Movie Time

Texas-made films grab center stage at Sundance Film Festival, including Houstonand Linsanity

One of the hottest tickets to this year’s Sundance is the documentary premiereof Linsanity, featuring Jeremy Lin.
Triple5Light
In the 12-entry category for World Dramatic, Houston, a dark psychological dramafeaturing a German executive recruiter and alcoholic who comes to Houston torecruit an energy executive will premiere Jan. 22.
FilmGuide.Sundance.org
Pit Stop, by director and screenwriter Yen Tan, tells the parallel stories oftwo working class gay men in a small Texas town who come together after eachsuffering struggles and heartbreak in other relationships.
FilmGuide.Sundance.org
Computer Chess, the fourth feature length film by Austin director AndrewBujalski, is an existential comedy about a computer convention in 1980 and themen who taught machines to play chess.
FilmGuide.Sundance.org
Sure to be controversial will be A Teacher, a psychological drama about a highschool teacher who has an affair with one of her students.
ATeacherFilm.com

PARK CITY, Utah — It is shaping up to be a banner year for Texas-centered films and filmmakers as the Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday and runs through January 27. More than a dozen films with Texas ties will be screened in the two drama categories, two documentary categories, the short film category and the edgy NEXT category.

One of the hottest tickets is the documentary premiere of Linsanity, featuring Jeremy Lin, the Harvard basketball player who came from a humble background and was undrafted by the NBA only to have an unbelievable run as an NBA player (he now plays for the Houston Rockets of course). A portion of the film was shot in Houston.

One of the hottest tickets is the documentary premiere of Linsanity, featuring Jeremy Lin.

The documentary, which was filmed by Lin's close friend Evan Leong, begins when Lin was a college student with no pro prospects, long before his magical run with the New York Knicks last season. The film premieres on Saturday with not a ticket to be had.

In the 12-entry category for World Dramatic, Houston, a dark psychological drama featuring a German executive recruiter and alcoholic who comes to Houston to recruit an energy executive will premiere Jan. 22. The film was — no surprise given its title — filmed in Houston and El Campo, as well as in Germany by German director and screenwriter, Bastian Gunther.

It is part-time Austin resident Gunther's first U.S. film.

Austin-based director Richard Linklater will show his latest movie, Before Midnight, a follow-up to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, on Sunday night.

Linklater will also co-host a party saluting 10 Texas films that will be shown at the festival, including Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey as a charismatic outlaw who recruits two boys to aid his clean getaway, and Prince Avalanche, which writer/director David Gordon Green adapted from the Icelandic film Either Way and clandestinely shot in Austin.

Bold works

Sundance’s NEXT group features "pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling" and usually made on a modest budget. Computer Chess, Pit Stop, and A Teacher are three of the 10 submissions.

Sure to be controversial, A Teacher is a psychological drama about a high school teacher who has an affair with one of her students. This film was shot entirely in Austin and marks the first Sundance entry for film director and screenwriter, Hannah Fidell.

Sure to be controversial, A Teacher is a psychological drama about a high school teacher who has an affair with one of her students.

Computer Chess, the fourth feature length film by Austin director Andrew Bujalski is an existential comedy about a computer convention in 1980 and the men who taught machines to play chess.

Pit Stop, by director and screenwriter Yen Tan, tells the parallel stories of two working class gay men in a small Texas town who come together after each suffering struggles and heartbreak in other relationships.

Tan's script for Pit Stop was selected out of hundreds of entries to participate in the Outfest Screenwriting Lab in 2009 and the project was awarded a $7,000 grant from the Austin Film Society’s Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund. The producers utilized crowd-funding from usaprojects.org to raise another $32,000 for the project.

Tan immigrated to Dallas from Malaysia in 1996 and currently lives in Austin where he is also the go-to person for graphic design of movie posters for independent films. Tan was assisted in co-writing duties by Dallasite David Lowery.

Buzzed-about film

Filmmaker Lowery is a busy guy. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, a film he wrote and directed, is one of one of the most buzzed-about films of the 16 submissions in the U.S. Dramatic category. It tells the story of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is one of one of the most buzzed-about films of the 16 submissions in the U.S. Dramatic category.

Featuring an all-star cast of Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster, the film opens in the “A” venue — the 1,100 seat Eccles Theater — on the first weekend of the festival. Ain't Them Bodies Saints follows Lowery's debut feature, St. Nick, which premiered at SXSW, in 2009 and was released commercially in 2011.

The movie will also be shown in Houston on Jan. 31 at the Sundance Cinemas as part of the Sundance Film Festival USA series held in 10 cities. Lowery and producer Toby Halbrooks will be in Houston to introduce the film and participate in an audience question-and-answer session moderated by CultureMap editor-in-chief Clifford Pugh. Tickets are on sale on the Sundance Cinemas website.

Shorts competition

In the 65 films that will screen in the Shorts Competition, Texans directors get the nod in Black Metal, The Cub, and Thank You. Black Metal, made in Austin, is a nine-minute film focused on the actions of a fan of the lead singer of a black metal band.

The Cub, filmed by Austin director Riley Stearns, is a short five-minute film, that examines the relationship of a wolf and its cubs.

Thank You, a 12-minute animated film by Austin directors Pendleton Ward and Tom Herpich, focuses on a snow golem that is attacked in the forest by a pack of wolves, who accidentally leave a cub behind after their retreat. The golem’s life is thrown into chaos as he attempts to reunite the cub with its family.

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Weekend event planner

Here are the 14 best things to do in Houston this Christmas weekend

Photo courtesy of Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

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So, Thursday is the big day, when many Houstonians will get together with family and/or friends to celebrate Christmas with presents, egg nog, and a festive meal.

But that doesn’t mean there still won’t be events popping off this weekend. Some are holiday-related (like Stages’ staging of The Twelve Dates of Christmas and the Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet going down in Sugar Land), while others are just some fun things to do (like watching some college football at NRG Stadium or attending the birthday bash of a local punk legend at Dan Electro’s).

Whatever you do, just have a holly, jolly time this weekend.

Thursday, December 25

Toro Toro presents Christmas Brunch
Embark on a brunch journey over at Toro Toro this Christmas. Executive chef Jonathan Esparza and his team have prepared an extensive, Christmas brunch buffet menu, featuring a selection of traditional holiday dishes and interactive stations. Brunch is priced at $145 per adult and $65 per child (11 and under; children 5 and under eat free). Dinner will also be served a la carte from 5:30 to 10 pm. 10 am.

Juliet Steakhouse & Fine Dining presents Holiday Buffet Feast
Juliet will be serving up a fabulous Christmas Day buffet, priced at $59 for adults and $28 for kids 12 and under (children under 5 dine free). The buffet includes carved-to-order turkey and filet mignon, plus sides such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, candied yams, cornbread dressing, mac and cheese, collard greens, dinner rolls, Caesar salad, and lobster bisque. Desserts include peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and assorted cookies. Noon.

The Flat presents DJ Sun’s A James Brown Christmas Tribute
DJ Sun will be giving the gift of funk, with The Flat’s annual James Brown musical tribute. Flash Gordon Parks will also be spinning some cuts written, produced, and/or performed by the hardest-working man in show business. Special holiday cocktails will also be served, so pull up and close out Christmas night the right way: by getting funky with it! 8 pm.

Friday, December 26

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Little Kid Flicks and Big Kid Flicks
A holiday season favorite at the MFAH, Kid Flicks is a compilation of fun, artful, inspired, and thought-provoking short film compilations presented in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival. These award-winning short films offer a chance to explore new frontiers from around the world, across the street, and the ever-expanding boundaries of our own perspectives. Little Kid Flicks is designed for ages 5 and up. Big Kid Flicks is designed for ages 8 and up. 11:30 am and 2 pm.

Downtown Houston+ presents Movies Under the Stars: The Fighting Temptations
As part of their Movies Under the Stars series, Downtown Houston+ will present a screening of the 2003 comedy The Fighting Temptations, where our own Beyoncé Knowles-Carter stars as a talented young singer who helps a childhood friend (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) revive a struggling church choir, at Trebly Park. Visitors are encouraged to grab takeout from a surrounding restaurant and bring their own lawn blanket to enjoy the screening. 6:30 pm.

