Austin Film Festival officially kicks off this week, hosting highly-anticipated film premieres and speaking events. The Daily Texan compiled a list of films from UT alums premiering at this year’s festival.
“Remote”
Premiering in the Dark Matters category of the festival, the horror film follows a lonely woman watching “live window views through webcams” before witnessing a murder. Directed by Steven DeGennaro — who graduated from UT with a master’s in 2006 and a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics in 2009 — founded the production company “The Ubiquitous Studio 42,” focused on making found footage and horror films. The film played at the Galaxy Theatre on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
“Boxed In”
Written and directed by Eliza Sommers (radio-television-film ‘26) and produced by Kate Hernandez Duran (radio-television-film ‘26), “Boxed In” is part of the Student Shorts category and follows a 22-year-old and her father as they try to escape a moving truck in a robbery turned accidental kidnapping. The short film will play at the Galaxy Theatre on Sunday at 12:50 p.m.
“Piojo”
Miguel Alvarez (Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering ‘97 and Master of Fine Arts in film production ‘09) will premiere his new narrative short “Piojo,” which follows a father who must confront his spirituality when authorities use a new technology to take his son. Alvarez, a radio-television-film assistant professor, filmed the movie at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios. The short brought together current and former UT students and collaborators in a professional filmmaking environment. The film will premiere at the State Theatre on Sunday at 9 p.m.
“Anaimia”
Directed by Drew Saplin (radio-television-film ‘10), a current student production coordinator at UT, “Anaimia” follows a pregnant woman selling her home, haunted by bizarre cravings. After a night of binge eating, she must hide herself and a half-eaten bag of mulch as a realtor takes a terminally ill buyer on a tour of the house. The film also premieres at the State Theatre on Sunday at 9 p.m.
“Ron’s Night Out”
This narrative short film, directed by Jenna Covarrubias (radio-television-film ‘20), follows a lonely middle-aged man who goes on a first date. Covarrubias previously directed two short films, “Returning” and “Dear Santa,” and was also named college filmmaker of the year by the Austin Revolution Film Festival. The short premieres at St. David’s Episcopal Church Bethell Hall on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
“Drip”
Directed by Patrick Zimmerman (radio-television-film ‘12), “Drip” follows a social media addict on a freezing night in Texas. The protagonist is urged by his frustrated partner to drip the faucets and, while doing the chore, he realizes something is stalking him in the shadows. Zimmerman co-founded Liminal House, a video production company based in Austin, which focuses on visual effects and animation. The short film will premiere as part of the narrative shorts category in the festival at The Galaxy Theatre on Friday at 8:25 p.m.
