East Austin Stories – Spring 2010
Taught by Assoc. Professor – Andy Garrison
Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
(1106 E. 11th Street)
Thursday, May 13th – 9pm
CONTACT:
Andy Garrison (Professor)
Agarrison@mail.utexas.edu
512-475-6297
Chelsea Hernandez (Student)
chelseahernandez@mac.com
347-301-4157
www.EastAustinStories.org
ABOUT
Everyone loves stories. They remind us of the past, teach us about our neighbors, and tie the
community together. Nowhere is richer in stories than East Austin, where colorful celebrations
and tantalizing cuisines are a way of life. East Austin is a center of the arts, from ballet folklorico to the blues and from glassmaking to tattooing; it is a place where people have fun racing motorcycles, boxing, or just hanging out in the pool. Of course, East Austin shares the same
problems as many inner city areas. But as the short documentaries on this web site illustrate,
East Austin is a lot more than statistics or newspaper headlines. It's a network of families,
communities, and businesses, each with their own stories to tell.
The short documentaries in this program are the result of collaborations between East
Austinites and University of Texas filmmakers. At the end of each semester, we hold free,
public screenings in the East Austin places like Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. These
screenings give filmmakers, storytellers, and neighbors a chance to hear and enjoy each other's stories, to get to know each other, and to learn.
2010 SPRING PROGRAM
This year’s screening, supported in part by the UT RTF Department, DiverseArts and Texas
Folklife, will take place at two locations:
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
(1206 E. 9th Street)
Thursday, May 13th – 7pm
Kenny Dorham’s Backyard
(1106 E. 11th Street)
Thursday, May 13th – 9pm
The following films will be screened:
Piñatas y Mas Dir. Creston Whittington, Carlyn Hudson and Benjamin Lyon Raquel's Party Land is a one-stop destination for all things traditional, and not so traditional, to Mexican fiestas. | |
The Road to Grandma’s House Dir. Michelle Mejia, Sean Minns and Huay-Bing Law 6-yr old Isabela Zapata’s mural showing the path she takes to see her grandmother won third place in the citywide art contest. Her piece expresses the important relationship between grandmother and granddaughter despite the distance that separates them in these changing times. | |
Our Guadalupe Dir. Chelsea Hernandez, Juan Elizondo and Lacey Triplett Reminiscing about the past in the same house they were born and raised, the Salas sisters, Josie, Carmen and Francis invite old childhood friends over to look back on how the church was and still is a central part of their lives and the community. | |
Petanque at the French Legation Dir. Michelle Dahlenburg, Matty Greene, Adrian LaGuette Wine, cheese and little balls of steel—it’s an afternoon playing a favorite French pastime in the heart of East Austin. | |
Feeding Austin Dir. Michelle Mejia, Juan Elizondo and Rachel Schroeder Springdale Farm, a new farm where the owners are learning as they go, have been growing organic food for a year and are experiencing a successful harvest in East Austin. Filipino Soul | |
Filipino Soul Food Dir. Rhea Rivera, Rachel Schroeder, Jose Perez Where do you find real Filipino cuisine cooked from fresh ingredients in Austin? Only at Cebuana. Maria Ford, a chef from a long line of chefs, creates unique Filipino dishes for the Austin community. Her passion for what she does feeds not only the stomach, but also the soul. | |
East Austin Art Yards Dir. Michelle Dahlenburg, Matty Greene, Huay- Bing Law Take a tour of a labyrinth, a sculpture garden, and a museum of strange artifacts. East Austin's "yardists" explain how they use found objects, nature, and art to create spaces for healing, whimsy, and community. | |
Bike Culture Dir. Hannah Kitziger, Lacey Triplett, Jose Perez Bikes in Austin are transportation, political statements, artistic expression and just good exercise. An introduction to different aspects of East Austin bicycle culture, from custom-made low riders, to neon colored fixed-gears, to patchworked reconditioned bikes. | |
Five Generations of Austin Dir. Adrian Laguette, Chelsea Hernandez and Rhea Rivera In 1860 Joe Sing, migrated from China to the United States to find work and became one of the first Asian immigrants to reside in Austin. Five generations later, his family recounts his history and celebrates their Mexican-Chinese-American culture. | |
Crafting for the Tradition in East Austin Dir. Michelle Mejia, Juan Elizondo and Rachel Schroeder Quinceañeras to baby showers, first communions and weddings, you can get all your craft needs from Julia's Crafts on Cesar Chavez. Julia Hernandez has built this business from scratch and runs it with the help of her friend and employee Veronica Barahona. | |
Love to Kibera Dir. Chelsea-Shay Laning, Emilee Wuebben and Cory Tice Nijalon Dunn, a student at Reagan High School, motivated by his relationship with God, wants to change his life. Part of his plan is to raise the money to go on a mission to work with children this summer in the largest slum in the world, Kibera in Nairobi. | |
Victory Grill and the Holmes Family Dir. Creston Whittington, Carlyn Hudson, Benjamin Lyon and Hannah Kitziger Johnny Holmes opened the doors of the Victory Grill in 1945 The first customers were Black servicemen from Fort Hood who were not allowed in the USO or other segregated Austin clubs. This portrayal of the people behind one of Austin's original spots offers a taste of authentic Blues and Jazz and down-home hospitality. | |
Isabela, Diana, and Maria- 3 Generations Dir. Sean Minns More from Isabela Zapata, her mother Diana, and grandmother, Maria about the bond between grandmother and granddaughter. | |
About Andy Garrison Garrison is an award-winning independent filmmaker. He is a founder of and the instructor for the East Austin Stories documentary project class. He is currently working on two films, "Trash Dance" about a dance performance created by Allison Orr and employees of the Austin Solid Waste Service Department; and "Earl's Way," about a musican/coalminer/baseball player. |