SXSW kicks off this week. Austin's annual celebration of music, film and technology has become a must for fans of pop culture. Whether you're a movie aficionado or a computer geek, there's something on the schedule for everyone.

The highlight of this year's fest will probably be the "first look" of Robert Rodriguez's Predators at the Alamo Ritz Theater in downtown Austin on March 12. Predators, the latest chapter in the Predator universe, was shot on location at Rodriguez's Austin-based Troublemaker Studios. The film stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, and Laurence Fishburne. The event is only open toSXSW Badge-holders on a first-come, first-served basis. An audience Q&A follows the screening. ]]> cmb 2010-03-09T13:33:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/1/29/113550/592

The notorious British street artist Banksy premiered his first film, Exit Through The Gift Shop, at Sundance this week. But, true to form, he didn't allow it to be listed in the fest's catalog nor did he tell anyone about its place on the schedule until last week. This is no surprise coming from an artist who keeps his identity and whereabouts under tighter wraps than most people in the witness protection program.

The film is about street art, but it is also about Terry Guetta a.k.a Mr. Brain Wash, a successful commercial street artist. In the '90s Terry was obsessed with capturing his life on video. At the same time, he was hanging out with his cousin, the street artist Space Invader, who worked nights in France and Los Angeles covering the town with pixel aliens. Terry quickly became obsessed with street artists and, suddenly, his two passions combined. This meant for the first time someone was capturing the best graffiti artists in the world (including Banksy) working. The problem was, Terry's film sucked, even though he tried really hard, he just couldn't pull it off. This is where Banksy stepped in and decided to turn Terry's footage into Exit Through the Gift Shop. ]]> cmb 2010-01-29T11:46:59-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/13/152225/31

A scene from Metropia, not for the kids

If you happen to be visiting the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend and are looking for a last-minute culture fix, our suggestion is the Fourth Annual S.F. International Animation Festival. The festival's kick-off took place earlier this week, with an Opening Night screening of the new Wes Anderson movie The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

While Fox is a larger studio release, most of the festival's programming gives due time and attention to films that don't have the same hype or budget attached to them as a Pixar release—obscure international offerings, shorts, and other movies that don't usually find a place at your local cineplex. Don't get us wrong, we're still Pixar devotees, but this weekend's lineup is refreshingly challenging and less mainstream than, say, the umpeeth movie in the Shrek series. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-13T16:44:27-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/21/122656/96

Austin gets all the credit for being the arty city in Texas, and Houston residents probably like it that way: When no one's depending on you to bolster your state's reputation, you get a lot more work done! But the city where "Reality Bites" and "Rushmore" were filmed is stepping into the limelight with next month's Cinema Arts Festival Houston.

Held November 11 to 15, the fest says it focuses on "films by and about artists," offering events like a conversation with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga ("Babel") Nov. 13 and a screening of the new documentary "Yes Men Fix The World" with one of the Yes Men, who have been wreaking havoc in Washington D.C. this week with fake press conferences and silly costumes—that's on November 14 and 15. ]]> egw 2009-10-21T16:28:41-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/13/143047/98

A scene from Noriben, playing at this year's Hawaii International Film Festival.

Though the time for Tribeca, Cannes, and Toronto has come and gone, the film festival circuit hasn't screeched to a halt. There's Sundance to look forward to, of course, but a welcome alternative to similar large-scale hype galas are festivals held far away from Los Angeles, New York, and other metropoles.

Hawaii may not be Hollywood, but there's still creativity abound on the big island. And while it may not attract as much attention as, say, Berlin, the Hawaii International Film Festival has earned a well-respected reputation among cinema's inner circle, with people like Roger Ebert praising its East-meets-West sensibility. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-10-13T15:38:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/6/102857/470

It just isn't Halloween until you've had a good dose of scary movies, and the The Eerie Film Festival in Erie, PA is serving up a roster guaranteed to keep you up at night.

This year's fest kicks off Thursday night with the British zombie film Colin, which caused quit a stir in Cannes this year. The movie, which producers claim cost a mere $70, is told from a zombie's perspective. In addition to Colin, the fest will screen more than a dozen horror movies; some are terrifying while some are kitschy, like the updated version of the classic horror flick Nosferatu in 3D. ]]> cmb 2009-10-06T11:18:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/22/11132/5594

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is holding their annual Baseball Film Festival on Oct. 2-4 at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. The festival will feature 13 baseball-themed movies including The Lost Son of Havana about Major League Baseball star Luis Tiant's return to Cuba and She's Baseball Mad!, a look at the role women played in building Seattle's family-friendly ballpark.

Tickets for each screening are free, and can be reserved in advance. Members can reserve their tickets now and any remaining seats will made available to the general public on Monday, Sept. 28. For more information call the Membership Department at 607-547-0397 and be sure to check our suggestions below for getting the most out of your weekend in Cooperstown.

Where to stay and eat and what to do while in Cooperstown: ]]> cmb 2009-09-22T12:38:47-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/