Jim Brunzell

Jim Brunzell and Rich Gill lead 2019 Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival adds a Filmmaker Photo Call for the first time in the fest’s 20 years

By John Wildman 6 years ago

The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival is a rarity in that its scope should far exceed the reach of its quartet of volunteer staff that manages to produce the film festival year-after-year. Of course, every single film festival self romanticizes the idea that they are a band of misfits and scrappy champions of film that are battling against all of the odds and the big boys each year to somehow manage to put on their event that is unlike any other around. I always love it when a film festival head earnestly tells me that they are unique in the film festival world because they “care about the filmmakers.” I mean, thank goodness there is that one film festival that does, right?!

Danny Clinch, Taryn Gould, Coleen Hennessy, and Shannon Hoon’s ALL I CAN SAY: Sound Unseen wraps up 20th Anniversary edition with Grand Jury Prize Winner

By John Wildman 6 years ago

The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival concluded its 20th Anniversary edition of the film festival by giving its Grand Jury Prize for Best Film to Danny Clinch, Taryn Gould, Coleen Hennessy, and Shannon Hoon’s ALL I CAN SAY, and giving a Special Jury Prize for Cultural Significance to Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller’s OTHER MUSIC.

Scott Crawford’s BOY HOWDY, John Doe, Ondi Timoner: Sound Unseen Announces Film Lineup for 20th Anniversary Edition

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell and Producer/Co-Programmer Rich Gill, said, “Our lineup this year is a wonderful mix of films hot on the film festival circuit, classics, and screenings that include appearances by wonderful filmmakers and musicians. We are really excited about this group of films and events built around them that should make our 20th Anniversary edition truly memorable.”

Seamus Murphy’s A DOG CALLED MONEY Opens Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival; Gala selections and key titles for 20th Anniversary edition

By John Wildman 6 years ago

The Sound Unseen Film/Music Festival (November 12-17) previewed the film festival’s 20th Anniversary edition of the festival, revealing the titles of five initial selections. Recently announced as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” Sound Unseen has chosen Seamus Murphy’s A DOG CALLED MONEY for its Opening Night Gala co-presented with the Walker Art Center. Brandon Vedder’s STRANGE NEGOTIATIONS is the Centerpiece Selection.

Lisa Zi Xiang’s A DOG BARKING AT THE MOON leads wins at Austin’s All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) Awards and Wraps Honoree-rific Fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

aGLIFF Board President Ashley Marshall, added, “This year’s festival was such a wonderful representation of our “prism” theme, as we got to celebrate with and get to know our visiting filmmakers, film jury members, and our aGLIFF film fans. Our vision for aGLIFF is to be a place where any queer person can walk into the theater and feel seen and surrounded by family, and this year felt like a gratifying culmination of sorts of our efforts to increase the diversity of our programming, our board, and our audience, to reflect the full prism of the rainbow. I know that I came away from this year’s fest feeling full of love and appreciation for our community and I hope everyone else had the same experience.”

David Charles Rodrigues’ GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH Set to Open 2019 aGLIFF; Film Lineup for longest running Austin-based film fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

aGLIFF Artistic Director Jim Brunzell, said, “aGLIFF has always had a strong ‘familial’ quality to it, with filmmakers making films that address subjects and issues we all deal with, or touch emotions that reach everyone – not just those under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. This year’s edition once again exemplifies that feeling, and our honoree lineup highlights the quality of the filmmakers we have been fortunate to have at aGLIFF, as well as simply enjoy and appreciate their work on the big screen. This is a film festival where the filmmakers – from features to shorts, narrative to docs, and everything in between – truly support each other and seem to return year-after-year to touch base and screen new works for the film-going and the filmmaking community here in Austin and Texas.”

Rose Troche, Jim Fall Tribute Award honorees at 2019 aGLIFF; join Breakthrough Award honoree in August

By John Wildman 7 years ago

aGLIFF Artistic Director Jim Brunzell, said, “Rose and Jim are wonderful filmmakers that are not simply responsible for some classic LGBTQ+ cinema like GO FISH and TRICK, but have also lent their considerable talents to television and virtual reality projects, too. Lisa has been a fixture at aGLIFF, not only with films she has directed, but with films and alongside filmmakers that she has helped steer toward greater heights via her vision. All three exemplify the best spirit of this creative community, supporting other artists even as they push themselves toward their best work.”

FILMS GONE WILD: 10 Film Festival Programmers to Watch

By John Wildman 7 years ago

In the meantime, now that I have probably exhausted everyone’s patience by blathering on and ranting like an old man carrying a crumpled paper bag and out of date newspaper outside a deli, here is a quick list of ten people that I work with and for that I would suggest filmmakers, film industry types, and people reading the movie industry tea leaves SHOULD be paying attention to:

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: AGLIFF promotes Jim Brunzell to Artistic Director and moves the film festival’s 2019 dates to August

By John Wildman 7 years ago

aGLIFF Board President Ashley Marshall, said, “Jim has thoroughly and completely earned the title of Artistic Director of aGLIFF. Under his creative and pragmatic stewardship as Program Director, we have strengthened the reputation of aGLIFF and the view of the films we offer in the eyes of the critics, filmmakers, and our film fans.

Greg Carey and Wade Jackson’s WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY Opens Sound Unseen previews 19th edition of Minneapolis-based music doc fest with some of this year’s film fest faves

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The Sound Unseen Film/Music/Art Festival (November 14-18) previewed this year’s 19th edition of the film festival today with an announcement of 7 initial selections. Led by the Midwest premiere of Greg Carey and Wade Jackson’s WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY, the list includes the return of a Sound Unseen favorite and a handful of films that will be screening for Minneapolis audiences for the first time after seeing much success on the film festival circuit.