Austin Underground Film Festival Benefit at Ruta Maya - Friday, September 12th

The AUFF '08 is happening in November, hopefully with the support of local film lovers.

Our Fantastic Fest picks (and pans) will be online soon, but this isn't the only film fest in town, and KTC strives to bring you updates for all local film events, including the forthcoming Austin Underground Film Fest (AUFF). As the film community grows, festivals become an important part in sharing film projects and networking with other local filmmakers, and AUFF is the perfect opportunity for underground, experimental, or "alternative" filmmakers and film lovers to connect. 2008 marks the 3rd year of AUFF, and although I haven't had the pleasure of past screenings, I look forward to attending the fest in November. A local band I blogged about for our sister blog sent a show update today,  which included taking part in a fundraiser for the AUFF this Friday night. Thanks to this email I decided to browse the AUFF web site. The following is their "mission statement":

"We seek to provide a venue for films that might not otherwise be exhibited for the public, and virtually no genre or concept is excluded from consideration. However, films of a radical, critical, disaffected, progressive, provocative, confrontational, controversial, subversive, seditious, irreverent, illicit, offensive, obscene, rebellious, profane, pornographic, conspiratorial, corruptive, psychotropic, phantasmagoric, volatile, violent, anarchic, blasphemous or otherwise irresponsible nature are especially encouraged."

I think I'm in love. 

The entertainment schedule for Friday night's benefit is as eclectic and underground as the festival. Ruta Maya World Headquarters in South Austin opens its doors for the AUFF '08 benefit at 9 pm. The music starts at 10 pm with the blue-eyed acoustic soul of Lady Bell, followed by the full-frontal rock of The Little Gentlemen, experimental New York City style folk 'n' country outfit Charles Potts Magic Windmill Band, and benefit headliners The Little Morts plan to bury the audience of AUFF supporters with a fury of country/punk rock. 

austinundergroundfilm.com | myspace.com/austinundergroundfilm

Filmmakers: Submit Your Film for the AUFF '08 in November (Date & Location TBA)

The film festival accepts shorts only, a maximum of 40 minutes, but in every genre and category imaginable. Want to make a freeform or improvised horror/pornographic short that involves puppets? Do it - and submit it to the Austin Underground Film Festival. The early deadline has passed, but you can still submit your disturbing work of art on film (in NTSC DVD or mini-DV format)  with a submission form and $20 entry fee to:

Austin Underground Film Festival
1824 S. IH-35 #101
Austin, TX 78704

Kill The Critic does not represent or endorse the AUFF.  Go to the organization's web site for information and updates regarding submissions and future events.  

Maybe I'll see your film at the fest this year?

~ diy danna

Out of Bounds Report No. 3: Get Up, The Premiere of Double Eagle Short Films Festival, and So Much More Tomorrow Night


The return of Get Up, Friday on the Apples Stage of the Salvage Vanguard Theater, 10 pm.

Out of Bounds Comedy Festival co-producer Shannon McCormick performs as one half of improv duo Get Up tomorrow night at the Salvage Vanguard Theater, Friday 29 August - 10 pm. McCormick and partner in comedy Shana Merlin deliver the unexpected with innate humor and acting ability. Nerdvana (Los Angeles, CA) mix up improv and sketch, making funny nerds funnier and sexier than "Beauty and The Geek". Before these two dynamic duos hit the Apples stage, audiences will be treated with the first Double Eagle Short Films Festival, which showcases comedic art on film at 6 pm, and improv by "smart, clean" 88 Improv (Omaha, NE) and the critically hailed Unexpected Company (Warwick, RI) at 8 pm. Tickets for the Apples stage shows are available here.



Let's not forget the Oranges stage and ColdTowne Theater...

On the Oranges stage: At 5:30 there's a panel discussion, "Improv Into Income", geared toward performers attending the festival, but free and open to the public. After the friendly panel, get ready for a rumble with Battle of the Sexes III - Improv Throwdown. It's the gals versus the guys in a series of scenarios and games where the audience decides the winner. The battle featuring improv pros from across the nation begins at 8 pm. Junk (Austin, TX) and pHrenzy! (Chicago, IL) make comedy chemistry with improv at 10 pm. (Get Tickets)


The OOB edition of Stool Pigeon plays at ColdTowne - Friday, 29 August @ 11 pm.

Friday night at ColdTowne: OOB expands its comedy repertoire to include stand-up, featuring the comedy of Austin comic Bryan Guttman (9 pm) and New Yorker Jamie Lee, of VH-1 fame (10 pm). Other comics include Kerri Lendo and Nick Ramirez, and one of the shows is hosted by Chris Trew (Terp2it). There's also a who's who of Out of Bounds performers teaming up for A Very Special Stool Pigeon I, in which the headlining stand-up comics encounter improv. These shows are expected to sell out fast, so get your tickets here.

Tomorrow: Out of Bounds Report No. 4 - More Comedy and More Stool Pigeons

~ diy danna