Louisiana Film Summit set for Friday

The movie industry meeting of the minds will take place at the Shreveport Convention Center on Friday. I'll be there all day.

Here's what you need to know: "Among the featured speakers and panelists will be Chris Stelly, executive director of film and television for the Louisiana Economic Development Department; Mary Ann Hughes, a tax credit expert with Disney; Lampton Enochs, a local producer and line producer; and Jeffrey Goodman, a local independent filmmaker.

"And Christopher Martin, dean of Centenary College's Frost School of Business, will compare the film industry to other business sectors of Louisiana."

All events at Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo St., unless otherwise noted. Tickets are $50 in advance; $60 at the door.

Tickets cost $50 each in advance and $60 at the door.

Film Summit schedule
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.: registration.
9:15 a.m. Session I: discussions on industry's economic impact, industry's future.
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: networking lunch.
1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.: panels on industry challenges and strategies for the future.
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: "It's a Wrap" party at Hilton Shreveport, 104 Market St.

Local filmmaker set for more touring, teaching

Director Jeffrey Goodman is super busy.

His locally funded movie "The Last Lullaby" got into the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (Oct. 12-Nov. 9). That's good news.

The movie's co-writer, Max Allan Collins, will also screen the movie at the Bouchercon mystery and detective fiction convention (Oct. 9-12).

Goodman hopes to attend both events so he can build more buzz. The ultimate goal is to gain the best distribution deal possible, and he can't do that with cultivating an audience. I expect to see "The Last Lullaby" pop up on a few more festival schedules before the year is out.

Goodman also is in the early stages of developing his next project, a coming-of-age crime drama called "Peril." My forthcoming story in The Times will share all the details.

In late August, Goodman will return to LSUS classroom to teach two courses. One is on film form, and the other covers one of his favorite directors, Michael Mann.

Courses are open to students on nonstudents.

Here are the details:

Course: Reading Films (Film 115)
Begins Aug. 25
Meets 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Bronson Hall.
Description: "Utilizing some of the most remarkable scenes in the history of cinema, this course promises to provide basic film theory, history, and a vast understanding of the different ways that directors construct their films. Clips include 'Dead Man,' 'White Heat,' 'Funny Ha Ha,' 'Blow Out,' 'Blue Velvet,' 'Raising Arizona,' 'M' and many others. Discover some of the greatest movies for the first time while learning to be an even better audience."

Course: Michael Mann (Film 490)
Begins Aug. 26
Meets 6 to 8:40 p.m. Wednesdays in Bronson Hall
Description: "Come be a part of one of the only courses in the world, focusing on the films of Director Michael Mann. We will watch all of his major works, including 'The Last of the Mohicans,' 'The Insider,' 'Heat,' 'Ali,' and the original Hannibal Lecter film 'Manhunter.' And we will study, in great depth, one of the most entertaining, yet sophisticated stylists currently at work in Hollywood."

To register: 318.797.5061 or 318.797.5371.

'Beer in Hell' needs extras

"I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell," which is filming locally, needs extras for a strip club scene. (Quite a saucy week for LaMov Blog.) Here's condensed info from Glorioso Casting:

NEEDED: reliable male extras for "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" strip club scene.
LOOKS: ages 18 to 40s (and some 50s). Should be clean-cut and have a nice wardrobe.
WHEN: Monday (Aug. 4), Tuesday (Aug. 5), Wed. (Aug. 6) and Friday (Aug. 8).
PAY: $58/8; time and a half after 8 hours.
TO REGISTER: www.gloriosocasting.com or email current picture and contact info to staff@gloriosocasting.com.
NOTE: if registered with casting agency's online database, call the office at (318) 603-4560 to see if you fit their neede\s.

Shreveport's pride and joy hits DVD racks today

The Shreve's dirtiest, most politically astute movie gets released on DVD today.

No, Silly Reader, it's not "W."

It's "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," Shreveport's unofficial Oscar hopeful for 2008.

Just how dirty? Here's are excerpts from interviews with its creators and stars, which I recorded in March at the South by Southwest's film festival in Austin, Tex.

...

