virtuoso of emotional and narrative buildup.” – New York Times

   “This soft-spoken, cinematic treasure about a family of thieves highlights the quietly devastating artistry of Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda. It’s impossible to experience the deep-seated compassion of this film and not be moved to tears.” – Rolling Stone

   “For the bulk of ‘Shoplifters,’ Kore-eda works in a beautiful register that feels both detailed and genuine at the same time.” – RogerEbert.com

   “This is the year’s most compassionate movie.” – Time Out New York

   SHOPLIFTERS opens this Thursday, January 3rd at AFS Cinema. Buy your tickets today.

10. Staff Picks: Favorite Discoveries at AFS Cinema in 2018

    December 19, 2018 9:21 pm Leave a Comment

    As the year winds down, end-of-year critics lists begin popping up everywhere, focusing on the best new releases of 2018. For us at AFS, we’re exploring new and classic films daily at AFS Cinema. So, for our end of year wrap up, we asked the AFS staff about which film discoveries stuck out most with them. We showed a lot of films this year (over 400 individual titles) so there’s plenty of variety among the selections.

    What were your favorite discoveries at AFS Cinema this past year? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

    

    Rebecca Campbell, CEO
    

    Contemporary Color (2016)

    This was a feast for the ears and eyes and turned me on to color guard, a sport of the arts I wasn’t familiar with prior to watching this film.
    

    One Sings, The Other Doesn’t (1977)

    Agnes Varda is a genius. This film brings alive the rallying cry of 60s feminism, “the personal is political.”
    

    The Florida Project (2017)

    Addresses the plight of being stuck in poverty in a way that’s full of humor and empathy.
    

    The Gospel According to Andre (2018)

    It’s always fascinating to see into the lives of iconic people from industries like fashion.
    

    The Secret Life of Lance Letscher (2017)

    This is a loving portrait that provides a look into the methods and the mind of a brilliant artist.

    My 2019 film resolution: more Miyazaki films, and sneaking away for the 4:15 show on occasion.

    

    Holly Herrick, Head of Film & Creative Media

    HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING (2018)

    This played in our inaugural Doc Days festival, and the Q&A with RaMell via Skype was one of the highlights of the weekend. Doc Days is returning for year 2 in early June! 
    

    MRS. HYDE (2017)

    A terrific new release from France, starring Isabelle Huppert in an unconventional role.  
    

    Films of Moustapha Alassane

    I had never seen this foundational Nigerien director’s work until we worked with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy to bring a limited retrospective to Austin. His features TOULA and RETURN OF AN ADVENTURER should be in the global cinema canon and are ripe for re-release– it was pretty thrilling to present them at AFS even in their un-restored versions.
    

    COLD WATER (1994)

    This was one of the highlights of my year. Long unavailable in the US, I had only seen this film on TV in France. Presenting this with director Olivier Assayas in person last March was not only a highlight of my year but of my career in film programming.

    Films of Jiri Trnka

    I watched a few dozen of his short animations to curate the shorts program that we brought to the cinema in November. They are all incredible, particularly THE HAND, which is one of the best films I’ve ever seen about authoritarianism. 

    

    Gabe Chicoine, Marketing Associate

    CURE (1997)

    The perfect restraint of this horror/mystery about a serial killer who hypnotizes others into committing his murders cemented my respect for Kiyoshi Kurosawa (PULSE) as a master of art horror.
    

    DIVA (1981)

    Vespa chases through the glistening neon streets of 1980s Paris. A plot that hinges on a purloined cassette tape that could either contain a bootlegged aria or a crooked cop’s confession. All set to an immersive score by Vladimir Cosma – what’s not to love?
    

    PERFECT BLUE (1998)

    There is a meticulous virtuosity to PERFECT BLUE that earns it’s title. Everything is impeccable, from the colorful, yet cold aesthetic of the animation to the carefully-wound plot that unfolds like a master labyrinth.
    

    RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA (2017)

    This documentary about the latest chapter in the legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s career–in which he turns his gaze both inward after a cancer diagnosis, and outward at the changing climate that threatens the future of his country–unlocked new perspectives on how one can approach art and life. 
    

    THEY’RE COMING TO GET YOU (1972)

    The 35mm presentation of Sergio Martino’s potent cocktail of occult rituals, pseudo-psychology and black-gloved murders was elevated by an excellent live demonstration of the instruments used in giallo soundtracks.

    

    Charles Wright, Production & Programming Associate

    Midnight Express (1978)

    Great film, it’s brutal and beautiful at the same time. 

