Last year was an exciting year for Austin-made films at the Sundance Film Festival. Nine feature films and three shorts were made by Texans, with nine of the twelve being shot in Austin or directed by Austin-based filmmakers. Though this year's Sundance lineup has a lighter Texas load, there are still a number of films with Austin ties to keep an eye on.
Ping Pong Summer — Written and directed by Michael Tully, a recent Austin transplant and husband of Austin Film Society director Holly Herrick, this film, set in 1985, follows the story of Rad Miracle, a "shy, 13-year-old white kid obsessed with two things: Ping-Pong and hip-hop." This coming-of-age story features a diverse cast including Susan Sarandon, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris and Robert Longstreet.
No No: A Dockumentary —This documentary about pitcher and LSD-lover Dock Ellis features an array of Austin talent including first-time director Jeffrey Radice, filmmaker and Austin Film Society board member Mike Blizzard and filmmaker Sam Douglas. Promising to be an entertaining and heartwarming doc, No No tells the story of the man known for pitching a no-hitter while high on acid.
Richard Linklater's Boyhood was shot over a 12-year period.
