From docs to narratives, Austin saw a long list of great films
Ahe Jury and Audience Award Winners from this year’s Austin Film Festival is presented below. Along with write ups of Drowning, Wade in the Water, A Hidden Life, and The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, here are five more standouts from the fest.
GUEST HOUSE
If there’s a lack of resources for people leaving prison (and there is), the shortage is especially acute for women. Guest House shares the story of one facility trying to make a difference and a few women who are starting their new journey together. There’s plenty to gall audiences–Virginia considers prison to be “voluntary” so mothers get in arrears with child support, further burdening them upon release–but the outlook of the residents shows hope where hope could easily be lacking. Engaging in recovery to fend off substance abuse and getting job skills are just some of what we see, but the resoluteness with which these women face their future is inspiring indeed.
I’VE GOT ISSUES
After making the features Gretchen and You Hurt My Feelings, former Austinite Steve Collins has spent the last decade making shorts and teaching aspiring filmmakers. He came back to the Lone Star State to make his newest, I’ve Got Issues, a collection of vignettes that explore how sensitive people deal with life’s traumas, but always with an eye toward humor. This is arthouse fare, to be sure, but there are some genuinely funny moments and many more that are just thoughtful and interesting. I’ve Got Issues will make its audience seek out more of Collins’s brand of offbeat humor and pathos.
THE BYGONE
The Bygone is pure “Dakota Noir” in the absolute best sense of that phrase. Set in the world of trafficked women (especially Native ones), this thriller features really good Good Guys and really bad Bad Guys. Graham Phillips stars, and along with brother Parker, directed and wrote this feature. Shawn Hatosy (who got his start in Austin’s own The Faculty) might be the most evil and compelling character in cinema this year. Beautiful landscapes and plenty of action and suspense make The Bygone a great watch.
MAN CAMP
Adult comedies are nothing new, but the conceit of Man Camp is an especially fun one. Three brothers discover that their mother is dating again, many years after losing their father. Because no one can live up the manly reputation of good old dad, the boys decide to put this new suitor to the test to see if he’s worthy of their mom’s love and their acceptance. The family cabin is the setting for this ultimately sweet and funny film.
A ROOM FULL OF NOTHING
Imagine Austin, Texas bereft of people. Since that might be impossible, leave it up to A Room Full of Nothing to explore this idea. Directed by Duncan Coe and Elena Weinberg and starring Coe and Ivy Meehan, this micro-indie takes two struggling artists and sets them in a world where they are completely alone. The joy from the initial revelation turns sour as the two grapple with the circumstances but more importantly themselves. Clever, well-acted, and with lots of local flare, A Room Full of Nothing imagines the unimaginable.
JURY AWARD WINNERS
Narrative Feature: The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, written and directed by David Midell
Documentary Feature: Flannery, written and directed by Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco
Comedy Vanguard Feature: The Planters, written and directed by Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder
Dark Matters Feature: Macabre, written by Lucas Paraizo and Rita Gloria Curvo, directed by Marcos Prado
Narrative Short: Call Connect., written by Indianna Bell, directed by Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen
Narrative Student Short: Black Goat, written and directed by Yi Tang
Documentary Short: The Mortician of Manila, directed by Leah Borromeo
Animated Short: The Kite, written and directed by Martin Smatana
Produced Digital Series Presented by Stage 13: Brothers from the Suburbs, created by Patrick Wimp
AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
Marquee Feature: Last Week at Ed’s, directed by Meg and Lawrence Kasdan
Narrative Feature: The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, written and directed by David Midell
Documentary Feature: Cowboys, directed by John Langmore and Bud Force
Dark Matters Feature: Noise, written and directed by Jérémy Laval
Comedy Vanguard Feature: The Planters, written and directed by Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder
Texas Independent Feature: When We Last Spoke, written by Joanne Hock and Rick Eldridge, directed by Joanne Hock
Narrative Short: The President and the Crossing Keeper, written by Jean-Marc Peyrefitte and Marc Syrigas, directed by Jean-Marc Peyrefitte
Documentary Short: Dead Woman’s Pass, directed by Alexander Houghton
Animated Short: The Fox and the Bird, written by Christophe Pagnon and Vincent Gessler, directed by Sam and Fred Guillaume
Narrative Student Short: Holy Jail, written and directed by Maria Lavelle
Produced Digital Series Presented by Stage 13: Brothers from the Suburbs, created by Patrick Wimp