    Pillow Talk (1959)

    Simple concept that is very well executed and probably not something that would never be thought of considering modern technology and current social norms.

    MFKZ (2018)

    Weird, a whole lot of fun… but weird.

    Pulp Fiction (1994)

    Its a modern classic that I have seen many times and will watch again many more times… yet some how the movie was better on the big screen at the cinema.

    The Warriors (1979)

    I love this movie, I’ve watched it several times this year alone. I loved the experience of seeing it on the big screen for the first time at AFS Cinema. It was a nearly religious experience for me and I thank everyone there who made it happen.
    

    New Years Resolutions: Make it to the cinema at least once a month. Watch more than Horror, SciFi and Super Hero genre movies.

    

    Yolanda Gamble, Youth Media Specialist

    Burning (2018)

    South Korean cinema just continues to rise and captivate so hope to see more of that in 2019!

    Minding the Gap  (2018)

    I’m excited about Bing Liu, as an emerging Asian-American filmmaker voice and to see more from him.

    Searching (2018)

    The filmmaker Q&A on this one was my favorite of the year. To hear the production process from start to finish and how they were able to get John Cho to star in their film was fascinating and stuck with me. 

    The Big Heat (1953)
    

    Definitely, the Noir Canon. That was one of my favorite series and I’ve discovered a new love for those good old fashioned who done its. 

    My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
    

    I’ve discovered Miziyaki late in life and I’m catching up. I also liked AKIRA when we showed it!

    My 2019 film resolution: Recently, I watched COFFY (1973) for the first time. I’ll be diving into more Blaxplotation cinema into 2019. Included on the list: FOXY BROWN, SUPERFLY, CLEOPATRA JONES.

    

    Graham Young, Equipment Specialist

    The Addiction (1995)

    Embarrassed I hadn’t seen this before. I’m a huge Abel Ferrara fan. This is one of his best films. 

    Fascination (1979)

    I’ve watched 7 films from director Jean Rollin this year. It all started with THE NUDE VAMPIRE and FASCINATION at the AFS cinema. 

    Night and the City (1950)

    Jules Dassin doesn’t get enough credit. His films are amazing and NIGHT IN THE CITY is no exception. Richard Widmark’s performance is spectacular. 

    Out of the Past (1947)

    The noiriest film noir of all time. 

    The Rite (1969)

    This really took me by surprise. You can’t call yourself a Bergman fan unless you’ve seen THE RITE. Don’t sleep on this one! 

    My 2019 film resolution: Watch the films of Jacques Demy, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jacques Rivette, David “The Rock” Nelson, and Bruno Mattei.

    

    Ellie Kotapish, Development Manager

    THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)

    I saw this on New Year’s Day at the Cinema and bawled like a baby at the end.
    

    KEDI (2016)

    Loved seeing the documentary again at the Cinema, and it was great partnering with APA!
    

    THE FINAL YEAR (2017)

    Seeing this film was a sad but inspiring experience. One of my favorite docs of the year!
    

    MINDING THE GAP (2018)

    I caught this during our first Doc Days festival, and I was very impressed with the filmmaker. The footage and story were very impressive!
    

    NEVER GOIN’ BACK (2018)

    I found this film super relatable since I grew up in a small suburb of Fort Worth, where arts & culture lacked. Augustine Frizzell was great during the Q&A!

    My 2019 film resolution: See more international films! I tend to fixate on documentaries and American dramas, but luckily AFS programs tons of international series a year.

    

    Shannon Kors, Sales Manager

    THE WARRIORS (1979)

    Because even though I am a child of the 80s, I managed to miss this one and loved discovering it in all its camp.

    TAXI DRIVER (1976)

    Somehow I never saw it even though it’s a well-known classic. It lived up to all its hype!

    KUSAMA: INFINITY (2018)

    A superb documentary about an amazing artist; inspired my Halloween costume this year!

    

    Chris Engberg, Manager, Austin Studios

    THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE (2017)

    This was my first Aki Kaurismäki exposure. I’ve since visited his earlier work, which is much in the same vain. All concisely assembled and bleakly enjoyable.

    BEGGERS OF LIFE (1928)

    I love early cinema and opportunities to see great silent films on the big screen. Louise Brooks blew me away in this. I hope we get to see more silents in the future!

    MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (1978)

    We were asked our top five of of the year. I’ve been going down the list chronologically and am still in January here. This movie floored me! I think this one isn’t as widely seen as it should be by people of a younger generation.

     PAPER MOON (1973)

    Another one I probably should’ve seen years ago but hadn’t. A flawless movie and so glad to experience at the AFS Cinema.

