'); } -->
The Lone Star Film Festival, set to kick off on Nov. 11, has just announced a bunch of new titles. This third edition of the fest is looking very promising indeed.
Opening night will feature The Scenesters, a dark comedy about a Los Angeles filmmaker investigating a serial killer, written, directed and co-starring UT alum Todd Berger — it’s only shown at a handful of festivals thus far in North America.
Closing night brings what should be a contender in this year’s Oscar derby, The Messenger, a drama about a young man (Ben Foster) whose job it is to tell people their loved ones have been killed in Iraq. Lots of buzz on this one since its Sundance premiere, especially for the supporting performances by Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton.
A few other titles I’m curious about: the comedy Tenure, which just had its world premiere at the Hamptons Film Festival, starring Luke Wilson and Gretchen Mol as professors competing for tenure at a university; and Strongman, a documentary about "the strongest man in the world at bending steel and metal” (who knew?) that earned good notices this year at Slamdance.
All that, and a tribute to a legendary actor and musician whose appearance in Fort Worth should make quite a splash. (I’m sworn to secrecy until the festival announces its full schedul early next week.)