Before the recently-concluded SXSW's annual music-driven bacchanal fades into memory, Indiewire's latest curated selections for Hulu's Documentaries page turns the spotlight on musicians and their dreams of stardom. Watch these and other docs now for free!An appropriate place to start is Nathan Christ's Austin-set "Echotone," an exploration of the lives of working young musicians in the a city known for its live entertainment.Edward Payson's "Unsigned" recounts a year in the lives of three rock bands who haven't made it… yet.The band at the center of Nina Gilden Seavey's "The Ballad of Bering Strait" move from their native Russia to the heart of country music, Nashville, to make their dreams come true.Victor Mignatti's "This Time" offers a candid look at determination against all odds for six performers who feel their shot at stardom is just around the corner. Finally, Mark Meatto's "How...
- 3/18/2014
- by Basil Tsiokos
- Indiewire
Welcome to Holiday Favorites, a series in which Slackerwood contributors and our friends talk about the movies we watch during the holiday season, holiday-related or otherwise.
This installment comes from Nathan Christ, director of the Austin music documentary Echotone. Here's his pick:
This holiday season, I'm re-watching Twin Peaks.
It's not a film per se, but a series of one-hour films, and it's pure cinema. It speaks about society in a magical and mysterious way. It's the story of a community and is bursting with melancholy romance, spirituality, and battling archetypes. Most of its characters seek to be good but are frequently disrupted by shocking bursts of evil and violence, which takes on a visceral and chilling significance for me in our recent times.
read more...
This installment comes from Nathan Christ, director of the Austin music documentary Echotone. Here's his pick:
This holiday season, I'm re-watching Twin Peaks.
It's not a film per se, but a series of one-hour films, and it's pure cinema. It speaks about society in a magical and mysterious way. It's the story of a community and is bursting with melancholy romance, spirituality, and battling archetypes. Most of its characters seek to be good but are frequently disrupted by shocking bursts of evil and violence, which takes on a visceral and chilling significance for me in our recent times.
read more...
- 12/28/2012
- by Jordan Gass-Poore'
- Slackerwood
The 18th annual San Antonio Film Festival will run for a solid week, June 18-24, at several locations around the city and will feature, as it always does, an expansive and impressive lineup of documentaries, thrillers, dramas and a ton of short films.
The fest kicks off on the 18th with the Canadian culture clash comedy French Immersion, directed by Kevin Tierney, followed by a block of homegrown short films from all over the great state of Texas. The next night’s programming, the 19th, pays tribute to San Antonio’s neighbors to the south with two feature films from Mexico, the drama Burros by Odin Salazar Flores and the documentary Die Standing Up by Jacaranda Correa, as well as a block of short films.
Some of the feature-length documentaries include Stephanie Hubbard’s Christian theme park quest Bible Storyland (watch the trailer); James Lane’s expose of the Oklahoma...
The fest kicks off on the 18th with the Canadian culture clash comedy French Immersion, directed by Kevin Tierney, followed by a block of homegrown short films from all over the great state of Texas. The next night’s programming, the 19th, pays tribute to San Antonio’s neighbors to the south with two feature films from Mexico, the drama Burros by Odin Salazar Flores and the documentary Die Standing Up by Jacaranda Correa, as well as a block of short films.
Some of the feature-length documentaries include Stephanie Hubbard’s Christian theme park quest Bible Storyland (watch the trailer); James Lane’s expose of the Oklahoma...
- 6/18/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Texas is known for some great film festivals. apart from SXSW and Fantastic Fest, both held in Austin – Houston also hosts some wonderful events. Among them is the Cinema Arts Festival. This year’s line-up is extremely strong, with titles that include Pina, David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, The Artist and the World Premiere of Art Car: The Movie. Sadly we do not have any contributors over in Houston, but I did feel the need to quickly promote the festival. Here is the press release.
Houston – Now in its third year, Cinema Arts Festival Houston, which runs from November 9 to 13, 2011 will bring an ambitious program of films by and about artists to the vibrant Texas city known internationally for its dynamic art scene. From painting and dance to classical music and multimedia work, this edition will also include appearances by directors, actors, musicians, and special tributes to Ethan Hawke and documentary master Patricio Guzman.
