Following our previous selection of Texas names in our Filmmakers in Focus interview series, we're delighted to deliver another lively batch of folks working out of the Lone Star State!
Click on a title below to read the conversation, then start planning your SXSW with our film schedule.
PJ Raval on Before You Know It
Image courtesy Mike Simpson
Tell us a little about your film.
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT is an intimate portrait of three gay senior men as they experience the adventures and challenges of life and love in their "golden years". However, though the documentary captures the unique experience of three gay men over the age of 60, the film is really about aging and growing older which is a universal experience. As Robert, one of the characters in the film so eloquently states, "You never think about getting older when you're younger, but before you know it creeps up on you and you're there already..."
Why did you start making films? 
PJ Raval, courtesy
Mike Sullivan
Unlike some filmmakers I never dreamed about being a filmmaker. My background is actually in media art and photography but when I was in college I ran out of classes to take so I enrolled in a 16mm black and white film class which at first was a total disaster (images of old wind up Bell and Howell cameras with film accordioning out of it come to mind). But I loved the collaborative nature of filmmaking and I appreciated the accessibility for viewers. People don’t feel like they have to be a film critic to watch a film. I also loved the shared experience aspect of viewing a film in a movie theater. Rarely do strangers get to gather and share a story together and experience laughter or sadness or self-reflection. So a few years later eventually went to graduate school to further explore filmmaking.
Have you been to SXSW before?
I’ve attended SXSW regularly since 2001. I’ve been fortunate to have films I directed in the midnight shorts program and music videos for the past four years. Also being a cinematographer I’ve had numerous features that I’ve shot screening in the festival since 2005. This year I shot a film directed by Bryan Poyser called “The Bounceback”. I’m proud of the cinematography so I’m also excited to see that film as well as sharing BEFORE YOU KNOW IT with an audience. Mostly I love that SXSW is an opportunity to see what the independent film community around the world (many who are great friends) are up to. My advice is to not only see many films, but also talk to many filmmakers and film moviegoers. It’s a great place to discover new work but also a great opportunity to have thoughtful discussions with filmmakers or fellow audience members.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
I make films in all shapes and sizes. This year I have another short in the music video category. CHRISTEENE “Big Shot” is part of an ongoing collaboration of videos I direct with close creative collaborator and Christeene creator Paul Soileau. It’s very unapologetic, not-safe-for-work, the sky’s the limit sort of filmmaking. So naturally it’s a blast.
- Add Before You Know It to your schedule here
- Click here to read all Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date
Bryan Poyser on The Bounceback
Image courtesy Ryan Green
Tell us a little about your film.
The film follows two ex-couples through the course of a wild weekend in Austin, Texas. One couple can't decide if they made a huge mistake by breaking up. The other couple wants to ruin each other's lives. My two co-writers on this project came up with a great story that allowed me to explore the ill-advised things we all do in the pursuit of love. It also allowed me to craft a loving, warts-and-all tribute to Austin, the place I've lived for almost 20 years
Why did you start making films? 
Bryan Poyser courtesy
Ryan Green
I had always been interested in movies as a kid, so I attempted to make my own in my last year in high school. The result was a wretched, 50-minute shot-on-VHS vampires-in-high-school film that I'm still embarrassed about. But, the experience of putting it together completely consumed me. I knew that I'd never be as excited or engaged doing anything else but making movies.
Have you been to SXSW before?
Oh yes. I've attended every festival since 1995. I have the badges hanging in my office to prove it. And always I most look forward to seeing my friends' movies on the big screen and cheering them on. And, since I've been going so long, that's a lot of friends. But, this year especially it's gonna be a real challenge to see all the movies by Texas filmmakers, let alone my out-of-town pals.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
Here's one - a student short film I made with some classmates at the University of Texas was actually one of the very first films to ever play in the Alamo Drafthouse, at its old Colorado Street location. It screened before a feature at the 1997 festival and the theater wasn't even officially open at that point - they just had the projector, the screen, and some folding chairs set up. But, the enthusiasm Tim & Karrie League showed for their little movie palace was totally infectious and I started going as soon as they officially opened. Our little student short witnessed the birth of an empire!
