The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival has announced that the Opening Night Film of the 2005 edition will be "The Wendell Baker Story". Directed by Luke and Andrew Wilson, it is an all-star comedy featuring Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Eva Mendes, Eddie Griffin, and many more.
"As film fans and fellow Texans, we have nothing but admiration for the Wilson brothers. I can't think of a better idea than having their directorial debut launch this year's festival. You want to give audiences a great time, and this is a fantastic way to do it." 'Wendell' premieres on Opening Night, March 11th 2005, at the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin. It will help kick-off nine days of nearly 200 short and feature films from around the globe.
In addition, SXSW has announced "A Conversation with Todd Solondz" to take place on Sunday, March 13. The panel discussion, to be moderated by Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, will focus on Solondz's acclaimed career. Later that evening, the festival will host a special screening of his newest film, "Palindromes", featuring Ellen Barkin and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Other panel topics include: "Movie Piracy and You" featuring a discussion by the MPAA, "Acquired Taste" featuring acquisitions reps from leading distribution companies, "Meet the Film Press" featuring members of the film journalism world, and "DVD Futures" featuring discussions from reps about the controversial HD DVD vs. Blu-ray debate. The complete line-up of films and panels will be announced in early February, with the schedule to follow shortly thereafter.
Thanks to 'MD'
