SXSW announces 2006 lineup…wowie zowie that’s a lot of films!
Here are the docs. You can see the whole she-bang here.
SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
Al Franken in God Spoke
Dir: Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus
A cinema verite pursuit of Al Franken, shot over the course of two years, the film follows the former SNL writer turned political attack dog from his feud with Bill O’Reilly to the 2004 Presidential election. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Fired!
Dir: Chris Bradley and Kyle LaBrache; Featuring: Annabelle Gurwitch, David Cross, Illeana Douglas, Bob Odenkirk, Jeff Garlin, Andy Dick
After being fired by Woody Allen, Gurwitch set out – with the help of some famous faces – to look at what it means to be both hired and fired as an American worker in the global economy. (WORLD PREMIERE)
The Life of Reilly
Dir: Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson
Popular character actor and TV staple, Charles Nelson Reilly, delivers the final performance of his touching and hilarious one-man show. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Nobelity
Dir: Turk Pipkin
Pipkin travels the world chatting with living Nobel Prize winners, to get their perspective on the world today. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Patriot Act
Dir: Jeffrey Ross
A stand-up comedian documents his trip to Iraq when he and other entertainers make their way abroad for a USO tour. (U.S. PREMIERE)
RANK
Dir: John Hyams.
A beautifully textured documentary look at one year in professional bull riding, and the effect it has on the personal lives of those who compete. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Tales of the Rat Fink
Dir: Ron Mann
In this fun and comprehensive history, John Goodman narrates a journey through the cult status and international influence of hot-rod designer Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth, creator of the popular Rat Fink character. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Who the $#%& is Jackson Pollock?
Dir: Harry Moses
A documentary following the adventures of a 73 year-old truck driver, after she buys what some believe is a Jackson Pollock painting, for five dollars at a thrift shop. (WORLD PREMIERE)
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 globe’s 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)
EMERGING VISIONS
Bata-ville: We Are Not Afraid of the Future
Dir: Nina Pope & Karen Guthrie
A bittersweet record of a road trip (with many former employees) to the origins of the Bata shoe empire in the Czech Republic. (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Cruel and Unusual
Dir: Janet Baus, Dan Hunt, and Reid Williams
An unflinching look at the lives of male-to-female transsexual women in men’s prisons in the United States. (WORLD PREMIERE)
High Score
Dir: Jeremy Mack
Although technology has left them behind, a group of die-hard gamers still struggles to set high scores on classic arcade games in this entertaining documentary. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Lifelike
Dir: Tally Abecassisbr /> A documentary look at the fascinating and increasingly-mainstream world of stuffing and mounting dead animals. (U.S. PREMIERE)
Manhattan, Kansas
Dir: Tara Wray
A first-person documentary feature told from the POV of a daughter coping with her mentally unstable mother. (WORLD PREMIERE)
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Air Guitar Nation
Dir: Alexandra Lipsitz
From New York to L.A. all the way to Northern Finland, this is a chronicle of the rise of the U.S. Air Guitar Championships through the eyes of former world champions, fans, and media. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Awesome: I Fuckin’ Shot That!
Dir: Nathaniel Hornblower; Featuring: The Beastie Boys
A live performance creatively captured by audience members during a Beastie Boys concert at Madison Square Garden.
Before the Music Dies
Dir: Andrew Shapter; Featuring: Erykah Badu, Dave Matthews, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton
Two music fans use insight from musicians and industry to investigate American music: it’s rich past, troubled present, and bright future. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Crazy Again
Dir: Zalman King; Featuring: Dale Watson, Hank Williams III
Texas Music Hall of Fame inductee Dale Watson reveals the story of going crazy with grief after the death of his girlfriend. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Danielson: A Family Movie
Dir: JL Aronson; Featuring: Danielson Famile, Sufjan Stevens
A songwriter leads his family to indie rock stardom, eventually facing the struggles of a solo career and a protégé who finds greater commercial success. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
Dir: Alex Gibney; Featuring: Herbie Hancock, Sting, Annie Lennox, Carlos Santana
This is a look at jazz legend Herbie Hancock, as he collaborates with an all-star roster to record a new project, while reflecting on his history and influence. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads
Dir: Hector Galan
Three Mexican-American brothers from West Texas rock their way out of poverty, determined to fulfill their father’s dream. (WORLD PREMIERE)
LoudQUIETloud: A Film about the Pixies
Dir: Steve Cantor & Matt Galkin
This documentary chronicles the highly-anticipated and rather unlikely 2005 reunion tour of one of indie rock’s most beloved bands. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Metal: A Headbandger’s Journey
Dir: Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, Jessica Joy Wise; Featuring: Tony Iommi, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, Vince Neil, Lemmy, Lamb of God, Slipknot
A window for the outsider into a culture that has been consistently stereotyped and widely dismissed, yet passionately loved by millions. (U.S. PREMIERE)
The Passing Show
Dir: Rupert Williams & James Mackie; Featuring: Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Ian McLagan
A comprehensive look at Small Faces member Ronnie Lane as an entertainer, songwriter, and legend. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Pick Up The Mic
Dir: Alex Hinton; Featuring: Juba Kalamka, Dutchboy, Johnny Dangerous
A startling and fast-paced documentary on the world of gay, lesbian, and trans-gendered rappers.
