Slamdance announces March 2, 2013 in Austin, Texas as the first leg of “Slamdance On The Road”. “On The Road” brings popular Slamdance films to audiences that otherwise would not have the opportunity to see them. The traveling showcase also supports local filmmaking and the development of independent filmmaking with live discussions known as “Coffee With…” events. On Saturday, March 2, 2013 in downtown Austin’s historic Paramount theatre, Slamdance will showcase 2013 Grand Jury award winners Bible Quiz (Best Documentary) and The Dirties (Best Feature Narrative) together with Texas made shorts, Hearts of Napalm and Winkelmann, TX.
Following the screening of The Dirties, there will be a “Coffee With..” discussion with director Matt Johnson and producer Matt Miller. We will hear how the film really got made and answers to the question “can you laugh with the boy holding the gun?”
About the Feature Films:
Bible Quiz, directed by Nicole Teeny, is a documentary that challenges stereotypes as it tells the story of teen love set against the unusual backdrop of the religious sport of Bible Quiz. The film portrays an even-handed look at religion through the eyes of teenagers Mikayla and her crush, team captain JP, as they explore faith, identity, sexuality, and competition at one of the most unique summits in American religion today.
“Nicole Teeny’s documentary about young love and the role religion can play in confusing budding romantic feelings is simple, unbiased, and ultimately quite moving” – Beth Hanna, IndieWire
The Dirties, is about best friends, Matt and Owen, who live in a world of endless movie references and hijinks. It would be perfect, if not for the cruel and insane bullies at their high school who make their lives hell.
While working on a movie about their revenge, the lines between fiction and reality blur together. What was once a harmless fantasy takes the form of a real-life school shooting in this comedic and horrifying look at the devastating effects of high school bullying. “…the most controversial (and arguably best) film in all of Park City: “The Dirties”… the most empathetic and human portrait of bullying, and its deadly consequences, ever put on film.” – Xaque Gruber, Huffington Post
Texas Made Shorts:
Hearts of Napalm is directed by Andy Irvine. After another anticlimactic night, a sexually frustrated girl challenges her unimaginative boyfriend to stimulate her in new ways.
Winkelmann, TX is directed by Caleb Garcia. A history in rotting wood. Some people collect stamps or foreign currency as way of quantifying the places they have been or the places they have always wanted to see. It is a sort of documentation of a history either lived or longed for. In Texas, people collect property.
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of the new and emerging talent and is dedicated to the nurturing and development of new independent artists and their cinematic vision.
The Slamdance 2013 Film Festival ran concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival, January 18-24, in Park City, Utah. Slamdance continues to live by its mantra: “By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers.” Apparently, no other festival is fully programmed by filmmakers.
The Slamdance 2013 Screenwriting Competition presented by JuntoBox Films will launch on February 25th and welcome screenplays in every genre, on any topic, from anywhere in the world.
Awards are given to the top three scripts in each category, with a Grand Prize of $10,000 cash and no less than $50,000 in production funds for the best feature-length screenplay regardless of category.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