    THE LONE WOLF & CUB [series]

    Slight cheat since this is six movies. Engaging, sensational, violent, touching, wildly inappropriate, foul, fun — these had it all! 

    

    Austin Culp, Marketing Strategist

    BOMB CITY (2018)

    Growing up in Amarillo, this was a story that I was very familiar with. Watching the big screen version of added a whole new layer to my understanding of the events.

    BURNING (2018)

    I had been waiting for this one since it premiered at Cannes. Once I finally saw it, I was not disappointed. Slow moving, yet fully engrossing. Some of the best scenes of the year.

    WAIT TILL THE SUN SHINES, NELLIE (1952)

    Any of the Jewels in the Wasteland screenings hosted by Richard Linklater that I made it to were memorable. So add in Karina Longworth, host of You Must Remember This, and you’ll have an event you’ll never forget. Plus the movie is just unbelievable for all the stops that it pulls out.

    BABY FACE (1933)

    If I could, I’d mark down the entire pre-code series as a highlight for 2018. Looking back at the ’30s, there’s always a rosy glow feeling that every one was pure and saintly back then. This film says “nah, not quite” and I enjoyed every minute of it.

    SUSPIRIA (1977)

    I somehow missed the new restoration when it played it 2017, so when more screenings were added in April of 2018, I had to go. It’s an experience that I wouldn’t want to have anywhere other than a movie theater.

11. AFS Must-See Holiday Watch List: Staff and Fan Picks

    December 6, 2018 11:13 pm Leave a Comment

    It’s that time of the season to grab a warm drink, cozy up, and watch holiday classics with your loved ones. We asked the AFS staff what their go-to holiday films are for this season. Read on below to hear what they had to say. In addition to our staff, we polled our Instagram followers for their favorites, too. Did your favorite not make the list? Be sure to tell us on Facebook or Instagram what’s missing!

    Join us at the AFS Cinema for our holiday film series, Home for the Holidays, December 22-31. This year’s film selections include FANNY AND ALEXANDER, THE APARTMENT, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, and the quintessential classic IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

    

    Looking for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite film fan? Give them the gift of an AFS membership and you’ll receive a Golden Ticket!

    And here they are…

    Yolanda Gamble, Youth Media Specialist

    • NATIONAL LAMPOON CHRISTMAS VACATION: This movies brings back so many nostalgic memories for me. As a kid, my family would watch it all together and laugh at the same parts. This film captures so beautifully the joy, insanity, and warmth of the holiday season.
    • ELF: For me, it’s a holiday classic. The film is so simple and innocent. There is such a genuine purity in Buddy the Elf and he reminds us all of the kid inside us!
    • SCROOGED: This showcases the ’80s so well. I love the ostentatiousness of this movie. It’s an over-the-top Christmas movie filled with the bitterness and loneliness that can come with the holidays. Both the film and Bill Murray are great.

    Graham Young, Equipment Specialist

    • EYES WIDE SHUT: Stanley Kubrick could film Christmas lights like nobody’s business.  Stunningly beautiful film. My favorite “bleak” Christmas movie.
    • FANNY & ALEXANDER: One day I hope to host a Christmas party that’s half as good as the Ekdahl family. What a night!
    • SCROOGE: Alastair Sim’s portrayal of Ebeneezer Scrooge is my favorite. The film’s cinematography and optical effects are out of this world.

    Lars Nilsen, Lead Film Programmer

    • IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: Everyone knows about IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, but I sometimes wonder if I am seeing it through a different lens than many others, who call it “sentimental,” a “tear jerker, ” etc. I think it’s a really dark, really emotionally honest film, and the pain that many Americans were feeling at the end of WWII (including James Stewart, a highly decorated flyer and bomber commander), gives it a resonance that we still feel today.
    • DONOVAN’S REEF: I am not sure how many people have seen the late John Ford film DONOVAN’S REEF, which takes place over the holidays on a tropical island. It is sort of a last reunion for many of Ford’s stock company and everyone is having a good time. It is also a film about overcoming racial prejudice and uniting families. A couple of moments fly in out of nowhere to choke me up, especially the Christmas service in a decrepit chapel. Ford’s poetic eye for staging never deserted him.

    Ellie Kotapish, Development Manager

    • WHITE CHRISTMAS: This movie is very nostalgic for me. I grew up watching with my family, and we continue to do so every holiday season!

