Returning for a fourth exciting year, Other Worlds Austin, one of the premier SciFi Film Festivals in the US, features some of the best and unheralded genre films. Beginning on Thursday December 7 at Flix Brewhouse, the four day event includes 16 full length films, a slew of shorts, and a screenwriting workshop. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’ll be at there.
Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2017.
There is a world in which an endless rain of dark ash fills the sky, and covers the earth. Bundled up in their protective suits and hidden away behind their masks, humanity has fled deep within the underground. This is the story of the children growing up in this fearful world, and two boys who join a recovery team that ventures out to the outside world.
Returning for a fourth exciting year, Other Worlds Austin, one of the premier SciFi Film Festivals in the US, features some of the best and unheralded genre films. Beginning on Thursday December 7 at Flix Brewhouse, the four day event includes 16 full length films, a slew of shorts, and a screenwriting workshop. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’ll be at there.
Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2017
Thursday December 7
7:42PM EVENT HORIZON(20TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING) LAUNCH FILM
Paul W.S. Anderson | USA | 96min | 1997
Writer: Philip Eisner Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Jason Isaacs
A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned…with someone or something new onboard. Twenty years ago, Paramount took us to the darkest edges of space, terrifying audiences with what has become a cult classic. Screenwriter Philip Eisner joins us to celebrate one of the most unforgiving examples of mankind tampering with what they should not. If 1997 was a sort of watershed year for the 2nd wave of SciFi — with THE FIFTH ELEMENT as a new take on the galaxy-building of STAR WARS, CONTACT clearly a new CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND — nothing captures the horrifyingly cold neutrality and danger of space first glanced at in ALIEN like EVENT HORIZON.
After two successful years, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns this Thursday, December 1st, in new digs (Flix Brewhouse) and with an additional day. The now four day event has grown to include 18 full length films, a slew of of shorts, and an appearance by B-movie legend Sybil Danning, the late Dan O’Bannon’s wife Diane O’Bannon, and others. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the event.
Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2016.
Stripes (Texas Premiere) Tibo Pinsard | France | 4 min Writer: Tibo Pinsard
Another first date gets hijacked by two people unable to get past their own masks.
Memoir (Texas Premiere) Alexander Jeffery | USA | 17 min Writer: Paul Petersen
Dr. Theodore Maine is on the cusp of losing his job at Janus Labs where he is developing research for Alzheimer’s treatment, until a mysterious child arrives to change his future forever.
RAE (Texas Premiere) Aaron Rovner | USA | 13 min Writer: Aaron Rovner
When an office robot gives a co-worker a friendly gift, the fragile balance between the employees in the office is pushed to a tipping point.
Juan F. Moctezuma II | Mexico | 15 min Writer: Juan F. Moctezuma II
When a perfectionist scientist loses his wife to a car accident, he builds a robotic version to replace her, in this newly restored classic from the missing genre trailblazer, presented by documentarian Alaric Rocha.
Sent to shut down a floating film archive orbiting high above Earth, a bureaucrat meets an android caretaker whose love of film makes him almost more human than his counterpart.
Beautiful Dreamer David Gaddie | USA | 26 min Writers: David Gaddie, Steven Kelleher, & Ken Liu
Facing a terminal disease, a mother uses space travel and relativity to stretch her last two years over the lifetime of her baby daughter, building a relationship despite the longing and estrangement that mark seeing each other only once every seven years.
Writer: Valentin Hitz Cast: Clemens Schick, Lena Lauzemis, Daniel Olbrychski, & Marion Mitterhammer
With powerful companies running the Vienna of the not too distant future, only the privileged elite can afford death insurance. The rest suffer their corpses to be used long after their passing in life-support farms, until their debts are paid. When Insurance agent Vincent Baumann goes undercover to ‘sell’ activist Lisa Sokulowa on his services, he discovers a brewing revolution that may be worth cashing in his own policy.
After two successful years, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns this Thursday, December 1st, in new digs (Flix Brewhouse) and with an additional day. The now four day event has grown to include 18 full length films, a slew of of shorts, and an appearance by B-movie legend Sybil Danning, the late Dan O’Bannon’s wife Diane O’Bannon, and others. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the event.
Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2016.
Saturday, December 3
11:30 AM UNDER WORLDS SHORTS
Blight (US Premiere) Briane Deane | Ireland | 15 min Writer: Matthew Roche
A young priest travels to an isolated island community to face a dark supernatural force that has consumed a young woman.
Even with a deranged killer running rampant inside the house, the girls still vie for leadership in the sorority.
Quenottes [Pearlies] (Texas Premiere) Pascal Thiebaux, Gil Pinheiro | France/Luxembourg | 13 min Writer: Pascal Thiebaux
In many cultures, the tooth fairy that brings you a coin in exchange for the tooth under your pillow is a benevolent little mouse. But what if the teeth he collects are dental trophies, to be guarded at all costs?
