Author Archives: Kristen Mancillas

1. THE ENDURING WORLD OF PARTY GIRL

   April 27, 2023 3:09 pm Leave a Comment

    

   Written by Joshua Bippert, AFS Creative Careers Intern

   Vivienne Westwood bustiers, house music, Natasha!

   This month, Austin Film Society is bringing the new 4K restoration of Daisy von Scherler Mayer’s 1995 cult classic, PARTY GIRL, to audiences. It’s a film that found its life (and survived on) the internet from its debut until now. Whether it’s because of its punchy dialogue, various musical earworms, or iconic costumes, PARTY GIRL has established itself as a staple of ’90s New York indie cinema.

   Costume Designer Michael Clancy knew who the titular party girl was. Mary (Parker Posey) is an amalgamation of the party girls Clancy — and screenwriters von Scherler Mayer and Harry Birckmayer — had encountered in real life, yet the character also feels utterly singular. Clancy’s costume design makes the character feel not only authentically ingratiated in the underground club scene but also timeless. Mary’s mix of stolen (at-times) designer pieces and thrifted vintage items shows the character emulating the high fashion magazines of the time in an attainable way. The party girl bounces from a Gautier sweater to a ratty sweatshirt worn as a bolero. Clancy creates looks that are marvelous spectacles but with pieces you could find at your local thrift store today.

   1. Party Girl Costume

   2. Party Girl Costume

   3. Party Girl Costume

   If Michael Clancy’s wardrobe creates the look of the party girl, then music supervisor Bill Coleman crafts the settings she inhabits. As an influential manager, producer, and DJ, Coleman blended various genres of dance music to match the emotional landscapes of the character. Coleman was working with performers who were actually part of the scene that PARTY GIRL inhabits; he had his finger on the pulse of New York’s club culture.

   

    

   

    

   

    

   In his interview with Fun City Editions, Coleman discussed needing to know where each and every song would be in the film so he could dial into the experience each character would be in the middle of — whether they were in a club or in their own apartment. The careful crafting of when each song is played is why the conclusion of the film with Ultra Naté’s “Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)” feels so rewarding. It is the thesis for knowing who you are and owning your party-girl identity.

   Check out a selection of music from and inspired by the 1995 cult film, PARTY GIRL.
   

   If there is any element that transcends the film’s ’90s milieu, it’s Parker Posey. “The Queen of the Indies” approaches Mary with such rigid effervescence it recalls the poise and wit of classic comedic actresses (think Carole Lombard or Barbara Stanwyck). But she is also the “it” girl of this New York club scene, her style loud, yet enviable. Parker Posey was actually involved in the clubs, the ballroom scene, the camaraderie of difference in ’90s New York. And PARTY GIRL has become synonymous with Posey. It’s a career-defining film that helped establish her persona and indie-queen legacy. Parker Posey was — and remains — a party girl.

   Now more vibrant and colorful than ever, PARTY GIRL hits the screen in 4K, May 4–7, at AFS Cinema.

   

2. Video: Ethan Hawke On Paul Newman’s Trailblazing Westerns

   April 4, 2023 4:26 pm Leave a Comment

    

   Ethan Hawke came to visit AFS Cinema, and not just for a screening or two: the ever-busy actor/director/producer/writer presented five films over the course of a weekend (March 24–26) to sold-out crowds. The occasion was a programming series called Paul Newman’s West, which he co-curated with AFS Head of Film Holly Herrick with participation from Lead Film Programmer Lars Nilsen.

   What made the weekend particularly remarkable was that Ethan Hawke took to the AFS stage for two extended post-film discussions after screenings of Hombre and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, where he was joined by filmmaker Adam Piron (Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and Mohawk), Director of the Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program. The two discussed the trailblazing dimensions of Newman’s performances: the subversion of Western archetypes, the thoughtfulness toward Indigenous representation, and the unexpected way Newman rebelled against his own celebrity. 

   Click here to see a playlist of these fascinating dialogues in full on AFS’s Youtube channel.

   The connection between Ethan Hawke and Paul Newman will be clear to those who’ve watched Hawke’s HBO docuseries The Last Movie Stars, which explores the lives and legacies of Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward. Hawke’s admiration for Paul Newman, both as an actor and as a person, was on full display as he introduced the films at AFS. Also on display was the extensive amount of research Hawke did for his HBO series. In his introduction for The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Hawke brought a transcript of a wild John Huston interview about making the film, which he read to the audience in his best impression of the late director’s distinct grumble.

   Photo by Heather Leah Kennedy.

   Photo by Heather Leah Kennedy.

   Photo by Heather Leah Kennedy.

   Photo by Heather Leah Kennedy.