Houston – Now in its third year, Cinema Arts Festival Houston, which runs from November 9 to 13, 2011 will bring an ambitious program of films by and about artists to the vibrant Texas city known internationally for its dynamic art scene. From painting and dance to classical music and multimedia work, this edition will also include appearances by directors, actors, musicians, and special tributes to Ethan Hawke and documentary master Patricio Guzman.
- 10/31/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
With aGLIFF going strong through Sunday, and it being Pride weekend, there are a lot of film options this weekend that by for and about Lgbtqia friendly topics. If you're up for a sing-along tonight, Alamo Drafthouse is screening all of the best divas, gay icons, and camp classics they're titling Way Gay, which promises to be a lot of fun. But I personally recommend the aGLIFF Centerpiece Film Mangus! (pictured above), which happens to have been filmed near Dallas, and also happens to be followed by the Majestic Dance Party at the Paramount.
Former aGLIFF Programming Director Lisa Kaselak's documentary about the "Texas Cupcake Controversy" is kicking of the Reel Policy film series Thursday at the Center for Health and Social Policy (part of Ut's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs). Let Them Eat Cake follows the implementation of a Texas policy initiative to ban junk food in public schools.
Former aGLIFF Programming Director Lisa Kaselak's documentary about the "Texas Cupcake Controversy" is kicking of the Reel Policy film series Thursday at the Center for Health and Social Policy (part of Ut's Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs). Let Them Eat Cake follows the implementation of a Texas policy initiative to ban junk food in public schools.
- 9/9/2011
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Director: Nathan Christ Cinematographer: Robert L. Garza Stars: Black Joe Lewis, Bill Baird, Ghostland Observatory, Cari Palazzolo Studio/Running Time: Reversal Films, 90 mins. Austin, Texas, shamelessly labels itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World”, a moniker validated by annual events like SXSW and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and the seemingly limitless number of live music venues about town. But unbeknownst to most outsiders, Austin continuously wages wars within those city limits, with music as its battleground. Echotone beautifully examines those battles by neither condemning nor sensationalizing but by letting the city speak through its inhabitants....
- 5/16/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
Echotone First Run, In Theaters May 6! Get The Free Soundtrack Too!
Reversal Films is proud to announce the Austin music documentary Echotone is coming back to Austin for an official weeklong first run of the film following the amazing response for their sold-out opening. Echotone will show at the Alamo Ritz in Austin beginning on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Echotone opened in Austin Sunday, April 24th at the Alamo Ritz, with an initial four screenings on four consecutive days. After witnessing the demand for this film chronicling the struggle of a creative class in a city on the rise, the Alamo Drafthouse decided to offer a full week of screenings for Austin film and music fans before opening in other markets.
.This film has become a movement,. says Echotone Director Nathan Christ. .The people of Austin have really taken ownership of it. As each night passed, the line down the block just kept getting longer.
Reversal Films is proud to announce the Austin music documentary Echotone is coming back to Austin for an official weeklong first run of the film following the amazing response for their sold-out opening. Echotone will show at the Alamo Ritz in Austin beginning on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Echotone opened in Austin Sunday, April 24th at the Alamo Ritz, with an initial four screenings on four consecutive days. After witnessing the demand for this film chronicling the struggle of a creative class in a city on the rise, the Alamo Drafthouse decided to offer a full week of screenings for Austin film and music fans before opening in other markets.
.This film has become a movement,. says Echotone Director Nathan Christ. .The people of Austin have really taken ownership of it. As each night passed, the line down the block just kept getting longer.
- 5/4/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
[Our thanks to Brandon Tenold for the following.]The Texas capitol of Austin is called "The live music capitol of the world", and as the opening montage of Nathan Christ's documentary "Echotone" reminds us, has been home to notable musicians like Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The city has undergone rapid economic and population growth in recent years, with several high-rise buildings and condo's being built in historic live music hotspots such as Austin's Red River and 6th Street districts, leading to tension between the city's live music venues and the resident's of these new buildings (at one point during a city council meeting, a speaker describes being "terrorized" by the music coming out of the venues). Throughout his documentary, Christ documents...
- 5/4/2011
- Screen Anarchy
The new documentary about the Austin music scene, circa now, Echotone opens this Sunday at the Ritz.
Internationally known as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin’s music culture has led it to become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations. As nearly two dozen high-rises pop up throughout the city amidst economic downfall, how does the working musician get along?