Hayden Schlossberg (cowriter, codirector): "We are students of nudity in movies. We’ve seen a lot of R-rated youth comedies over the years and we’ve seen what people have gotten away with. ... A lot of time when we’re writing we’re writing for that 13-year-old boy in ourselves that loved movies like 'Revenge of the Nerds.'

"Our 13-year-old selves would say, put as much nudity in this movie as humanly possible. And make it frontal nudity. So we listened to that inner voice. ...

"We know that the only reason we are doing a second movie is that our first movie’s DVD did really well. We’re the first people to admit that usually when you see these unrated DVDs, there is nothing that great in them. We have a theatrical movie that has a ton of frontal in it, so we made sure that when our unrated DVD comes out, it needs to do something that you are not allowed to do an R-rated movie."

...

Jon Hurwitz (cowriter, codirector): "There are a few things that we shot that we are not sure that New Line is going to let us put on (the DVD). We crossed over to porn a little bit in Amsterdam."

Hayden Schlossberg: "Harold and Kumar went to a sex show, and we couldn’t control what the actors were doing there."

...

John Cho (Harold): "Jon and Hayden, much like Harold and Kumar, are innocents, and that’s why the characters and the directors and writers get away with so much. It’s not a mean-spirited kind of unPCness. It’s very ... quite wide-eyed. We have a bottomless party and it’s almost a 13-year-old’s perviness. It’s not adult perviness."

...

By the way, that bottomless party scene? At SXSW, the directors were bragging about how the DVD would include an extra which would turn the bottomless party into a topless party.

Wait a minute. What's that sound I hear? Cries of The Shreve's movie fans who fear a sold-out HK2 DVD?

'W.' teaser trailer

Six questions for Chris Lyon

What are you working on now?

Currently I'm working with Luke Lee and Keith Shively on writing a feature length film about the end of the world. We are done with the basic story elements and are now hammering out the details of each scene. The difference in this story – which is certainly a genre film – over other apocalyptic movies is that it concentrates on the people and how they adapt to the situation at hand. Many apocalyptic films concentrate on what's causing the world to end- which really isn't that important.

What's the coolest part about your job?

As many filmmakers would say, it's all about telling the story. The idea that something didn't exist before but it might in your film does a number on those infatuated with storytelling and creating. This infatuation blossoms into a full on love affair when you truly find what you are trying to say with your project. Saying something is certainly a big factor in entertaining and changing an audience.

What is your main career goal?

To become a director – and by director I don't mean someone who goes around taking a directing job just to get by. I want to create stories that are entertaining AND meaningful – the kinds that win people's loyalty – not just the kinds that win awards. Certainly there are those out there that win awards and are never heard of again. I'd rather be the director of a cult classic or two than take home an Oscar. Don't get me wrong – I would love a huge audience, for people to accept/understand what I'm trying to say, AND win a little golden man at the same time. … But I'll settle for just getting to make films for now.

What single experience has proved most valuable?

The most influential experience I had was working on the set of "The Last Lullaby." Jeffrey Goodman, the director, and I had met on a few occasions before the movie went into production. We talked about the movie and what he was trying to doing with it which was awesome in itself. But to actually be on the set of a local filmmaker – with a real budget and a real crew – gave me that extra push to believe that someone with roots in the Port could do what I was trying to do with my life. A true inspiration.

In what movie or show can we see your work? Highlight a scene you like.

Several of pieces of work can be found here. If you mean real films that one may be able to see in theaters, you can check out "The Last Lullaby" when it releases. I can be seen (but not really) doing several things – like making the elevator doors seem like they are actually opening by moving scrims apart to cast shadows on the actors. Haha! I loved the opportunity to do that kind of thing off-camera. It's movie magic!

What's your favorite movie of all time and why?

"Jurassic Park." I was 7 when the movie released on home video and the first time I saw it I told my parents I wanted to make movies- right there on the spot. It's the first movie that really took me to another world – one that where seeing dinosaurs was truly possible – not just believable. It showed me that I could make things appear on screen that can't be seen on earth or don't even exist. That same mantra drives many of stories I try to tell today.

Six questions for Christopher Moore

Christopher Moore is a local metal artist.

What was your most recent job in the movie industry?

"Year One" props, "The Hurting Kind" trailer, prop master.

What's the coolest part about your job?

Working hand in hand with prop masters, art directors and set designers and being able to give my professional artistic input to the look of a design. I get to work early on in the production before shooting begins and when there is still time to make changes to original designs. I get to give my opinion on designs and give them options to what they have envisioned and sometimes use my original designs to incorporate them into the film.

What is your main career goal?

To continue using my artist ability on film and increase my knowledge of the industry.

What single experience has proved most valuable?

Befriending, Observing and learning all that I could from Dwight Benjamin-Creel, Prop Master for "Year One" who taught me many things he has dealt with in his many years working on over 40 films.

In what movie or show can we see your work? Highlight a scene you like.

(The dungeon in) "Initiation of Sarah" … and in "Year One" most of the metal pieces in the film including hero pieces for Jack Black, Harold Ramis, and David Cross and Shackles worn by all of the actors.

What's your favorite movie of all time and why?

"Goodfellas," because I believe it was Martin Scorsese's best film to date and obviously the best acting job by De Niro, Pesci, and Liotta. The way it was filmed was very innovative at the time and the story line was second to only to "The Godfather" for mob movies.

'Angels' halts production in Shreveport

I know some local crew pros and students had planned on working on "Angels," a stage show that was set to debut at the Strand at the end of August before heading to Broadway. The show was billed as the first to take advance of Louisiana's Broadway South tax credits, which are similar to the state's film credit credits.

If you're a crew member who's lost work, let me know.

Meanwhile, here are two quick updates:

"We are very disappointed to not be able to debut ‘Angels’ in Shreveport as planned,” said producer Marcus Cheong in a statement released to playbill.com. "'Angels' is a very complex production with specific needs and, of course, can only be performed when absolutely ready. Everyone at the Strand and the wonderful people of Shreveport have been very warm and supportive, and we hope to eventually play that legendary theater."

In a press release to The Times, Danny Fogger, executive director of the Strand, said: “We are so sorry for this development. We have made many physical changes at the Strand to accommodate 'Angels,' and have been working with their team for months. We are unsure of the exact technical situation with the complex production. Today, we still enjoy a good relationship with everyone involved with the production of Angels and wish them the best of luck. This is very unfortunate for the Strand and the community."

Tickets are of course being refunded by calling the Strand at (318) 226-1481.

Louisiana Film Summit coming Aug. 1

If you're into the local film industry -- you're reading this blog so you know you are -- get thee to the Shreveport Convention Center on Aug. 1. There will be a Louisiana Film Summit, where you'll have a chance to:

• meet and hear from local insiders
• listen to panels
• network, network, network
  
• hear from a state and national experts
• and get up to speed on The Shreve on the state's film industry.

They're expected about 300 folks to show, so get your business cards ready, local vendors.

Tax credits are a big issue right now because so many states are upping their incentives -- Michigan, hello! -- so that's bound to be a big, big topic of discussion.

Cost is $50 in advance. Get your ticket here.

Schedule
July 31
6 to 9 p.m. VIP reception at Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St.

Aug. 1
All events at Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo St., unless otherwise noted. Tickets $50 in advance; $60 at the door
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.: registration.
9:15 a.m. Session I: discussions on industry's economic impact, industry's future.
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: networking lunch
1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.: panels on industry challenges and strategies for the future.
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: "It's a Wrap" party at Hilton Shreveport, 104 Market St.

Ellen Lindsay to present Advancing the Actor workshop

New York theater pro Ellen Lindsay is coming back to The Shreveport to present an actors workshop July 28-30. They're sponsored by Shreveport Little Theatre. Sessions will be 5:30 to 8 p.m. each day.

She's a former Shreveport who's done some recent work with River City Repertory Theatre. Very good, she is. She's also a member of Actors' Equity and SAG.

Called Advancing the Actor, the three-day workshop will offer chances to:

• increase performance energy
• enhance onstage skills in a fun, creative atmosphere
• learn new professional techniques for theatre and film

There will also be exercises:

• improvisation
• voice
• movement
• theatre and film audition technique
• monologue and scene work

WHERE: Bossier Historical Center, 2206 Beckett St., Bossier City.
COST: $125. Student discounts available.
TO REGISTER: call Ellen Lindsay at (318) 226-3622 or visit www.advancingtheactor.com.

