After SXSW 2013, BEFORE MIDNIGHT will have an Austin Theatrical Premiere May 23rd

The Austin Film Society (AFS), Sony Pictures Classics and Violet Crown Cinema present the Austin theatrical premiere of BEFORE MIDNIGHT on Thursday, May 23rd at 7pm at the Violet Crown Cinema, 434 West 2nd St.

Director Richard Linklater and cast members Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy will introduce the film and attend a pre-screening cocktail party at 6pm. Additionally, a limited number of VIP tickets will be available including an intimate three-course seated dinner with the director and cast following the film and a collectable autographed event program. This special evening will benefit the Austin Film Society’s film exhibition program.

The tickets will be on sale as follows:
• Open to AFS Members: Wednesday, May 1 at noon
• Open to the public: Tuesday, May 7 at noon

Tickets:
• Reception & Premiere Screening tickets: $150 each
• VIP Dinner, Reception & Premiere Screening tickets are limited and $1,000 per couple

To purchase tickets, visit: www.austinfilm.org/beforemidnight and contact Ann Welch at ann@austinfilm.org for more information.

Source: AFS

After Film Festivals, Only The Young Arrives in Austin Theater

Austin filmmaker Elizabeth Mims has had great success with the film Only The Young she directed with Jason Tippet. I say this as the 72 minute documentary has screened at the Hotdocs Film Festival (Canada), San Francisco International Film Festival and the Woodstock Film Festival before it arrived in  October 2012 at the Austin Film Festival (which I did not catch in the fall). The following month it went to Argentina for the Mar del Plata Film Festival and now will have a theatrical release as of today in Austin at the Violet Crown Cinema.

The filmmakers do a great job conveying how three teens, Garrison Saenz, Kevin Conway and Skye Elmore make the most of their lives in and around Santa Clarita, California, a small town located in the southern part of the state with not much to do and not in the best place economically.

They boys spend their time skateboarding and just exploring, trying to make abandoned things their own. Garrison and Kevin are best buds and constantly spend their time together. The viewer sees how life moves along, with Garrison having Skye as his girlfriend; a lovely, smart and witty teen who makes the most of her world with her grandparents. It is heartbreaking to know how her mother’s actions lead to Skye being there, but great to see the love and bond she has from her grandfather.

The viewer can run through the range of emotions in this film with the teens; their stories of how life evolves in a small town and what they do with it despite having so little.

I was not ready for the documentary to be over, as I hoped to know more about these teens after viewing what they face. What I am ready for is to see what other projects the filmmakers are involved with, as I have no doubt their names will continue to be heard again and with resounding success.