Notes From Austin - Vol 2 #29

Forest Whitaker is in talks to join Dwight Yoakam in the thriller "The Panic Room." Sandra Bullock will star in the film as a single mom who must defend her home and daughter from a team of home invaders.

Fox has decided to open the Tom Hanks holiday film "Castaway" on 12/22 rather than Xmas day.

The Billy Bob Thornton film "All the Pretty Horses," which has been languishing with out a date for a while, should bow on Xmas day. His feature "Daddy and Them," which stars Laura Dern, will not open until 2001. "Daddy" was filmed first, however.

The Powers-That-Be have decided to bump up Spike Lee's comedy "Bamboozled" to a 10/6 release. The trailer for this film, about a modern day TV show featureing black performers in minstral black-face, looks bitter, angry and in-your-face.

Jennifer Lopez is in negotiations to portray Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in a film biography to be executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola.

Charlize Theron will produce and star in Disney's romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama," about a woman who reinvents herself as a New York socialite.

Tea Leoni, aka Mrs. Duchovny, who stars opposite Nicolas Cage in the forth "Family Man," has joined Sam Neill and William H. Macy in the cast of the much anticipated "studio's Jurassic Park III."

Tom Hanks should star for "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes' sophmore cinematic effort "The Road to Perdition," playing a 1930s Chicago hitman known as "the Angel of Death."

Tim Allen is in talks to star in a live-action film version of the Dr. Seuss classic, "The Cat in the Hat." Imagine, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's company will produce more than likely, as they did "The Grinch."

James Woods will play a hospital's head cardiologist in the hostage drama "John Q," starring Denzel Washington.

YES! Eddie Furlong has signed to join Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3, reprising his role as the young John Conner.

John Goodman has been tapped to join Billy Crystal in lending his voice to the main characters of "Monsters, Inc.," the next Pixar animated feature for Disney.

Goofy Tom Green will star in the comedy "Stealing Stanford." The film is about a man who resorts to criminal behavior to pay for his niece's first year of tuition at Stanford.

Tarsem, the music video helmer who made his feature directing debut on "The Cell," is in talks to direct the action thriller "Take Down" for producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

GOD NO! Peyton Redd, who made his feature film directing debut on this week's opening film "Bring It On," is in talks to helm "East Bound and Down," a remake of "Smokey and the Bandit."

DOESN'T ANYONE REMEMBER "HOOK?" P.J. Hogan, who directed the surprise hit, "My Best Friend's Wedding," is in negotiations to direct a new version of Peter Pan for Columbia. The film will have a budget approaching $100 million.

Fox Searchlight has acquired rights to Al Pacino's second directorial effort, "Chinese Coffee," which stars Pacino and Jerry Orbach. The film is based on the play by Ira Lewis about a conversation between a struggling Greenwich Village writer and his mentor.

Lion's Gate has acquired the U.S. rights to director Wim Wenders' film "The Million Dollar Hotel" (which was scripted by U2's Bono and stars Mel Gibson) with plans for a fall release.

New Line has acquired the distribution rights to "Dungeons and Dragons: The Movie," starring Jeremy Irons, Thora Birch and Marlon Wayans.

AUSTIN, Texas - Confirmed participants to date in the 2000 Austin Film Festival's Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference include writer Shane Black (Lethal Weapon I & II, The Last Action Hero, The Last Boy Scout); writer Bill Broyles (Apollo 13, Entrapment, Cast Away); writer/producer David Chase ("The Sopranos," "Northern Exposure," "The Rockford Files"); actor/producer Ned Dowd (Shanghai Noon, The Wonder Boys, The 13th Warrior, Slap Shot); actor/writer/producer/director Paul Mazursky (Enemies: A Love Story, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Moscow on the Hudson); writer/director Tim McCanlies (Dancer, Texas Pop 81, The Iron Giant), writer Anne Rapp (Dr T and the Women, Cookie's Fortune); writer/producer Scott Rosenberg (Gone in Sixty Seconds, High Fidelity, Con Air); writer/producer Darin Scott (Tales from the Hood, Love and a .45, Menace II Society); writer Ed Solomon (What Planet Are You From?, Men in Black, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure); actor/producer/director and former professional football player, Fred 'Hammer' Williamson (From Dusk Till Dawn, Black Caesar, M.A.S.H., Down and Dirty); and Bill Wittliff (The Perfect Storm, Lonesome Dove).

Entries are still being accepted for the 2000 Austin Film Festival Film Competition, with the seventh annual Festival and Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference - set for Oct. 12-19 - focusing on the artistic contribution of screenwriters.

The final deadline for entering a film into competition is September 1 at a cost of $50. Categories are open to independently produced features, shorts and student shorts.

Each finalist in the film competition receives two all-access producers passes to the Festival (value, $695 each), 10 tickets to the film's screenings, the option to attend a Master Class conducted by a presenting Festival filmmaker, and inclusion in the AFF Filmmaker's Catalogue, which is distributed to all judges and other interested industry representatives.

Winners in the feature-length category receive all of the above plus a cash prize of $750 and a special Winners' Night Screening, with the winners of the short film and student short categories also receiving the above and a cash prize of $500. Winners in all categories will receive reimbursement of one roundtrip airfare to Austin (up to $500) to attend the AFF, hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (not to exceed $500) and the AFF Bronze Award.

Films that have received distribution as a direct result of the film competition include Hands on a Hard Body (1997), Lewis & Clark & George (1997), The Last Big Thing (1997), La Cucaracha (1998), Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God S Be Back by Five (1998), Wednesday's Child (1999) and The Hi-Line (1999).

The Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference is set for Oct. 12-15; the Film Festival runs Oct. 12-19. Conference registration postmarked by September 22 is $370; after September 22, registration increases to $410. An all-access producers pass is $695. Registration includes attendance to the conference, exhibits, film screenings and premieres, Q&As, and welcome and closing parties. Additional screenwriters, talent agents, managers, distributors, network and studio executives attending are Marty Bowen, Jenny Frankle, Mickey Frieberg, Sheila Gallien, John Scott Shepherd and Larry Wright.

The Austin Film Festival is the first festival dedicated to recognizing the writer's contribution to the motion picture and television industries.

For more information, please call the Austin Film Festival at 800.310.FEST or visit www.austinfilmfestival.com.

The New York Underground Film Festival is competitive. Juried awards are given in five categories:

How to Contact Us For more information, call 212-675-1137 or email us at festival@nyuff.com

Notes From Austin : We got into the VIP lounge where Patrick Swayze, who cut the red ribbon to open the building, was consistently mobbed by fans. The poor man could not get left alone. He would stroll through the lounge occasionally and some woman would swoon. He did look quite sexy in person. He looked really good.

Austin Film News : Quentin Tarantino QUATTRO SCHEDULE, Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Psycho Beach Party, My Name is Buttons.

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