PHOTO: Ellen Lindsay (Shane Bevel/The Times)

Guess what? ‘Sordid Lives’ star says we’re a ‘cesspool of vi-i-ice!’ We’ve made it! We’ve really made it!

Cable TV will be the place to be next week if you're a Made in Shreveport entertainment fan. (That reads like a jingle. Sorry about that.)

The Logo channel's "Sordid Lives: The Series" debuts 9 p.m. July 23. I don't get Logo, dagnabbit, but I must say I'm delightfully frightened to take a TV visit to this Texas camp. The saga will last 12 episodes. This AP story is a must read.

If you don't know, "Sordid Lives" is based on a play and movie created by Del Shores. He's got a pretty strong cult following, and the Logo channel is betting that twelve 30-minute episodes will lure more into the fold.

Leslie Jordan ("Boston Legal," "Will & Grace") plays a drag queen in the series. The character undergoes de-homosexualizing therapy. (I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's unsuccessful.)

During an interview, he shared a hilarious observation about Shreveport's casino: "And Shreveport is just a cesspool of vi-i-ice!" Jordan told the AP. "They make you walk through the casino just to get into the ho-tay-uhl. I'm not gonna say her name, but we had one cast member who MIGHT have a little gambling problem."

…

The SPEED Network will debut Shreveport's "Pinks All Out" episode 8 p.m. July 24. In it, you can see me lose my Scion XA to a Charger. The series itself begins tomorrow night.

OK, truth be told, I didn't qualify and wasn't let into Red River Raceway to test my drag-racing abilities. OK, truth be really told, I was too ashamed to show up with my 4-banger and later decided to protest by riding my bike to work for two weeks. Look who's Mr. Cool now, SPEED Network. Look who's Mr. Cool now.

PHOTO: Leslie Jordan just loves Shreveport. (Phil Konstantin/Wikipedia)

'Some Like It Hot' lives up to its name

UPDATED: "Some Like It Hot" closes Thursday, not next week as previously noted. Appears Chris Jay and I got our chatter crossed.

I just chatted with Chris Jay at the Robinson Film Center. He was fielding a packed house for their monthly Silver Screenings program. It's a senior-citizens screening and luncheon, and this month they attended "Some Like It Hot."

Jay was a tad shocked, but elated, that the turnout was so strong for the Billy Wilder film. He expected decent box-office receipts this weekend but not as good as they got.

"It's been one our best movies yet!" he said. Why was he shocked? He said it plays three times per week on cable. (Somebody's got a TiVo fixation, I take it.)

I think Jay would agree that the customary water-cooler chatter about the death of the movie theater has always been a cry-wolf complaint. "Why would anyone go to a movie they can get on Netflix or see on cable?"

Please. A lot of people would have never seen the "Some Like It Hots" if it weren't for things like Turner Classic Movies, Netflix and DVDs. As our home entertainment options have proliferated, so too have our tastes and demands. Just because we studied Marilyn Monroe through Netflix doesn't mean we'll skip her when she's on the big screen. In truth, I think the opposite could be true.

Moreover, most of us want to experience entertainment with a crowd. We can't replicate the theater experience, or the true power of laughter, without strangers.

"Some Like It Hot" runs through Thursday.

Josh Brolin arrested after bar brawl

The Times' John Prime reported that actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright were part of a fight today at the Stray Cat bar. It happened around 2 a.m. They and others were arrested for interfering with police, a misdemeanor. Get the details here.

Civil liberties documentary screening today

"Washington, You're Fired" screens 8 p.m. tonight at the Actor's Cafe, 1401 Fairfield Ave. Its makers, Keith Abel and William Lewis, are former Shreveporters. Abel will be on hand for questions.

Check out the movie's official site here. It's one of the better movie site's I've seen in that it's more than just a DVD-delivery device. If you dig the movie's message, it gives you a lot of material to back up your beliefs.

The screening is being presented by minicine?

Check out Tucker Max's blog (Rated R for every reason you can imagine)

It's nice when productions do your blogging for you. Thank you, "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell." Have y'all seen Tucker Max's blog? It's hilarious (and very profane). The movie starts shooting July 21 and the writer is giving us a fresh take on casting and making movies in Shreveport. Fresh in the not so clean sense, that is.

Here's a truncated excerpt of an amusing (and again, profane) recent post.

