By Christine Thompson
Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival kicks off a Retro-Gala Screening of BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS with Sybil Danning in attendance with a party before and after, all happening Thursday, December 1st at Flix Brewhouse in Round Rock, Tx.
The festival, now in it’s third year, has a limited number of badges available. The badges, aptly named Super Massive Black Hole, Supernova, Pulsar and Black Hole range from $65 to $95, with the upper range Super Massive Black Hole sold out at this time. Other Worlds Austin was selected ‘Best of Austin’ by the Austin Chronicle, and labeled ‘Best Visions of the Future.’ It’s no wonder as OWA is supported by a team of programmers who love genre films, write genre films, or make genre films of their own.
The slate is chock full of great movies curated for the sci fi enthusiast, including Opening Night Film for 2016 the Israeli SciFi comedy OMG, I’M A ROBOT?! Other Worlds Austin also announced the retro screening of the cult classic DARK STAR, written by John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon. Lead actor Brian Narelle and Diane O’Bannon (Dan’s widow) will be special guests for the screening. In conjunction with the Austin School of Film, Other Worlds Austin will also present a free screenwriting workshop lead by Matt Lohr, co-author of Dan O’Bannon’s Guide to Screenplay Structure.
The slate includes the World Premiere of DOMAIN, the North American Premiere of ORIGIN, dual centerpiece films WE GO ON and VIRTUAL REVOLUTION, as well as BE MY CAT: A FILM FOR ANNE and SOMNIO, all Texas premieres.
In addition, OWA will present the World Premiere of the first ever original score for the 1932 classic ISLAND OF LAST SOULS. Composer Jay Woelfel will be in attendance. Finally, Other Worlds Austin is proud to present the inaugural Dan O’Bannon Filmmaker Award to THE GOLDEN RECORD PROJECT.
The closing Night Film, THE UNSEEN; the North American Premiere of STILLE RESERVEN [Hidden Reserves]; the documentary, GHOST ROCKETS; the final Under Worlds Austin selection, THE AXE MURDERS OF VILLISCA (written by Austin’s own Owen Egerton); and the Texas Premiere of the SciFi/Horror, BLOOD HUNTERS. The full schedule of films can be found here: http://www.otherworldsaustin.com/2016-film-lineup.
“THE UNSEEN is a drama with just the trappings of a genre film,” says Bears Fonté, OWA Founder and Artistic Director. “Redknap has crafted a moving tale that is as much about absentee fatherhood as anything, invisibility serving as a metaphor and providing the foundation for a gritty crime thriller concerning running from your past.”
As part as its continuing effort to discover and celebrate female voices working in the genre field, Other World’s Austin will present the Mary Shelley Award to the best film that furthers the involvement and representation of women in the SciFi genre. The award is named for the author of “Frankenstein,” the original SciFi novel.