   In a weekend full of great films, thought-provoking discussions, and enthusiastic crowds, there was one special moment we’d like to share: in his final time on the AFS stage, Ethan Hawke expressed his gratitude for our community of film lovers:

   “I can’t help but wonder whether you know what a wonderful community you live in. I’m so jealous when I come down here and I see all these people who care about art and movies as an art form. The community itself, it’s so exciting to be a part of, and so I’m so grateful to you guys for making this happen.”

   Click here to view more photos from the screenings of Hombre and Hud on Saturday, March 25.

   Films Included in Paul Newman’s West

   • The Left Handed Gun (Arthur Penn)
   • Hombre (Martin Ritt)
   • Hud (Martin Ritt)
   • The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (John Huston)
   • Buffalo Bill and the Indians (Robert Altman)

3. Exploring the Madness of Art and Film in 1980s Japan

   January 31, 2023 6:42 pm Leave a Comment

    

   Fast approaching AFS Cinema is Hachimiri Madness, our programming series of 11 experimental Japanese features and shorts from the country’s “punk years.” Many of today’s biggest Japanese filmmakers burst out of this time period (roughly the 1980s, give or take a few years on each end) with ferocity and unfettered DIY sensibilities — directors like Shinya Tsukamoto (TETSUO: THE IRON MAN, TOKYO FIST), Gakuryū “Sogo” Ishii (BURST CITY), and Masashi Yamamoto (ROBINSON’S GARDEN).

   These auteurs were using hachimiri — cheap 8mm film — to create their art and the movement they created would later be called jishu eiga, translated as “autonomous” or “self-made” film. However, “self-made” in this case isn’t directly comparable to independently made films. To quote Midnight Eye writer Jasper Sharp, “‘independent’ has come to mean any film produced outside of the main studio system … In contrast, jishu eiga are funded and produced entirely outside of the industry.”

   To understand the filmmakers of this era, it’s important to know what else was going on in the country. And according to AFS Associate Programmer Jazmyne Moreno, the following video — HUNTING TIGERS (Steven Okazaki) — captures the anything-goes spirit of the time; a perfect primer to the upcoming series.

   Moreno says, “this video is an irreverent look at the Japanese art scene from Steven Okazaki (LIVING ON TOKYO TIME). Featuring such artists as pop singer Jun Togawa, performance artist Rosa Tsukinoyo, collage maker Genqui Numata (aka ‘The Bonsai Kid’), and dancer Saburô Teshigawara, this off-beat short sets out to prove or disprove writer Kenzaburō Ōe’s assertion that young artists of the time were simply ‘spoiled, un-original and too influenced by Western culture.’”

   

   Hachimiri Madness screens every Wednesday from 2/1–3/1 and brings with it 11 jishu eiga features and shorts. Check out the full schedule below, and prepare to embrace the madness.

   HACHIMIRI MADNESS: JAPANESE INDIES FROM THE PUNK YEARS

   HAPPINESS AVENUE and THE ADVENTURE OF DENCHU KOZO
   February 8 at 8:30 PM

   I AM SION SONO!! and A MAN’S FLOWER ROAD
   February 11 at 3:45 PM (*rescheduled from February 1)

   THE RAIN WOMEN and ISOLATION OF 1/880000
   Febraury 15 at 8:30 PM

   SAINT TERRORISM, UNK, and HIGH SCHOOL TERROR
   February 22 at 7:45 PM

   TOKYO CABBAGEMAN K and HANASARERU GANG
   March 1 at 8:30 PM

4. Agnès Varda’s Impressions of America

   January 18, 2023 1:05 pm Leave a Comment

    

   This month on the AFS calendar is Documentary & Beyond: Agnès Varda, the latest in our Essential Cinema series. In it, we’re highlighting four non-narrative titles — including two shorts combined into a single screening — from the “Grandmother of the French New Wave.” While the series aims to showcase some of Varda’s documentary work (and the lines she blurs within this genre), there’s another through-line in the first three pieces.

   In 1967, Varda moved to Los Angeles with her then-husband Jacques Demy after, as J. Hoberman of the New York Times puts it, “[Demy] parlayed the international success of THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG into a Hollywood contract.” During those years in California, Varda made the biographical short UNCLE YANCO, the documentary short BLACK PANTHERS, and the feature LIONS LOVE (AND OTHER LIES).

   Aside from the subjects of each piece, Lead Programmer of AFS Cinema Lars Nilsen says that the films are also collectively about Varda’s impressions of America. As you prepare to see the U.S. through Varda’s eyes, we wanted to share some stills that we think help set the scene. As your prepare to see the U.S. through Varda’s eyes, we wanted to share some photos that we think help set the scene. We also encourage attendees of Documentary & Beyond: Agnès Varda to think about the contrast between this California triptych and the final film we’re playing in the series, THE GLEANERS AND I (2000), which was shot in various parts of her native France far away from the sun-drenched beaches of California.

