March 2, 7pm - Screening & Q&A - Brown Auditorium March 3, 10:30am - CINÉCHAT - Freed Auditorium, Glassell School of Art Museum of Fine Arts, Houston 1001 Bissonnet Houston, Texas  77005  About ELIZABETH AVELLÁN  Elizabeth Avellán resides in Austin and is the Co-Owner and Vice President of Troublemaker Studios and President of EYA Productions. In addition to producing family and genre films that have collectively grossed over a billion dollars, she has played a primary role in developing Austin as a thriving film community. Avellán began her producing career when she co-founded Los Hooligans Productions in 1991 with Robert Rodriguez. During the 1990s they collaborated on El Mariachi, Desperado, and From Dusk Til Dawn (and its two sequels). In 2000, Avellán and Rodriguez founded Troublemaker Studios. The first feature made at Troublemaker was the 2001 hit Spy Kids, which grossed $112 million domestically and has led to three sequels. During the past decade, Avellán has produced a dozen films. She served as EP on blacktino, a film directed by her son, Aaron Burns. About GREG CARTER   Greg Carter is a native of Houston and a graduate of Texas A&M University.  After studying under Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Charles Gordone, he earned an M.F.A. in Filmmaking at Rice University. His first independent feature (he has made17, to date, along with shorts, documentaries and music videos) was Fifth Ward, which he wrote, produced, edited, and directed.  Fifth Ward was named Best Feature at the New Orleans Black Film Festival and screened at the 1998 SXSW Film Festival.  When his schedule permits, Carter teaches the craft and art of storytelling through film to young people. He founded the Fifth Ward Young Filmmaker's Project in 1992. In 1995, Houston Mayor Bob Lanier and Council Member Michael Yarbrough awarded him citations for his service, involvement and contribution to the Fifth Ward community. Please remain following the credits Friday evening  for a brief discussion with Elizabeth Avellán and Greg Carater about their respective careers. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will provide two opportunities to hear two Texas filmmakers talk about their respective careers in film.  Though many attempts have been made to bring Ms. Avellán to Houston for the benefit of our filmmaking community and interested students, Greg Carter was able to initiate this opportunity.  Thanks, Greg! Friday, March 2, at 7pm, at MFAH's Brown Auditorium Theater, Austin-based Elizabeth Avellán will introduce blacktino, a movie by her son Aaron Burns.  The 112- minute feature, written and directed by Aaron Burns held its world premiere at the Paramount Theater in Austin during the 2011 SXSW Film Festival as a part of the Lone Star States showcase. Avellán and Carter first met while studying filmmaking at Rice University. They have both had prolific careers in the film industry, often included on lists of the most prominent Texas independent producers. After serving on a panel together at the 2011 Austin Film Festival, Carter invited Avellán to Houston for a repeat performance. The film (3/2 at 7pm) and Cinéchat (3/3 at 10:30am) offer a rare opportunity to hear from two talented filmmakers about their careers, experiences, and current projects. They will also share information of particular interest to high school students who are considering careers in the film industry. Following the MFAH screening there will be a Q&A with Ms. Avellán and Greg Carter. The discussion will be moderated by Alfred Cervantes, Deputy Director of the Houston Film Commission.  At the conclusion of the Q&A, the audience will be invited to gather at El Real Tex Mex (in the former Tower Theater) on Montrose.  El Real will offer a discount upon presentation of a ticket from the film. About the movie: blacktino is a darkly humorous teen comedy about an overweight, half-black, half-Latino nerd named Stefan Daily.  Raised by his black grandmother in a suburb of Austin, and struggling to find his place in a mostly white high school, Stefan finds sanctuary among the eclectic mix of social outcasts in the school's Theater Department.  A coming-of-age story reflective of today's cynical times, blacktino gives an honest and hilarious depiction of high school life as seen through the imaginative eyes of a biracial computer nerd.  The film won Best Director at HBO's New York International Latino Film Festival.  the filmmaker This is the first feature effort by Aaron Burns, 27-year old Austin filmmaker, who trained for the day he'd be making his own movies while working at Troublemaker Studios doing multiple tasks on Robert Rodriguez' movies.  (Troublemaker is the studio co-founded by Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellán.)  In an interview by Neil Lumbard, for DVDTalk.com, Burns had this to say, "They offered me a full time position in the visual effects department so I took that and I never looked back.  Troublemaker Studios was my film school and I worked there for about four years, and when you work for Robert Rodriguez if you don't have nine jobs you're fired, you know? You develop tolerance and skills in many different fields.  You're doing clerical work, you're keeping track of shots, doing visual effects and graphic design, editing, putting things together, shooting things, doing cinematography. I mean, you're just doing all kinds of things. You have a million jobs. So there is no one there to hold your hand but there is also no one there to hold you back. We basically had a good free reign at the studio and really took advantage of that golden opportunity."  Burns was writer, director, editor, and producer of blacktino. He is not expected to attend the MFAH screening. The following day, Saturday, March 3, 10:30 AM until Noon, return to the Museum for CINÉCHAT with Elizabeth Avellán and Greg Carter, in the Freed Auditorium at Glassell School of Art.  The event is targeted to high school students, however the community partners are invited to this FREE offering.  About the Cinéchat: Cinéchats at the MFAH are a new series of talks about filmmaking, film analysis and the history of cinema. The March 3 session features Avellán and Carter discussing their careers with a focus on opportunities for high school students interested in the profession. A question and answer session follows their presentation. The MFAH's community partners for both programs include the Houston Film Commission, Women In Film & Television Houston (WIFTH), and Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP).