Posted 10 months ago
by thevaginazine
(Affordable) Indie Film Fun On Austin’s Eastside
Cinema East is a homegrown, recession friendly film series held every other Sunday from May 29 to September 4. Indie films are screened beneath the stars on the French Legation Museum’s lush lawn. The series features film festival favorites handpicked by co-founder Maggie Lea and programming director Carlyn Hudson.
Femme film fan Maggie Lea attends film festivals where she befriends directors at Q&A sessions and after parties. Inspired by the intimacy of such events, Maggie wanted to bring a similar environment to Austin’s East side.
“Something I love about Cinema East is it brings independent film to a new audience,” says Carlyn.
As a filmmaker herself, Carlyn enjoys Cinema East’s role as a middleman between audiences and budding filmmakers trying to get their movie picked up and distributed.
At just $3, attendees have a chance to see films screened at festivals like Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW where a film pass can easily go for a couple hundred dollars. With Cinema East, an audience of diehard film fans and novices alike can enjoy a variety of free-form indie movies throughout the summer months. What’s more, they are treated to a Q&A session with the director and maybe even a few of the actors.
The event is pup-dog friendly and BYOB. Eastside bar Cheer Up Charlie’s provides mixers and also hosts an after party where filmgoers are given a chance to interact with the movie makers in a more intimate setting.
HOPE Farmers Market plays another big role at Cinema East with vendors providing a variety of picnic-friendly, locally produced foods. This past Spring, Greg Esparza proposed the vendor set-up to Maggie as a unique take on dinner and a movie.
“We’re about sharing local food and local art and we see Cinema East as an extension of that,” says Greg.
The vendors offer a great representation of what you can find on a Sunday afternoon at HOPE Farmers Market—pate, kettle corn, pie, tamales. Attendees are encouraged to come hungry and support their local food producers.
The gates open at 7:30pm to groups of friends looking to pick the perfect spot for their quilts and grab some delicious food from the vendors. Screenings begin at 9pm with a short film chosen to complement the feature film.
Summer 2011 Schedule:
May 29 – Winnebago Man
June 12 – The Happy Poet
June 26 – WUSS
July 10 – The Color Wheel
July 24 – Rainbows End
August 7 – The Dish And The Spoon
August 21 – Green & Gabi On The Roof In July
September 4 – Bad Fever
—By Hillary-Anne Crosby, Vagina Editor-In-Chief