- Add The Bounceback to your schedule here
- Click here to read all Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date
Emily Hagins on Grow Up Tony Phillips
Image courtesy Sam ButlerTell us a little about your film.
Grow Up, Tony Phillips stars Tony Vespe as Tony Phillips, a high school senior who loves Halloween but whose friends believe they are too cool for the holiday. When his older cousin (AJ Bowen) returns home right before Halloween, Tony starts to wonder if he really is the dork everyone thinks he is, or if he’s just ahead of the curve.
Why did you start making films? 
Emily Hagins
I loved the idea of working with a team to tell a story, where everyone in the cast and crew is crucial to bringing the characters and their world to life. As a writer/director, I just wanted to tell stories people would enjoy and relate to.
Have you been to SXSW before? What are you most looking forward to?
Yes. My last film, MY SUCKY TEEN ROMANCE, played at SXSW 2011, and I was a judge of student films in 2012. I recommend finding a place to park for the whole day that's close to where you have to be but out of downtown, maybe south of the river. Good luck!
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
I directed my first feature when I was 12, which was a zombie movie called PATHOGEN. There was a documentary about my process called ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE. Since then I have made three more features, and I was 19-20 years old when I made GROW UP, TONY PHILLIPS.
- Add Grow Up Tony Phillips to your schedule here
- Click here to read all Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date
Geoff Marslett on Loves Her Gun
Image courtesy Swerve PicturesTell us a little about your film.
Loves Her Gun is a film about one woman's reaction to fear. We watch her change her response from flight to fight once she feels empowered by a weapon. The issues surrounding gun ownership have become a major press talking point lately, basically because of several high profile events. These however represent only a tiny percentage of a percentage of the effects guns have on life in america. I wanted to explore some of these issues in a much more common setting, so we focused on an un-exagerated look at one woman's personal journey. Loves Her Gun is her story.
When did you start making films? 
Geoff Marslett,
courtesy Swerve Pictures
My co-writer Lauren Modery had been experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety before we wrote the initial script. She had been feeling very vulnerable in urban settings, especially at night. We began talking about what would make her feel safer, and we ended up creating a basic outline from these discussions. -- whoops, i thought you asked why we started making this film-- in general, I started making films because I like telling stories...and making a film lets me up the ante on the story telling. I get to combine music and images and actors into something bigger than I could every make on my own.
Have you been to SXSW before?
Yep. This is my tenth or twelfth year to go to SXSW in some form or fashion. So I obviously love it. I most look forward to seeing the films...but a close second is the chance to see so many of my colleagues and friends who are scattered around the world and I only get to see at events like this. It is a little decadent spending a week just doing nothing but film stuff, but after working on these films for years it feels like we earned it. As for advice...pace yourself, there is a lot of beer and tacos and BBQ and movies.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
Hmmm. I grew up in Texas and spent time living in New Mexico, Maryland, Arizona, California...and I guess Portugal. I would like to add New Zealand or Australia to that list someday. I also like really spicy food.
- Add Loves Her Gun to your schedule here
- Click here to read all Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date
Al Reinert on An Unreal Dream
Image courtesy Williamson County Sun
Tell us a little about your film.
"An Unreal Dream" is a documentary about a man whose life was turned inside-out and upside-down by the justice system. It's the true story of what seemed an unreal dream for twenty-five years, with all the horrors of a bad dream salvaged in the end by some good people in a just world.
Why did you start making films? 
Al Reinert, courtesy
Williamson County Sun
I have been a working journalist for many years, in newspapers and magazines and documentary films, so I've heard a lot of stories. I have tried hard to tell them truly. The incredible tale of Michael Morton is maybe the best I have ever heard and I hope we have told it well and truly.
Have you been to SXSW before?
I am a Texan who has been coming to SXSW since it was just a little music festival. It's nice to get a badge for free this time and I recommend it.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
My wife rescues dogs that I get to feed and walk and clean up after and take to the vet, so I've got a softer side, says she.