    Shannon Kors, Sales Manager

    • THE FAMILY STONE: Amazing writing. Great cast. Heartfelt story.
    • THE HOLIDAY: This is one of the best/worst holiday movies. Cameron Diaz is not at the top of her acting game, but this is an easy-to-watch Nancy Meyers film where everyone ends up happy.
    • EMMET OTTER’S JUGBAND CHRISTMAS: It has such a nostalgic aspect to it since it was constantly on HBO when I was growing up. The puppetry alone is incredible!

    Instagram Followers

    We took it to Instagram to ask our followers which films they love to watch around the holidays. Below you’ll find a solid list of classics, little-known holiday films, and some that are sentimental non-holiday watches.

    • 2046
    • A CHRISTMAS STORY
    • ALIEN
    • BLACK CHRISTMAS
    • BLAST OF SILENCE
    • BRAZIL
    • CAROL
    • CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT
    • CHRISTMAS VACATION
    • CHRISTMAS, AGAIN
    • CITY OF LOST CHILDREN
    • DIE HARD
    • EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
    • ELF
    • EMMITT OTTER’S JUGBAND CHRISTMAS
    • ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS
    • EYES WIDE SHUT
    • FAMILY STONE
    • FANNY AND ALEXANDER
    • FUNNY GAMES
    • GREMLINS
    • HARRY POTTER SERIES
    • HOME ALONE
    • HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
    • IN BRUGES
    • IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
    • JINGLE ALL THE WAY
    • KRAMPUS
    • LITTLE WOMEN
    • LOVE ACTUALLY
    • MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
    • MIXED NUTS
    • PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
    • PRANCER
    • RARE EXPORTS
    • ROCKY
    • ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
    • RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER
    • SCROOGED
    • SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
    • SISTERS
    • SURF NAZIS MUST DIE
    • THE APARTMENT
    • THE BISHOP’S WIFE
    • THE HEBREW HAMMER
    • THE MAGIC CHRISTMAS TREE
    • THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER
    • THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
    • THE THIN MAN
    • TRADING PLACES
    • WHITE CHRISTMAS

    Let us know what your favorite holiday films are on Facebook and Instagram!

12. “A real-life Ratatouille” Inspiring Doc CHEF FLYNN Opens Friday, December 7 at AFS Cinema

    December 3, 2018 8:05 pm Leave a Comment

    CHEF FLYNN opens at AFS Cinema on Friday, December 7th. There will be a Skype Q&A with director Cameron Yates and subject Chef Flynn on Sunday at the 3:30 PM show. Tickets are available now!

    “I would say that I’m the last person in the world to care about a foodie documentary, but CHEF FLYNN is a documentary about family, talent, and letting go, far more than it is a film about creme brûlée. It’s a film about a really interesting family. The fact that this family was documenting everything from Flynn’s birth is what makes it so incredible. It’s just incredible that this kid knew what he wanted to do from the time he was four years old.” – AFS Lead Film Programmer Lars Nilsen

    While many of his peers were still playing with toy cars, Flynn McGarry was creating remarkable gastronomic delights at his home in Studio City, California. Enjoying unwavering support from his mother Meg, an artist who documented every step of his distinctive journey, he devoted himself entirely to his creative passion. Flynn loved to prepare elaborate dinners for friends and family and soon became known as the “Teen Chef,” establishing his own supper club at age 12 and being featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story at age 15. Before he was 16, he had staged in top restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe. But critics soon emerged who challenged Flynn’s rapid ascent in the culinary world, threatening to distract him from his dream. Pairing Meg’s exhaustive home videos with intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates (THE CANAL STREET MADAM) creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and one-of-a-kind childhood. The result is a uniquely comprehensive portrait of a young star’s rise as seen from the inside.

    HERE’S WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING

    “One day, I’d love to eat a 14-course meal prepared by Flynn McGarry. His passion for food is obvious.” – San Francisco Chronicle

    “A surefire hit among ‘the Food Network crowd.’” – Eater

    “imagine if a tween filmmaker who grew up on Tarkovsky decided that his student films should all be three-hour meditations on time and mortality (and then imagine that they were good).” – Indiewire

    “Yates’ film gives viewers every reason to believe the hype built up by glossy media profiles over the years — and lets them feel the sting of an online backlash that would get under the skin of even the most dauntless adolescent.” – Variety

    “…a moving portrait of the love between a genius and the mother who helps him to flourish.” – Slant Magazine

    “CHEF FLYNN is like a real-life Ratatouille, showing an unlikely chef excelling at his profession due to his passion and creativity.” – Collider

     

    Get your tickets for CHEF FLYNN today!