Short Cuts

Green Refugees and QT, Too, Dept.: Clear your calendars this coming Sunday, June 24 -- two politicized documentaries (both of which have shown previously at South by Southwest) are screening head to head, and both of them are well worth forsaking the Sunday doldrums for. First, the Political Asylum Project of Austin, in conjunction with Austin Caritas, presents Abandoned: The Betrayal of America's Immigrants, directed by David Belle and Nicholas Wrathall, 3:30pm, at the Austin History Center (Ninth and Guadalupe). The film is being presented in honor of World Refugee Day and as part of the Forgotten Refugees Campaign; a panel discussion with refugees/asylum seekers and local advocates will follow the screening. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information call PAPA Outreach and Education Coordinator Becky Pastner at 478-0546 x215. That same day, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (409 Colorado) will play host to Green, by director Laura Dunn, at 5pm. Green, which recently won a Student Academy Award, "documents the quality of life (or lack thereof) for families who live in the petrochemical corridor along the Mississippi River (commonly known as Cancer Alley)." All proceeds will benefit the Green Tour, a nonprofit project co-sponsored by the Austin Film Society that uses film to build grassroots activism in low-income and minority communities. Admission is $7 and open to the public. For more info call Liz Kleekamp at 302-9083… Also in Alamo news, owner Tim League says the new Alamo North, located where the old Village Art used to be, is almost completed and should be open for business on July 13 -- which once again proves that League is a man with brass cojones, since, heh heh, that's a Friday. What else is going on with Austin's premier dine 'n' gawk theatre, you ask? Plenty. They've just let loose a few more tickets to the Bruce Campbell Weekend (June 28-30), which has been sold out for some time now. League says there are about 60 seats available, and tickets may be purchased online ( www.alamodrafthouse.com) or at the Alamo box office for $15 a pop. Groovy, baby… Also at the Alamo, QTV, the annual Quentin Tarantino fest during which the occasional auteur hauls the proverbial butt-load of films from his personal stash down to Austin to screen with us lesser mortals, will be held Aug. 17-26. No info yet on what the theme nights will be or any special guests slated to attend, but as of now you can buy your 5- or 10-day passes ($75 or $125) online through the Alamo's Web site (listed above). Whew. Looks like you couldn't forget the Alamo if you tried… The Austin arm of the Association of Independent Film and Video will be holding its bimonthly salon this Monday, June 25, 7pm, at the Bad Dog Comedy Theater (110 E. Riverside). The salon will present a work in progress from Risanna Brillantes (of the Texas Filmmaker's Production Fund) and two pieces (also works in progress) from Anne Lewis, Shelter and Morristown. Admission is free; for more info e-mail Anne Del Castillo at [email protected]… Finally, Alleywood Studios has a brace of classes on the horizon for aspiring actors. C.K. McFarland will present On-Camera Film Acting on Thursdays, 1-4pm, July 5-Aug. 16; Mondays, 7-10pm, July 9-Aug. 20; or Wednesdays, 7-10pm, July 11-Aug. 21. Beginning On-Camera Film classes run Sundays, 2-4:30pm, July 8-Aug. 19. The Character Actor on Film runs Tuesdays, 7-10pm, July 17-Aug. 21. Registration is $180 and openings are limited. Call 441-3738 for more info.