Tucker writes: "Dan, the third male lead and the glue of the plot, is being played by Geoff Stults.

"I have great things to say about Geoff as a person and an actor, but you know what? He is taller than me, richer than me, better looking than me, played pro football, owns a semi-pro basketball team, and is dating a hotter girl than I am, so ... "

I can't print the ellipses, but let's just say that Tucker eats bars of soap for breakfast.

Want to be an extra? Here's what Tucker wrote:

1. Send an email to this address: bihextras@gmail.com

2. Put "Beer In Hell Extra" in the subject line

3. Put your name and contact info in the body of the email.

4. Attach at least TWO pictures of yourself (the more the better). They need to be recent, clear and preferably only you. If the pics each have ten people in them, we aren't going to spend the time figuring out which person you are.

(You can also work through Glorioso Casting.)

By the way, Tucker also had some funny words of advice for aspiring extras: "Please don't get your hopes up. Chances of being selected are low, especially if you are a guy. Male extras are easy to find. Being female helps you, and being a hot female really helps."

Sexy time in Texarkana

Beware, LaMovBlog readers. Sacha Baron Cohen punked Texarkana in June.

Check out this AP story about a cage match gone sexy time. Apparently, Baron Cohen, best known as "Borat," turned a well-attended "Blue Collar Brawlin" into a beer-throwing fest.

I'm assuming it's part of Baron Cohen's upcoming Brüno movie, which should come out in 2009. The character is a flamboyant Austrian fashionista. (Just YouTube him.)

The Texarkana crowd (1600 strong) apparently was not amused when a guy named Straight Dave and his male nemesis turned a staged fight into a heavy-petting death match.

In the paraphrased words of the local seargeant according to the AP, the two men stripped down to their underwear, kissed and rubbed on each other.

Niiice, und funky Zeit.

The project has a nice working title, too: "Brüno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt."

PHOTO: "Borat." (Twentieth Century Fox/Alexandra Lambrinidis)

Meet Diego Martinez tonight

The new president of Studio Operations for Nu Image/Millennium Films will speak at tonight's La. Produces meet-up at the Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas Street.

Martinez oversees all Nu Image/Millennium production in Louisiana, plus the construction of the new studio in Ledbetter Heights.

Meeting starts at 7 p.m.

What did you think of ‘Wall-E?’

There are so many reasons to see "Wall-E" if you haven't already. I'll list four.

1. Yet again, Pixar has proved that its animation is light years ahead of its admirers. Why? After two minutes, you won't realize that "Wall-E" is a complete fabrication. Everything about this little robot – from his rusted, aching trash-compactor torso to his mechanically emotive eyes – is fake yet utterly convincing. The fluidity and textural detail of Pixar's animation – "Ratatouille" was its equal last year – represent an advancement in filmmaking that is as important as the advent of the talkies. Hardly my insight, but reason to see "Wall-E" nonetheless.
   
2. It's a G-rated post-apocalyptic film that perfectly illustrates a paradox of our consumer-driven, creativity-addicted culture. No critic explains this better than A.O. Scott of The New York Times. "(T)he genius of 'Wall-E' … lies in its notion that creativity and self-destruction are sides of the same coin." Frank Rich even thinks the movie is smarter than our presidential candidates: "This movie seemed more realistically in touch with what troubles America this year than either the substance or the players of the political food fight beyond the multiplex's walls."
   
3. It's a G-rated post-apocalyptic film that uses humor to provoke new thought. Wall-E – a robot left on an abandoned, destroyed Earth to clean up humanity's waste – could have easily been a downer. But he goes about his Sisyphean task like a motorized Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. While constructing cityscapes out of garbage, he plays with or keeps the junk he finds fascinating. Lighters. Light bulbs. A paddle ball. A prized VHS of "Hello, Dolly!" A car alarm, which he presses and then hears the distant sound of a newly-armed car. Even a spork, for Colonel's sake, gets a laugh. And every time we do laugh, we learn to see these objects in less disposable ways. He even crept into my mind during my morning bicycle commute.
   
4. Eve, Wall-E's robot flame, is hot. And armed.
   

Did you see the movie yet? Let me know what you think.

PHOTO: Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney Pictures.