Punk Like Me
Dir: Zach Merck
When a man cons his way onto the Warped Tour, as a 37 year-old amateur punk rock singer, he finally gets to fulfill his rock star fantasies. (WORLD PREMIERE)
The Refugee All-Stars
Dir: Zach Niles & Banker White; Featuring: Rueben M. Koroma, Efuh Grace Ampomah, Francis John Langba
Suffering & Smiling
Dir: Dan Ollman; Featuring: Femi Kuti
(WORLD PREMIERE)
LONE STAR STATES
Letters From the Other Side
Dir: Heather Courtney
Video letters carried across the US/Mexico border by the film’s director with the personal stories of women left behind in post-NAFTA Mexico.
The Other Side
Dir: Bill Brown
A two thousand-mile roadtrip along the US-Mexico border, happening in an age of homeland insecurity. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Slam Planet: War of the Words
Dir: Mike Henry & Kyle Fuller
Film crews follow various slam poetry teams, as they become bound and determined to win the national competition. (WORLD PREMIERE)
State vs. Reed
Dir: Ryan Polomski, Frank Bustoz
A captivating look at one man’s battle with the legal system. (WORLD PREMIERE)
TV Junkie
Dir: Michael Cain & Matt Radecki
A Texas-based “extreme sports†reporter records 3,000 hours of his dizzying and conflicted life, split between a happy family and troubling secret.
‘ROUND MIDNIGHT
American Hardcore
Dir: Paul Rachman
This documentary is a comprehensive and chaotic visual history of the underground scene of the American hardcore punk movement.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Dir: Scott Glosserman
Leslie Vernon, the great psycho-slasher upstart, has given a documentary crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the next unfortunate little town.
(WORLD PREMIERE)
Fuck
Dir: Steve Anderson; Featuring: Alanis Morissette, Drew Carey, Sam Donaldson, Alan Keyes, Chuck D, Pat Boone, Bill Maher
A documentary look at the infamous “F word,†from both the liberal and conservative perspective.
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
Dir: Kirby Dick
This documentary is a provocative investigation of the people, places, and decisions that constitute the movie ratings board.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
51 Birch Street
Dir: Doug Block
Do we ever really know our parents? And if we were suddenly given the chance to know all about them, would we take it?
A/K/A TOMMY CHONG
Dir: Josh Gilbert; Featuring: Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, Shelby Chong, Bill Maher, Jay Leno
The tragic and absurd journey of legendary counter-culture comedian Tommy Chong who was indicted in a drug paraphernalia sting.
The Heart of the Game
Dir: Ward Serrill
A documentary capturing the passion of a Seattle high school girls’ basketball team.
Infamy
Dir: Doug Pray
Without seeking to glorify it or chronicle its history, a documentary filmmaker turns to visual street culture, traveling into the lives and minds of seven people obsessed with graffiti.
The Last Western
Dir: Chris Deaux
A documentary on the bygone era of the B-western and the colorful citizens of Pioneertown, a dusty outpost on the edge of the Mojave Desert in the shadow of Los Angeles. (WORLD PREMIERE)
Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress
Dir: donnie betts
A documentary look at the life of musician, playwright, and civil rights activist Oscar Brown, Jr.
Neil Young: Heart of Gold
Dir: Jonathan Demme
Demme chronicles a historic concert performed by legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young.
Sisters in Law
Dir: Kim Longinotto & Florence Ayisi
This documentary examines the little town of Kumba, Cameroon, and the fgact that here have been no convictions in spousal abuse cases for 17 years. Thanks to a tough-minded state prosecutor and court president, things may be starting to change.
Small Town Gay Bar
Dir: Malcolm Ingram.
In the face of cruelty, ridicule, and even violence, American homosexuals manage to find sanctuary in the only place they are offered within hundreds of miles: gay bars. This documentary tells their story.
The Treasures of Long Gone John
Dir: Gregg Gibbs
A chronicle of the eccentric art and musical obsessions of a self-described anti-mogul of the music industry, indie record producer Long Gone John.
Wide Awake
Dir: Alan Berliner
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Berliner examines his years-long bout with insomnia.