Directed by Nathan Christ and photographed by Robert Garza, Echotone is a cultural portrait of the modern American city examined through the lyrics and lens of its creative class. There is rising star soul revivalist Black Joe Lewis selling out concert halls by night and delivering fish by day. There’s Cari Palazzolo of synth pop sensation Belaire, poised for commercial success, but conflicted over the thought of her music turning into a commodity. Then there is experimental troubadour Bill Baird, whose band Sound Team enjoyed...
Internationally known as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin’s music culture has led it to become one of the world’s most sought-after destinations. As nearly two dozen high-rises pop up throughout the city amidst economic downfall, how does the working musician get along?
Directed by Nathan Christ and photographed by Robert Garza, Echotone is a cultural portrait of the modern American city examined through the lyrics and lens of its creative class. There is rising star soul revivalist Black Joe Lewis selling out concert halls by night and delivering fish by day. There’s Cari Palazzolo of synth pop sensation Belaire, poised for commercial success, but conflicted over the thought of her music turning into a commodity. Then there is experimental troubadour Bill Baird, whose band Sound Team enjoyed...
- 4/19/2011
- by Lars Nilsen
- OriginalAlamo.com
Director Nathan Christ attempts to document, over a period of two years, how Austin's independent music culture has changed as a result of the recent growth of downtown development. Christ focuses on a handful of musicians, including: Joe Lewis (Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears), who works a day job as a fishmonger for Quality Seafood; Belaire’s Cari Palazzolo, who is very vocal about not wanting success or money; Bill Baird (Sound Team, Sunset), who is bitter and jaded as a direct result of being screwed over by a major record label; Dana Falconberry, who works as a barista to support her music career; and the industrial duo Machine, who use the new development to collect the urban sounds bites from which they construct their soundscapes. In capturing the individual stories of these artists -- and stressing how none of these musicians are able to make enough money at their...
- 11/16/2010
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
In the late 1980s, I was heavily involved in the Houston music scene due to my stint at a college radio station and later at a pub that featured nightly live music. However, the music scene there became stagnant and our establishment dropped to two nights a week with a meager budget to pay the bands. Local band Fab Motion captured the plight of many musicians with a lyrical response to the standard "Hey hippie, get a job!" with "What? I have Three jobs." All ears turned to Austin, where bands such as the True Believers, The Reivers, Ian Moore, Joe Ely and Stevie Ray Vaughn had audiophiles wondering if our capital city would be the next Athens, Georgia. When I moved to Austin in 1993, I enjoyed the freedom to see live music any night of the week in the "Live Music Capital of the World" and play from a...
- 11/8/2010
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Always one of the most enjoyable events of the year, the 17th Austin Film Festival is gearing up to kick-off next month.
The annual event takes place from October 21-28 in Austin, Texas with movies such as Natalie Portman's "Black Swan" on the docket.
With other films set to screen including "Meek's Cutoff," "127 Hours," and "Fair Game," the full lineup is as follows:
Marquee Screenings
"127 Hours" – Danny Boyle (Writer/Director), Simon Beaufoy (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Black Swan" – Darren Aronofsky (Director), Andres Heinz (Writer), John McLaughlin (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Peep World" – Barry W. Blaustein (Director), Peter Himmelstein (Writer) – (U.S. Premiere)
"Bloodworth" – Shane Dax Taylor (Director), W. Earl Brown (Writer) – (World Premiere)
"Blue Valentine" – Derek Cianfrance (Writer/Director), Joey Curtis (Writer), Camille DeLavigne (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Exporting Raymond" – Phil Rosenthal (Director) – (World Premiere)
"Fair Game" – Doug Liman (Director), Jez & John-Henry Butterworth (Writers) – (Regional Premiere)
"High School" – John Stalberg (Writer/Director...
The annual event takes place from October 21-28 in Austin, Texas with movies such as Natalie Portman's "Black Swan" on the docket.
With other films set to screen including "Meek's Cutoff," "127 Hours," and "Fair Game," the full lineup is as follows:
Marquee Screenings
"127 Hours" – Danny Boyle (Writer/Director), Simon Beaufoy (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Black Swan" – Darren Aronofsky (Director), Andres Heinz (Writer), John McLaughlin (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Peep World" – Barry W. Blaustein (Director), Peter Himmelstein (Writer) – (U.S. Premiere)
"Bloodworth" – Shane Dax Taylor (Director), W. Earl Brown (Writer) – (World Premiere)
"Blue Valentine" – Derek Cianfrance (Writer/Director), Joey Curtis (Writer), Camille DeLavigne (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Exporting Raymond" – Phil Rosenthal (Director) – (World Premiere)
"Fair Game" – Doug Liman (Director), Jez & John-Henry Butterworth (Writers) – (Regional Premiere)
"High School" – John Stalberg (Writer/Director...
