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01/20/2013 12:51 AM

Lone Star Scene: Texas filmmakers hit Sundance in force

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The Sundance Film Festival is underway, and this year's program includes a bumper crop of work from Austin area filmmakers. Nearly a dozen Texas-connected projects make their debut over the next week in Utah, including movies made by some familiar names and a promising round of newcomers.

Each January, Park City becomes a Mecca for movie makers from around the world and it's become familiar territory for Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater. This year, his newest independent film "Before Midnight" makes its world premiere at Sundance.

"Before Midnight" is the third film in the series starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy that started in 1995 with "Before Sunrise." That film also opened at Sundance with an beaming introduction from festival founder Robert Redford that still serves as one of Linklater's favorite memories.

The scale is a little smaller for "Pit Stop." It's an intimate relationship drama from local director Yen Tan, who's been trying to get the film made for nearly a decade. His world premiere comes in Sundance's "NEXT" category, which spotlights up and coming directors.

Plans have already fallen in to place for Austin-based director Jeff Nichols and his newest movie, "Mud." Matthew McConaughey stars in the Southern drama about a convict who befriends two young boy while hiding out from bounty hunters. With a distribution deal already in place, you can expect to see "Mud" in theaters later this spring.