The News: SXSW, Rendez-Vous Make it Official

Lou Reed and bandleader/producer Bob Ezrin in Lou Reed's Berlin, screening at SXSW 2008 (Photo: Toronto Int. Film Festival)

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Some of today's movie news of note from around New York:

--Does this mean I have to go to Texas? South by Southwest announced its 2008 features lineup late Monday, with a heady dose of New Yorkers making the cut. Among them: The aforementioned Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel will be on hand with their Brooklyn concert film Lou Reed's Berlin, while Martin Scorsese will bring his Rolling Stones film Shine a Light direct from the Berlinale to Austin. On an indier scale, look for premieres by Michael Almereyda (New Orleans Mon Amour), Mark Webber (Explicit Ills), Mary Bronstein (Yeast), David Redmon and Ashley Sabin (Intimidad), Celia Maysles (Wild Blue Yonder), Joshua Weinstein (Flying on One Engine) and ex-Hamptons and Brooklyn Underground programmer Josh Koury, returning to directing with his Harry Potter fandom doc We Are Wizards. I guess I should look for a hotel at this point.

--Closer to home, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the lineup for Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, running Feb. 29-March 9 at the Walter Reade Theater and IFC Center. We knew about Claude Lelouch's opener, Roman De Gare, and you'll have a second chance (after last month's NY Jewish Film Festival) to catch the Mathieu Almaric/Ludivine Sagnier starrer A Secret as well as a first look the animated Sundance sensation Fear(s) of the Dark. Other selections include actress Sophie Marceau's second directorial effort (Trivial), a visit from Christophe Honore (Love Songs) and even more Almaric (Heartbeat Detector). Tickets go on sale Feb. 14.

--To hear Michael Musto tell it, there's one film that won't be making any festival slates anytime soon: Gary Legault's East of the Tar Pits, starring Warhol star Holly Woodlawn as "a faded diva who longs more than anything to visit Barbra Streisand's former Malibu home." Music and drama ensue, as if you couldn't guess.

--The Times' tireless Michael Cieply hit the Oscar nominees' luncheon Monday, eschewing stargazing for a persuasive bit of Sid Ganis vaudeville: "To bolster his point with a little humor, Mr. Ganis displayed an official certificate of nomination that read, 'Must be present to win.' "

Posted at February 5, 2008 7:15 AM