- 9/21/2010
- GossipCenter
The Austin Film Festival has unveiled the program for its 17th edition, which runs October 21-28.
"Black Swan," "127 Hours," "Peep World," "Meek's Cutoff," "Conviction," "Brother's Justice," "Fair Game," and many more, including 23 U.S. and world premieres and a handful of locally-made projects, will screen at the fest. The opening, centerpiece and closing night films have not yet been announced.
Festival line-up is below:
Marquee Screenings
"127 Hours" – Danny Boyle (Writer/Director), Simon Beaufoy (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Black Swan" – Darren Aronofsky (Director), Andres Heinz (Writer), John McLaughlin (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Peep World" – Barry W. Blaustein (Director), Peter Himmelstein (Writer) – (U.S. Premiere)
"Bloodworth" – Shane Dax Taylor (Director), W. Earl Brown (Writer) – (World Premiere)
"Blue Valentine" – Derek Cianfrance (Writer/Director), Joey Curtis (Writer), Camille DeLavigne (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Exporting Raymond" – Phil Rosenthal (Director) – (World Premiere)
"Fair Game" – Doug Liman (Director), Jez & John-Henry Butterworth (Writers) – (Regional Premiere)
"High School" – John Stalberg (Writer/Director...
"Black Swan," "127 Hours," "Peep World," "Meek's Cutoff," "Conviction," "Brother's Justice," "Fair Game," and many more, including 23 U.S. and world premieres and a handful of locally-made projects, will screen at the fest. The opening, centerpiece and closing night films have not yet been announced.
Festival line-up is below:
Marquee Screenings
"127 Hours" – Danny Boyle (Writer/Director), Simon Beaufoy (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Black Swan" – Darren Aronofsky (Director), Andres Heinz (Writer), John McLaughlin (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Peep World" – Barry W. Blaustein (Director), Peter Himmelstein (Writer) – (U.S. Premiere)
"Bloodworth" – Shane Dax Taylor (Director), W. Earl Brown (Writer) – (World Premiere)
"Blue Valentine" – Derek Cianfrance (Writer/Director), Joey Curtis (Writer), Camille DeLavigne (Writer) – (Regional Premiere)
"Exporting Raymond" – Phil Rosenthal (Director) – (World Premiere)
"Fair Game" – Doug Liman (Director), Jez & John-Henry Butterworth (Writers) – (Regional Premiere)
"High School" – John Stalberg (Writer/Director...
- 9/21/2010
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Chicago – Two towering orbs are routinely seen eclipsing each other throughout “Echotone,” the wonderful new documentary by first-time filmmaker Nathan Christ. It’s an apt visual metaphor for representing the film’s titular term, which is defined as meaning, “the point at which nature and civilization meet.”
Rarely has the divide between artistic conviction and commercial ambition been as been as beautifully and artfully portrayed as in this picture, which will have its regional premiere at Evanston’s Talking Pictures Festival on Saturday, May 8th. The film centers on the vibrant indie music scene in Austin, Texas, and follows several young artists as they attempt to pursue their dreams without compromising their integrity. With his extraordinary cinematographer/co-editor Robert Garza, director Christ has created less of a multiple character study than a poetic collage of the city’s artistic culture, and its struggle to survive in the wake of gentrification.
Chicago – Two towering orbs are routinely seen eclipsing each other throughout “Echotone,” the wonderful new documentary by first-time filmmaker Nathan Christ. It’s an apt visual metaphor for representing the film’s titular term, which is defined as meaning, “the point at which nature and civilization meet.”
Rarely has the divide between artistic conviction and commercial ambition been as been as beautifully and artfully portrayed as in this picture, which will have its regional premiere at Evanston’s Talking Pictures Festival on Saturday, May 8th. The film centers on the vibrant indie music scene in Austin, Texas, and follows several young artists as they attempt to pursue their dreams without compromising their integrity. With his extraordinary cinematographer/co-editor Robert Garza, director Christ has created less of a multiple character study than a poetic collage of the city’s artistic culture, and its struggle to survive in the wake of gentrification.
- 5/7/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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