Improv Houston presents Marcus D. Wiley
The son of a preacher, Christian comedian (and former Texas Southern University professor) Marcus D. Wiley's charismatic style of delivery is clean, captivating, funny, and knowledgeable. He provides lots of laughter along with a guaranteed message on being a better you. Earlier this year, Wiley released his third, hour-long special Marriage Is Major Surgery (executive-produced by Houston stand-up star Ali Siddiq) on YouTube. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 pm Saturday).

Stages presents The Twelve Dates of Christmas
After seeing her fiance kiss another woman at the televised Thanksgiving Day Parade, Mary’s life falls apart — just in time for the holidays. Over the next year, she stumbles back into the dating world. It seems nothing can help Mary’s growing cynicism, until the charm and innocence of a five-year-old boy unexpectedly brings a new outlook on life and love. This heartwarming one-woman play offers a hilarious and modern alternative to the old standards of the holiday season. 7:30 pm (3 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, December 27

Wonky Power presents Jazz & Jokes
A new night of stand-up, cocktails, and live jazz will debut inside one of Houston’s most intimate creative rooms. Jazz & Jokes brings together two of the best live experiences — laughter and live music — curated for a cozy, seated evening at Wonky Power. Featuring a rotating cast of special stand-up comedians from Houston and beyond, paired with a live jazz band setting the mood all night, this night will offer a warm, relaxed atmosphere, great drinks, and a room built for performance. 7 pm.

Kinder's Texas Bowl: Houston vs. LSU
The 2025 Kinder's Texas Bowl will feature a matchup between the Houston Cougars of the Big 12 Conference, making its 31st all-time bowl appearance, and the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference. Houston enters the Texas Bowl ranked No. 21 in the College Football Playoff rankings with a 9-3 overall record, its best record since 2021. This will mark the first time the Cougars have played in the Bowl since 2007. 8:15 pm.

The Garden Theatre presents Cruel Intentions
Based on the 1999 teen flick, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical pulls audiences into the manipulative world of Manhattan’s most dangerous liaisons: Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Fueled by revenge and passion, the diabolically charming step-siblings place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can deflower their incoming headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove. The musical features throwback hits by artists like Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC, and Britney Spears. Through Sunday, January 11. 8 pm (2 and 8 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Goode Co. Armadillo Palace presents Roger Creager Piano Bar
Award-winning country singer/Texas native Roger Creager will be in town to do a post-Xmas set at Goode Co. Armadillo Palace. With more than a dozen No. 1 singles on the Texas Music Chart and Entertainer of the Year honors from both CMA Texas and the Texas Music Awards, Creager brings a mix of road-tested songwriting and bold melodies. Dine on authentic Texas fare, including signature house favorites the Damn Goode Burger and the Damn Goode Margarita. 9 pm.

Sunday, December 28

Dan Electro’s presents J.R.’s Birthday Bash
Houston punk pioneer (and all-around good guy) J.R. Delgado has been a member of multiple punk, hardcore and garage rock bands. He was also the owner of the legendary rock club The Axiom in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. This weekend, he’lll be celebrating his 70th birthday at Dan Electro’s, and he’ll be having a free throwdown everyone is invited to. Hickoids, Jane Woe, and Bastard Union will be providing the live jams, while DJ LP will be spinning music all day. 1 pm.

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet
|Over at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will highlight an international cast and Ukrainian principal artists performing at the peak of classical European ballet. Audiences will be transported by the magic of jaw-dropping acrobatics, larger-than-life puppets, and hand-crafted sets and costumes. Share the tradition of pure holiday magic and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score with friends and family of all ages. 3 pm.

Arthouse Houston presents Hedwig and the Angry Inch with John Cameron Mitchell
Arthouse Houston will present a one-night-only event of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with star/creator John Cameron Mitchell. The 2001 indie musical classic (based on Mitchell’s off-Broadway play) follows Hedwig, an East Berliner transplant and lead singer in a band, who is chasing down his ex for stealing his songs. The screening will be accompanied by a live director's commentary by Mitchell, and followed by a live music set led by Mitchell, with band members Amber Martin and Chapman Welch. (Read CultureMap’s exclusive interview with Mitchell here.) 7:30 pm.

Photo courtesy of Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will perform in Sugar Land this weekend.

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