IFC BLOG

02.21.06
Trailers: "Darkon," "Perfume," and friends.
We can't stop watching the damn "Darkon" trailer — that final, slow-motion battle montage fills us with an intense happiness not at all born out of irony. The doc premieres at SXSW next month.

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VARIETY: 'Prairie' opens SXSW

'Prairie' opens SXSW
'Dreamz' to wrap film fest
By IAN MOHR Variety Full Article Link

..."We considered many more films this year," said fest producer Matt Dentler, adding that the quality of submissions was particularly high. "Despite the large amount of star-driven films at the festival, there is still an amazing variety of new voices in our programs. There will be a wealth of talented discovery at SXSW this year."

Docu competish section will include "Darkon," Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer's look at a group of hardcore medieval fantasy role-players; Mark Woollen's "Jam," an exploration of the world of roller derby; Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack's "Oil Crash," about the world's dwindling oil supply; and "Shadow Company," helmer Nick Bicanic's inside view of private military forces.

Darkon to world premiere at SXSW Film Festival 2006

2006 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL FEATURES LINEUP SXSW Website
The South by Southwest Film Festival has announced its feature-film lineup. In the special screenings section is Wim Wenders' 'Don't Come Knocking,' written by and starring Sam Shepard as a washed-up movie star who finds redemption and a second chance at life. And it looks like Wenders and Shepard will be there to screen it. Austin-made fare includes 'The Cassidy Kids' by Jacob Vaughan and Bryan Poyser; Korey Coleman's '2 A.M.'; 'Jumping off Bridges' by Kat Candler; 'The King' with Gael Garcia Bernal and current Oscar-nominee William Hurt; and, fresh from Slamdance, Heather Courtney's doc 'Letters from the Other Side.' The festival's full roster is impressive, packed with big names and exciting titles. — Chris Garcia

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Autumn's Eyes
Dir: Paola Mendoza & Gabriel Noble. This is life through the eyes of a 3-year-old girl as she tries to navigate her way through a life of poverty, her teenage mother's incarceration, and foster care. (WORLD PREMIERE)

Darkon
Dir: Andrew Neel & Luke Meyer. A serious look into the bizarre and fascinating world of Darkon, a full-contact medieval fantasy group, active in the Baltimore area since 1985. (WORLD PREMIERE)

Jam
Dir: Mark Woollen. The story of the American Roller Derby League, a group of over-the-hill roller derby skaters from the '50s, '60s, and '70s who are determined to reclaim their former glory. (WORLD PREMIERE)

Maxed Out
Dir: James Scurlock. A disturbing and hilarious glimpse at what makes Americans addicted to credit card debt. (WORLD PREMIERE)

My Country, My Country
Dir: Laura Poitras. The agonizing predicament and gradual descent of one man caught in the middle of the tragic contradictions of US occupation in Iraq and its project to spread democracy in the Middle East. (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)

OilCrash
Dir: Basil Gepke & Ray McCormack. A stylish and sobering exploration of the dwindling oil resources of the world, and what the globes experts predict for the future. (WORLD PREMIERE)

Shadow Company
Dir: Nick Bicanic. A candid look at the world of private militaries around the world, as corporations increasingly hire modern-day mercenaries to fight wars. (WORLD PREMIERE)

Summercamp!
Dir: Bradley Beesley & Sarah Price. Within the subculture of the unusual Swift Nature Camp, the filmmakers capture raw emotions through rituals, homesickness, and counselor mutiny. (WORLD PREMIERE)