   

    

   

    

   

    

   “Her observations in California are too esoteric to be at risk of cliché, thus producing a wholly unique and personal cinematic vision of some of the most photographed places in the United States.” — Nonfics, Landon Palmer

   

    

   

    

   

    

   

    

   “Varda is as fascinated by Los Angeles as her husband, as both of their L.A. features offer extended sequences of driving around with the camera pointed out the windshield.” — Pop Matters, Michael Barrett

   

    

   

    

   

    

   “When, a decade later, Varda moved from Paris to Los Angeles for the second time … she encountered not only the famous boardwalk and its roller skates, but also homelessness, crime, unemployment, and unwanted furniture left on sidewalks (20 years before she would make THE GLEANERS AND I, Varda gleaned from the streets of Venice Beach a couch and other objects to furnish the apartment she had rented).” — LA Review of Books, Jennifer Cazenave

   Documentary & Beyond: Agnès Varda

   THE BLACK PANTHERS/UNCLE YANCO

   • Jan. 17 at 7:30 PM
   • Jan. 21 at 5:30 PM

   LIONS LOVE (AND OTHER LIES)

   • Jan. 24 at 7:30 PM
   • Jan. 28 at 4:15 PM

   THE GLEANERS AND I

   • Jan. 31 at 7:30 PM
   • Feb. 4 at 4 PM

   Images 1, 4, 5, and 8 are from UNCLE YANCO.
   Images 2, 6, and 9 are from BLACK PANTHERS.
   Images 3, 7, and 10 are from LIONS LOVE (AND OTHER LIES).

5. Celebrating a Successful First Year of Creative Careers

   January 6, 2023 5:34 pm Leave a Comment

    

   We at the Austin Film Society pride ourselves on the role we play in the world of Texas film. As a nonprofit, we operate programs that help filmmakers get the funds, equipment, and training they need; give them access to studio space; and provide them with a cinema to screen their finished projects. 

   Creative Careers, our unique workforce development initiative, acts as the starting point in this production ecosystem. It does this by giving opportunities to creatives in the competitive screen industry through immersive training, mentorship, and networking. The program launched in the fall of 2021, and we re-opened applications for the class of 2023 on January 3. 

   For more info on Creative Careers, click here or watch the video below.

   After our successful first year (and before we welcome brand-new cohorts), we threw a wrap-party-to-remember on December 14, 2022. We’re extremely proud of all the people we celebrated that evening and for those who participated in on-stage panel discussions (which included graduates, instructors, and Creative Careers leadership). 

   Read on for their stories, a recap of the event, and to see photos of these inspiring industry newcomers.

   Kicking Off the Festivities

   The event, which we called Opening Credits: An AFS Creative Careers Capstone Celebration, began in the Cinema lobby where guests were greeted by monitors displaying photos and quotes from program participants, many of whom were in attendance. After mingling over light bites and drinks, guests headed to their seats. AFS CEO Rebecca Campbell then took the stage to welcome everyone and discuss the vital role that AFS plays in the regional film ecosystem.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Words of Wisdom from Instructors

   Then the Director of Community Education and leader of the program, Rakeda Ervin, took over as our master of ceremonies, inviting various contributors to join her for discussions about the roles they played in last year’s program. She began by underscoring how competitive film and TV jobs can be and how we’re able to give meaningful opportunities to those who may be underrepresented in the industry, all while building the confidence, resumes, and professional networks of those participating in Creative Careers. 

   Rebecca Campbell, Austin Film Society CEO

   Rakeda Ervin, Director of Community Education

   (Left to right) Rakeda Ervin, Jacob Ramon, Christian Nelson

   She then invited Christian Nelson and Jacob Ramón — both AFS staff members and instructors — to the stage. They spoke about how they wished they’d had access to these workforce pathways when they were starting out. They both talked about the deep connection they feel to the participants and how meaningful it is that they can give back to their creative community. Jacob was an AFS intern in 2018 and has seen the program blossom into what it is today.

   Recent Graduates Share Their Experiences

   (Left to right) Rakeda Ervin, Alekka Hernandez, Andrew Luna

   

   (Left to right) Rakeda Ervin, Alekka Hernandez, Andrew Luna, Jeremiah Sudarmanto, Aster Fohl

   (Left to right) Andrew Luna, Jeremiah Sudarmanto, Aster Fohl

   Rakeda also introduced four Creative Careers participants to speak about their respective training pathways. One graduate, Alekka Hernandez, said she began as a blank slate in her knowledge of film and media production but ended up with a ton of hands-on experience, especially through her internship at Austin Studios where she was able to try her hand at editing for the first time. Now, Alekka is a full-time Operations Coordinator for AFS. All four graduates spoke about their goals and what training through Creative Careers meant to them: how fast it started to impact their lives, how important immersive training was to their development, and how it unlocked many doors for them personally and professionally.

