Lone Star Scene: West Texas slacker comedy showcases Marfa
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For a small town in West Texas, the city of Marfa has a big movie history that dates back to "Giant" with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.
More recently, Marfa set the rustic scene for "There Will be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men." There's also notable art scene in the city which plays a key role in the new independent film, "Far Marfa."
The story of a West Texas slacker and a caper surrounding a famous painting plays out in "Far Marfa." The low budget comedy-drama comes from writer and director Cory Van Dyke, a University of Texas graduate who moved to Marfa years ago and came up with
what he sees as a new way to showcase the city's culture.
"We're the first movie that really shot in the city of Marfa, most of those others ones are out on ranches or somewhere else. We really needed the people of Marfa to be behind us because we were using all the people in the movie and all their homes and businesses for our locations," Van Dyke said.
Much of what they didn't have in Marfa came from Austin, including co-star Jolyn Janis and the film's cinematography crew. Together they crafted a film that steps out Marfa's movie stereotype while still celebrating the town's unique charms.
"Part of Marfa's fame, its more modern fame, is through the art scene so a lot of people know it through that but there are just as many people who know it because of
the Marfa Lights and because of the observatory and just being in West Texas, and maybe some of the movies that are shot there," said Van Dyke.
Van Dyke hopes the story in "Far Marfa" gives people a new outlook on dealing with life's setbacks and he hopes the movie is another step forward for the city's growing role in the film industry.
"We're going to be putting in a lot of good work, people in Marfa, over the next five to 10 years I think it will surprise people," Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke is already planning his next Marfa-made movie which he hopes to shoot part of
at the Mcdonald Observatory.
"Far Marfa" sold out it's Austin premiere last week at the Stateside theater.
The film is now available on demand through FarMarfa.com.