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But first, mark your calendar
for WIFT Houston's August
BREAKFAST RAP!
Saturday, August 15, at 9AM
Join Yankie Grant, WIFT board member,
and her special guest
DAVID POMES,
Writer, Director, Producer of
COOK COUNTY
Time: 9:00 AM
Place: 59 Diner
(near Willowbrook Mall)
17695 Tomball Parkway
Houston TX 77064
Cost: Just the cost of your breakfast!
Did we mention, Yankie plays the role of "Aunt Sally," Tommy Townsend plays "Pee Paw," and Deke Anderson plays "Officer Crumley." On the crew side, Andrea Schutter was make-up artist; Julie Furnas was post-production supervisor, and Nia Taylor, production accountant. With WIFT members throughout the production be sure to support the film. You can see it in Houston on August 20, or August 25, at River Oaks Theatre. In September it will be at Studio Movie Grill CityCentre. It will also be playing in Austin and Dallas, with Arkansas and Louisiana also on the schedule.
The synopsis below will give you a hint at what's in store when you see the film. And, yes, "film" is used correctly here, as it was shot in Super 16 on Arriflex 16 SR3 by Cinematographer Brad Rushing, who attended HSPVA in the early 80's, and also was DP on "Love and Mary," shot in HD (now available on DVD). Both movies (of course) are by Houston filmmakers and both were shot in and around Houston. 
In 2008, Cook County won the Hollywood Film Festival award for "Best Feature Film" in HFF's Hollywood Discovery Awards. Shown at the awards ceremony (L-R) are composer Scott Szabo, with Director David Pomes and Robert M. and ASCAP's Charlyn Bernal.
Cook County also won the Audience Award at SXSW in 2008 in the "Lone Star States" category.
Synopsis: Xander Berkeley, Anson Mount and Ryan Donowho explode on the screen in this visceral tale about three generations of meth addicts living in the piney woods of East Texas.
Living in a small town and amongst a house full of crystal meth abusers, seventeen year-old Abe (Donowho) wrestles to beat an addiction to meth and struggles to protect himself and his young niece from an abusive Uncle Bump (Mount). When Sonny (Berkeley) returns home from prison seeking redemption from his son, Abe, the two must navigate the treacherous waters created by Bump, who will do almost anything to maintain a dangerous lifestyle fueled by crystal meth.
The tension and suspense build up to an electrifying ending where harrowing choices are made by all three men leading each of them to a different fate.
Unlike any other movie, COOK COUNTY unflinchingly tells a raw and real story of rural life where crystal meth dictates the family dynamic. It is a true portrait of desperate life in modern small-town America.
"Impresses with spot-on performances,
perfect-pitch dialogue and an overall sense
that something bad might happen at any moment,
unless something worse happens first." - Variety
"Excels... a welcome change to the drug culture
film genre... 4.5 out of 5 stars." - Film Threat
"One of the most disturbing and profoundly
exhilarating films I have seen in ages...
One of the best films I have seen in a very long time." - Simply Cinema
"A future indie classic." - PronetworksWatch "Cook County " sneak preview, ww.youtube.com/watch?v=BdgpdRDrJBQ
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MORE ENTERTAINMENT ATTRACTIONS....
Playing now at HCC-Spring Branch Campus
OLD STORIES - A TALE OF BASEBALL AND LOVE
Saturday, August 8, 7:30 PM
Sunday, August 9, 2:30 PM Matinee
 Former Houston Astros ace pitcher, broadcaster and winning manager Larry Dierker will make a star appearance in his new musical, "Old Stories - A Tale of Baseball and Love" at the HCC- Spring Branch Campus. Written by Larry Dierker, WIFT Corporate Member Aubrey Tucker, a renowned trombonist, conductor, arranger, composer, and educator, and talented composer, musician Paul English, "Old Stories..." is a fun, frolicking romp about the mythical Washington Capitols and their quest for the National League championship in 1970.
"King" Cole, the Caps' long-time home run hitter, meets and falls in love with Cindy, the cousin of a friend, and the complicated rest is - musical theater! The cast of student Music Theater Workshop performers is led by Steve Hale, HCC Voice faculty, who plays King, and Virginia Wootten, UH voice major, who plays Cindy. Larry Dierker plays Sammy Stanton, the announcer, an old school carnie barker, in a nostalgic homage to the unseen sports play-by-play men who "painted pictures on the radio." Stage Direction is by Michelle Robinson, Production Design and Management is by Sydney Yarbrough, and Music Direction is by Aubrey Tucker and Lucy Cain Hargis.  "Old Stories..." will be presented by the HCC-NW Fine Arts Department in Theater I of the Spring Branch Campus Performing Arts Center. It opened Friday, August 7, and continues Saturday, August 8th at 7:30 pm. A third, matinee performance has been scheduled for Sunday, August 9 at 2:30. Ticket prices are $10, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Performing Arts Center box office, 1060 W. Sam Houston Parkway, Houston, 77043 and will be also on sale the evenings of the performances. Please call 713-718-5661 for more information.
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Exciting UPCOMING COLLABORATION
WITH MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON FILM....
