2009 AFF Memoirs

So this year I was lucky enough to have a badge to the 2009 Austin Film Festival. It was my first time to have a badge for the entire event. Between parties and talking to friends old and new I was able to catch a couple of feature flicks and several shorts programs.

The first film that I saw was "Stoner" by Austin writer/director Michael Greene. It was a cool flick about four friends on the cusp of their college graduation, and as the name suggests there is a fair bit of smoking, however the heart of the film lies in the believable and relatable characters. It's a great film with comedic moments and also some more serious self discovery elements, offering a nice balance. If you get a chance you should check it out!

I also barely squeezed into a packed screening at the Alamo Ritz of the comedy "Herpes Boy" written by/staring Byron Lane and drirected by Nathaniel Atcheson. It was a quirky little film that had some charming moments. The thought occurred to me during the screening that it would probably be a great cable television series as there was a lot of material to develop for the characters.

Additionally I got to got to the Texas Filmmakers Showcase. It was a great series of films that really made me proud to be part of the Texas filmmaking community. If you get a chance to see this series you should jump on it.