   Click here or on the image below to watch “Where Are They Now?” an AFS Creative Careers Capstone video.

   It was a wonderful evening that continued in the lobby after the presentations were over. We can’t stress enough how proud we are of the 31 participants who’ve taken part in our program so far. After only a year, it’s already clear how crucial Creative Careers is for Austin’s media landscape. If you’re interested in applying, visit the Creative Careers website here.

   Watch the above video (or click here) to see a highlight reel of projects completed for clients by Creative Careers participants during the program.

   All photos by Heather Leah Kennedy.

6. THE 2022 AFS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

   December 2, 2022 12:36 pm Leave a Comment

    

   The Holiday season is upon us, and at AFS, that means it’s a time of giving (and sharing great cinema). With Black Friday and Giving Tuesday freshly behind us and the December holidays ahead, we figured we’d make your job as a gift-giver easy with a handy guide, including a few items handpicked by our programmers. 

   AFS Gift Cards

   Fresh off the presses (or the online equivalent) are digital gift cards, good for movie tickets and equipment/production classes. They’re an easy way to support both the Cinema and Austin Public, and you can pre-schedule them in advance for a timely arrival to the recipient of your choice. If you’re really close to this person, they might even take you with them to their next movie or class …

   Click here to purchase an AFS gift card.

   Holiday Programming at the Cinema

   
   Maybe you’re not convinced your gift-card recipient is going to bring you to the movies with them (a bummer, but technically OK). The surefire way to get to the theater is to join us for our Home for the Holidays programming. We’ll be screening a little bit of everything: cinema classics, family-friendly films, and some art-house favorites as well. (Also, here’s your friendly reminder that all purchases made at the box office, concessions, and the bar go toward supporting our nonprofit mission.)

   Home for the Holidays

   • THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG
     • 12/24–12/27
   • THE THIN MAN
     • 12/24, 12/25

   • EYES WIDE SHUT
     • 12/25–12/28

   Other December Highlights

   • WILD STRAWBERRIES
     • 12/23–12/28
   • FANTASIA
     • 12/23–12/28

   Recommendation from the Programmers:

   Subscribe to Decadent Editions 
   
   “For the best gift you can give yourself or the budding cinephile in your life, my money is on a Decadent Editions subscription. Each book takes a deep dive into a contemporary classic with a perspective that is by turns thrilling and insightful.” —Jazmyne Moreno

   Titles include Goodbye, Dragon Inn and Inland Empire, both books about films we’ve screened at AFS Cinema. Check out Decadent Editions titles and subscriptions here.

   Give, Join, or Renew a Membership

   For those that are unfamiliar, here’s how our memberships work: You choose a level and get discounts (or free tickets, in the case of our Signature Screenings) on movies and on classes at Austin Public. You also get to be a part of the Austin film community and attend sneak previews, member mixers, and other exciting events. During the Holiday season, we sweeten the deal by giving special gifts to those who give, join, or renew a membership. Anyone who does so between now and January 2, 2023, will get a punch card worth five concessions. As a bonus, those joining/renewing at the LOVE level or above will get an AFS beanie as well, which you can give to a fellow movie lover or keep for yourself; the choice is yours.

   Click here to give, join, or renew an AFS Membership.

   Recommendation from the Programmers:

   Philippa Snow’s New Book 
   
   For anyone looking for a “hard-hitting” gift, look no further than Philippa Snow’s Which As You Know Means Violence: On Self-Injury as Art and Entertainment, which dives into and addresses the thorny “role that violence plays in twenty-first-century art and culture” through the work of Buster Keaton, Harmony Korine, Marina Abramović, Jackass, various YouTube stunt performers, and more.

   Check out an excerpt from the book (courtesy of Tank Magazine) here.

   AFS Gifts and Merchandise

   

   For those wanting to do a bit of browsing, there are some excellent gifts for sale in the AFS Cinema lobby. We have a variety of AFS tees with various designs for every type of filmgoer. We also have baseball caps and beanies to match. We even have AFS-branded mugs and a selection of books for sale, perfect for getting cozy during the rare nights when the weather’s cold in Texas. We have everything you need except the wrapping paper, so stop by to check out our selection.

   Make a Donation

   The most direct way to support AFS is through donations, which can always be made on someone else’s behalf. The money we raise supports our various programs: travel and production grants for filmmakers; workshops and training; our unique workforce development program, Creative Careers; and more. Our mission is to support the next generation of filmmakers not just in Austin but in Texas and across the U.S., and it’s with your support that we’re able to accomplish that each year.

   Click here to give directly to AFS.