Photos from 'The Color Purple' screening

Check out Val Horvath's photo gallery from tonight's dialogue with Margaret Avery about "The Color Purple." She provided some wonderful answers to our questions. Pictured are Patric McWilliams and Avery.

The event at the Robinson Film Center would not have happened without McWilliams and River City Repertory Theatre's involvement. She came to the film center because she's in town rehearsing for "The Member of the Wedding," River City Rep's forthcoming show that runs July 16-20. Get more info here.

What’s shooting in La.? Read up

There are no new announcements for The Shreve this month -- remember that "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" begins shooting July 21 -- but Baton Rouge is heatin' up. And Millennium Films is remaking "Bad Lieutenant" in New Orleans with Nic Cage, Val Kilmer and director Werner Herzog! Here's the latest update from the state:

Welcome to (225) 342-FILM, the official hotline of the Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry Development. Here's what's happening for the first week of July 2008:

The Seven Arts feature film Night of the Demons is in pre-production in New Orleans with shooting scheduled from August through October. Resumes and inquiries can be emailed to Liz@voodoopicturesllc.com or faxed to (504) 582-5152.

The Louisiana Media Productions feature film Nine Dead starring Melissa Joan Hart and Daniel Baldwin is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled from July 7-July 25. Inquiries are being accepted by fax at (225) 610-1664.

The Louisiana Media Productions feature film Overdose is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting to begin July 7. Inquiries are being accepted by fax at (225) 610-1664.

The Films in Motion/Sci-Fi Channel television movie Lightning Strikes is in preproduction in Baton Rouge and Hammond with shooting scheduled from July 7 through the end of the month. Resumes and inquiries are currently being accepted by e-mail at info@filmsinmotion.com.

The Films in Motion feature film Entity is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled from August 7 through the end of the month. Resumes and inquiries are currently being accepted by e-mail at info@filmsinmotion.com.

The feature film based on the book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is in pre-production in Shreveport with shooting scheduled from July 21 through September 2. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at beerinhellmovie@gmail.com.

The Nu Image/Millennium feature film Bad Lieutenant starring Nicolas Cage and Val Kilmer is in pre-production in New Orleans with shooting scheduled from July 8 through August 26. Resumes and inquiries are currently be accepted by e-mail at badlieutenant2008@gmail.com.

The Screen Gems feature film Mardi Gras starring Carmen Electra is shooting in LaPlace and New Orleans through July 11. Resumes and inquiries are currently being accepted by fax at (504) 566-8384. For casting information, please call (318) 673-4567.

The Bullet Films feature film Leader of Wolves is shooting in Lafayette through July 18. Resumes and inquiries are currently being accepted by e-mail at Katie@activityfilm.com.

The Bullet Films feature film Jaws of the Mississippi is in pre-production in Lafayette with shooting to begin in late August for four weeks. Resumes and inquiries are currently being accepted by e-mail at alexis@bulletfilms.net.

The Disney television series Imagination Movers is shooting in Harahan through July 18. Inquiries are being accepted by fax at (504) 818-3840.

The Prescott Productions feature film W starring Josh Brolin and directed by Oliver Stone is shooting in Shreveport through July 12. Inquiries are being accepted by fax at (318) 603-9556.

The A&E Network reality television series Billy the Exterminator is shooting additional episodes in Shreveport through late July. Inquiries can be sent to lindam@septemberfilmsusa.com.

And for more information about the film and television industry in Louisiana please visit us online at www.louisianaentertainment.gov.

Need tickets to 'The Color Purple?'

If you're buying $25 tickets to the screening of "The Color Purple" on Sunday, click here to buy them online from the Robinson Film Center or drop by the box office at 617 Texas St. That will be the best way to get them while the offices are closed for the holidays, says RFC's Chris Jay.

Hope to see you there! Guest and Oscar-nominee Margaret Avery is a great interview. And who knows? I may even get to ask a question this time.

Oscar-nominee Margaret Avery to attend screening of 'The Color Purple'

I'm hosting another screening at the Robinson Film Center. This Sunday, we'll take a look at "The Color Purple" for our monthly Scene Screened series.

Margaret Avery, who earned an Oscar nominee for her work in the Steven Spielberg-directed drama, will answer our questions during a post-screening Q&A!