BEGINNING FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, AND CONTINUING THROUGH SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
Signore e Signore: Leading Ladies of Italian Cinema
Showcases Postwar Italian Cinema and its Unforgettable Italian Stars
 Following the MFAH's popular directorial tributes to Italian filmmakers Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Pupi Avati, the 2009 Italian film series broadens its scope by presenting a diverse selection of films that spans three decades (1941-1972), includes famous and lesser-known directors and films, and showcases several extremely rare prints. The traveling series immerses audiences in postwar Italian cinema and presents a remarkable range of styles and talents, featuring the verbal fireworks of Anna Magnani, the vivaciousness of Gina Lollobrigida, the beauty of Sophia Loren, and much more.
Signore e Signore will also be the last major cultural event in Houston that the Consul General of Italy in Houston, Cristiano Maggipinto, is supporting before his assignment to a new city by the end of this year. Maggipinto has enthusiastically been a sponsor for each annual Italian film retrospective at the MFAH, and the museum celebrates his term as Consul General here. He will introduce the festival's first screening on August 21. In addition, filmgoers will be invited to a reception in his honor on Sept 20, following the final film.
"The iconic Italian actresses featured in this series exploded onto the stage of postwar Italian cinema, making their mark as some of the world's greatest leading ladies," said MFAH film curator Marian Luntz. "The museum is pleased to feature their mesmerizing performances on the big screen, and the film committee and I extend our thanks to Consul General Maggipinto for his support in making this series possible."
"The cooperation with the Museum of Fine Arts has been one of the highlights of my work in Houston," said Maggipinto. "It has allowed us to showcase the best of Italian cinema to Americans, Italians and Italian-Americans living in this great city."
Screening Schedule
August
21 Fri. 7 p.m. I Knew Her Well
22 Sat. 7 p.m. The Seduction of Mimi
23 Sun. 5 p.m. The Widower
28 Fri. 7 p.m. Oh! Sabella
29 Sat. 7 p.m. Open City
9 p.m. Sandra
30 Sun. 5 p.m. The Leopard
September
4 Fri. 7 p.m. Old-Fashioned World
5 Sat. 7 p.m. Teorema
6 Sun. 5 p.m. Juliet of the Spirits
11 Fri. 7 p.m. Vanina Vanina
13 Sun. 5 p.m. Bread, Love, and Dreams
18 Fri. 7 p.m. A Drama of Jealousy
19 Sat. 7 p.m. Two Women
20 Sun. 5 p.m. The Girl with a Suitcase
Sponsorship
The series is made possible by Cinecittą International, a division of Cinecittą Holding; the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Consulate General of Italy in Houston (Cristiano Maggipinto, consul general); Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Los Angeles (Francesca Valente, director);Interfin Companies; and Ferrari Maserati of Houston, and Co-sponsored by Women In Film & Television Houston.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE FUTURE SCREENINGS & EVENTS
2009 MEDIA LITERACY INSTITUTE - Friday & Saturday, August 14 and 15 - 9AM to 4PM - Rice Media Center.
The Institute is FREE, with equipment & notebooks provided, but you must reserve your place by August 7, 2009. Call SWAMP at 713-522-8592, ext. 2, to see if it's too late to register, or send your name, home phone & address, school name, grade, and subject area to SWAMP by email at swamp@swamp.org.
Screening: THE OPEN ROAD, starring Jeff Bridges and Justin Timberlake, and directed by Michael Meredith (from Dallas, living in NYC), and produced by Laurie Foxx, opens at the Angelika August 28. Details TBA
Screening: HARMONY & ME (Houston Premiere) - Sunday, November 1, at 5PM - to be screened at MFAH Brown Auditorium. It's among the selections in their series "Texas Indie Sundays." It's written and directed by Bob Byington (his first-time effort). It was shot in Austin, starring Justin Rice (well-known in the indie rock scene as lead singer in the band, Bishop Allen), and Kristin Tucker, female lead/producer and native Houstonian. It's Margie Beegle's acting debut in the role of "Mom." SWAMP, Houston Film Commission, and WIFT Houston are co-sponsorsing this event with MFAH.
Screening: AMREEKA - Saturday, September 12 - It's National Geographic's first distribution of a fiction feature film. It won two awards when it premiered at Cannes last year, and the U.S. premiere was at Sundance back in January. It's by U.S.-born Palestinian filmmaker Cherion Dabis . Here's a link to the website: http://amreeka.com/. AMREEKA will open later in September at Angelika Film Center.
BUSINESS OF FILM CONFERENCE 2009 - September 12 - Beginning at Noon, and presented by SWAMP and TALA. For more information and to register, go to www.swamp.org/bizoffilm or call 713-522-8592 x 2.
CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL HOUSTON - Wednesday, November 11 through Sunday, November 15 - See the recent article in July 24 edition of HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, "Plans Get Rolling for First Film Arts Festival." For a pdf file of this article, email jolene_mcmaster@sbcglobal.net. WIFT Houston has been one of many area arts organizations to be involved in the planning of this grand event for Houston for the past two years. We encourage you to support this event. Volunteer, tell your friends, relatives, colleagues, and neighbors. Get involved! Stay informed on the latest details at www.cinemartsociety.org.
...and there will be more events to come in the next several weeks, so check the CALENDAR at www.wift-houston.org. |
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