The Statesman on the Belterra Subdivision
The Statesman’s Asher Price has a piece in today’s Statesman about Belterra’s attempts to dump treated wastewater in Bear Creek
Belterra, developed by Calif.-based Makar Properties, had applied to the state environmental agency more than two years ago to expand its wastewater treatment plant, hoping to discharge some treated wastewater into Bear Creek, which feeds Barton Springs. Belterra — located off U.S. 290 in the Hill Country — originally asked to expand the capacity from 150,000 to 800,000 gallons a day. The developer, which has at least 350 houses on Belterra’s 1,600 acres now and plans as many as 2,000, said the facility will be a model for sewage disposal in a region dominated by aging septic tanks.
Austin City Council Proclaims “The Unforeseen” Day
Austin City Council PROCLAMATION:
Be it known that
Whereas,
“The Unforeseen” is a film which chronicles how development threatens the Edwards Aquifer, Barton Springs and the natural environment, presenting a microcosm of events across the country; and,
Whereas,
“The Unforeseen” is a film made in Austin by Austinites including: filmmaker Laura Dunn, producer Terrence Malick (along with Robert Redford who spent his childhood summers swimming in Barton Springs), cinematographer Lee Daniel and starring Texas notables Ann Richards and Willie Nelson; and,
Whereas,
“The Unforeseen” was an official selection at the Sundance, SXSW and San Francisco International Film Festivals and a winner of the prestigious 2008 Independent Spirit Award honoring indie films;
Now, Therefore,
I, Will Wynn, Mayor of the City of Austin, Texas,
do hereby proclaim APRIL 6, 2008 as “The Unforeseen” Day…….
Ok, so now the million dollar question is: Has Mayor Wynn seen the film? What about the other City Council members? Given their collective record of “upzoning” developments over the watershed and the cutting of city funds for pollution monitoring at both Barton Creek and Barton Springs, well, it all just makes me wonder….
Post Weekend Update
Cinema Guild, our theatrical distributor, told us that The Unforeseen had the second highest PTA (Per Theater Average) in the country this weekend. Thanks Austinites!
We were just behind the new Jared Leto movie about the guy who killed John Lennon… whoo boy. And Cinema Guild’s new foreign film “Alexandra” also opened very strong at NY’s Film Forum.
We got mentions both via IndieWIRE BOT and via Salon’s Andrew O’Herir.
Drafthouse Screening Sells Out… Adds 2 Screens!
To our and Alamo’s complete shock, the 7:15 Friday premiere at Alamo South Lamar sold out. They bumped a studio pic to add a 7:20 showtime and then sold THAT screening out. So then they added a 7:25 screening and sold it out as well.
We noticed that tonight (Saturday) they added a 7:20 screening as well.
“The Unforeseen” In Austin News.
Robert Redford came to Austin to help promote the opening of The Unforeseen. (He flew in from Houston where he was promoting Mat Hames’ new documentary “Fighting Goliath.” Woot!)
Here are the recent Austin writeups:
- KVUE News
- Austin American-Statesman’s Michael Barnes (Strangely the film received no review)
- Austin Chronicle Review (pick of the week)
The Unforeseen plays Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse South
The movie comes home to Austin’s Alamo South Lamar this Friday. Tim and Carrie League have been supportive of Laura’s work since GREEN. With The Unforeseen, they’ve had the trailer playing in front of movies like IN BRUGES and THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Anyways, you can pick up your tickets online by clicking here.
Hope to see you there.
Speaking of Austin 2027…
Austin-post-facelift/implants/tummy tuck/liposuction is now available as a poster (click image to buy)
Special Austin Screening Sept 12
We will premiere our new 35mm print with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound at the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin Wednesday Sept 12 at 7:30pm.
This special screening benefits the Save Our Springs Alliance. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Doors and Bar opens at 6:30 pm.
Central Texas Screening of The Unforeseen
The Unforeseen screens at Texas State on September 11th. If you live in or around Austin and missed seeing the film at SXSW, why not catch it in beautiful, spring-laden San Marcos? The film play in scenic Sewell Park on the banks of the San Marcos River. You can learn more about the screening here:
The Unforeseen is a beautiful and stunning documentary about the development around Barton Springs in Austin, Texas, and nature’s unexpected response to being threatened by human interference. The film premiered at the SXSW festival and was an Official Selection at both the 2007 USA Film Festival and the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, among numerous others. Filmmaker Laura Dunn will be available to speak about the film and answer questions.
This phrase “nature’s unexpected response” keeps popping up in writeups. I’m still not sure what this means…
Texas Hill Country Development makes Sunday NY Times
Click image to read (Registration Required)
The Kickoff:
NEARLY two decades ago, Gene and Linda Lowenthal, who were living in Austin, decided that they would eventually want to move to the wide-open countryside. They bought 58 acres in this small town in the Texas Hill Country, about 45 minutes west of Austin, built a small house and moved here in the mid-’90s, finally free of noise and sprawl.
That freedom lasted about nine years. Then, bulldozers started appearing on hillsides once covered with live oak and mesquite trees. Houses and traffic lights popped up on once-forlorn roads leading to their home. Plans for a water line were drawn.
The Lowenthals had to choose: stay, or travel farther out into the Hill Country. “We just wanted a small house where we could enjoy the land and be left alone,” Mrs. Lowenthal said. “People could look at us and say, ‘Your land is worth 10 times more than what you paid.’ But what we wanted is going to be gone.”
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About The Unforeseen
The Unforeseen, executive produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Called "the best film at the festival, hands down" by Film Comment's Gavin Smith, the film documents the struggles between development and preservation of Austin Texas.