Whit Spurgeon | USA | 4 min Writer: Stephen Newman
In the middle of the night, things should be quiet. Sometimes things go thump.
Nasty Prano Bailey-Bond | UK | 15 min Writer: Anthony Fletcher
Exploring the mysterious disappearance of his father, twelve-year old Doug is drawn into the lurid world of VHS horror ‘nasties,’ in Margaret Thatcher era UK.
Writer: Alain Bidard Cast: Jacques Olivier Ensfelder, Yna Boulangé, & Steffy Glissant
After the empire of Mortemonde reduces the populations of almost all the nations of the Earth to slavery, they force each slave to collect 1000XP every month in Battledream, a video game where they can die for real. Only the successful are granted the right to live until the next month. But Syanna, a young slave from Martinique, the last free nation on the planet, refuses to keep living under these condition.
After two successful years, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns this Thursday, December 1st, in new digs (Flix Brewhouse) and with an additional day. The now four day event has grown to include 18 full length films, a slew of of shorts, and an appearance by B-movie legend Sybil Danning, the late Dan O’Bannon’s wife Diane O’Bannon, and others. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the event.
Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2016.
Writers: John Sayles Cast: Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard & Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
A young farmer (Richard Thomas) sets out to recruit mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet, which is under threat of invasion by the evil tyrant Sador (John Saxon) and his armada of aggressors. Among the mercenaries are a Space Cowboy (George Peppard), a spacegoing truck driver from Earth (Morgan Woodward); Gelt, a wealthy but experienced assassin looking for a place to hide (Robert Vaughn); and Saint-Exmin, a Valkyrie warrior looking to prove herself in battle (Sybil Danning). The film was legendarily pitched as ‘Magnificent Seven in Space.’ Produced by Roger Corman in the wake of the Star Wars cash-grab phenomena, the film also features one of the first scores from James Horner, and the below the line talents of Gale Ann Hurd and James Cameron.
After last years successful first offering, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns thisThursday, December 3 at the Galaxy Highland Theater. The three day event has grown to include 13 full length films, a secret Star Wars-related screening, and a variety of shorts. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the festival.
Over the next three days, I will preview the 13 features.
House of Time
Jonathan Helpert | France | 86 min
Writer: Jean Helpert Cast: Maxime Dambrin, Laura Boujenah, Benjamin Wangermee, Julia Piaton, David Atrakchi
Robert d’Eglantine has uncovered secret Nazi scientific research on time travel. He tells his guests he has taken them seventy years back in time, to 1944, during the French Occupation and only few weeks before the landing in Normandy. Although the house and everything inside seem the same, the appearance of a woman in the French Resistance, on the run from her Nazi captors, make them question if Robert may just be telling the truth. Or is the woman just an actress? Or was she an actress before the occupation and now a revolutionary?
After last years successful first offering, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns thisThursday, December 3 at the Galaxy Highland Theater. The three day event has grown to include 13 full length films, a secret Star Wars-related screening, and a variety of shorts. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the festival.
Over the next three days, I will preview the 13 features.
Projet-M
Eric Piccoli | Canada | 98 min
Writers: Julien Deschamps Jolin, Eric Piccoli, Mario J. Ramos Cast: Jean-Nicolas Verreault, Julie Perreault, Julien Deschamps Jolin, Nadia Essadiqi, Pierre Verville
Orbiting the Earth aboard a space station for 1,000 days to prepare for a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa, four astronauts face unforeseen crises when a war breaks out on Earth below. Arguing whether to break off their mission, or what to do about the loss of communication from headquarters, or what to do about the other satellites orbiting the Earth, the team and themselves more alone than they could have prepared for.
It’s that time again for my sojourn to Fantastic Fest, the annual Alamo Drafthouse week long love letter to horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. This year’s festival runs from Sept 24-October 1, here in Austin at the South Lamar location.
As in year’s past, I begin my coverage with a multi-part/day preview.
David has recently become single. The rules of The City dictate that he must be taken to The Hotel, where he will have 45 days to find a matching mate. If he does, he can go back to his life. If he fails, he’ll be transformed into an animal of his choice and sent into The Woods. However, there’s a splinter group of renegade Loners living within The Woods who oppose this system violently. With a ticking 45 day clock, David will struggle to survive and maybe just maybe find his true love.
Yorgos Lanthimos continues the singular vision he presented in his previous films DOGTOOTH, ATTENBERG and ALPS with a dystopian science fiction tale that’s as funny as it is twisted, dark and insightful. A brilliantly deadpan exercise, THE LOBSTER is surreal wonder at its best.
Toshihisa Yokoshima | Japan | 45min