The screening begins at 4 p.m. Sunday (July 6). (RFC is projecting the flick digitally this time, so no film breaks!)

Tickets are $25 and go on sale at 9 a.m. tomorrow (July 2) to film center members and 1 p.m. to the general public. To get 'em, call Kim Sizemore at (318) 459-4124.

Avery is in town rehearsing for "The Member of the Wedding," a theater production by River City Repertory Theatre. The show runs July 16-20 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

In speaking with River City Rep's Patric McWilliams, he said the screening offers his organization a chance to partner with a local arts organization and build audiences.

Many of you will know Avery from her work on the locally made movie, "Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins." While filming that movie here, she attended a River City Rep production of "The Glass Menagerie," where she met Patric and eventually got cast in "The Member of the Wedding."

Come down to the screening Sunday. It should be fun.

PHOTO: Margaret Avery sits down for an interview Monday regarding "The Member of the Wedding." (Douglas Collier/The Times)

Diego Martinez named head of local Millennium Films projects

Nu Image/Millennium Films has named Diego Martinez the new president of studio operations in Shreveport.

Martinez will oversee both local movie production and the construction of the company’s $10 million studio in Ledbetter Heights. Already, 6.7 acres of land has already been prepped for the first phase of the two-phase projects, which ultimately aims to expand to 20 acres.

“I am honored that Nu Image/Millennium has place such trust and faith in my abilities,” Martinez said in a press release. “My experience over the last two and a half years working for them has been the best of my career. I look forward to building the new facility and bringing much more of Hollywood to Shreveport.”

The announcement comes on the heels of Mick Flannigan’s departure from Nu Image/Millennium. To produce movies for director Renny Harlin, Flannigan is moving to Lithuania. Since October 2006, the executive producer helped the company make seven films in Shreveport.

Martinez has worked on six of the projects, having started as an art department coordinator with “Cleaner” in early 2007 and most recently worked as a production supervisor on “Streets of Blood” in May and June. Before working with Nu Image/Millennium, he worked on “The Year Without a Santa Claus” and “Ruffian" in Shreveport.

“We have watched all that Diego has accomplished over the last few years for us and are impressed,” said Avi Lerner, a founding partner with Nu Image/Millennium, in the press release. “He is the best choice for the studio and the best to continue with our studio’s building plans.”

PHOTO: Diego Martinez (left) on the set of "Streets of Blood." (Douglas Collier/The Times)

Six questions for Eric Tuxen

What was your most recent job in the movie industry?

I just directed my first feature-length film at Bossier Parish Community College, it is called "Anything for the Game." It is classified as a student production but is the fifth show I have worked on.

What's the coolest part about your job?

That all depends on which hat I am wearing at the time. As a DP (director of photography), I get the biggest kick out of operating camera, composing shots, and blocking action. As an editor, I love taking the nuts and bolts of a scene and cutting them together to create a performance. As a director, I enjoyed working with the actors away from the set in order to find the meaning of a scene.

What is your main career goal?

My main career goal would be to become a full time director in "the business." I would gladly settle for being a working DP or editor though. Any local camera crews looking for an AC or PA, I'm your man!

What single experience has proved most valuable?

I learned a lot working on a film with a local actor and director named John Fertitta. He taught me a lot about working with actors and about the business of filmmaking.

In what movie or show can we see your work? Highlight a scene you like.

There is a sequence in "Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins" where RJ is watching a segment of his television show at home; I shot that HDV footage. You can also find my work for BPCC at http://www.bpcc.edu/filminstitute/index.html.

What's your favorite movie of all time and why?

"Star Wars." Why? I will never forget seeing it for the first time at the AMC in the St. Vincent Mall, before multiplexes took over the landscape. For this six-year-old kid, "Star Wars" transformed the cinematic world in a way that I believe has yet to be duplicated. This film had everything; you had storm troopers, droids, and the Death Star. This was back when Darth Vader was still a bad guy and not a sympathetic widower. You had the good guys too in Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan, and the droids. You had the damsel in distress in Princess Leia, a babe that every guy in the audience wanted to be with. The best part for a six-year-old kid was the toys that came out later in the year. I will never forget getting R2-D2 and C-3PO when I was stuck at home with chicken-pox. In short, this film changed my life and made me want to be a filmmaker.