Trees Lounge

AFS Cinema is bringing back Trees Lounge for a few screenings this month, starting Sunday, September 6. It's part of the Austin Film Society's 30th-anniversary celebration, and if you've never seen it, it's a good place to start with 90s indie cinema. The film is Steve Buscemi's directorial debut, a 1996 American independent feature that's been restored in 4K by IndieCollect.

The story is set in a Long Island dive bar and follows a local loser whose life unravels until he ends up working as the neighborhood ice-cream man. Roger Ebert called it "the most accurate portrait of the daily saloon drinker I have ever seen," and it picked up praise from The Washington Post and Time Out as well. The cast is a real 90s New York ensemble: Anthony LaPaglia, Elizabeth Bracco, Chloë Sevigny, Seymour Cassel, Michael Imperioli, Samuel L. Jackson, Carol Kane, and Debi Mazar. If you're a fan of that whole era of independent film, seeing these names together on screen is half the draw.

There are three screenings to choose from: Sunday, September 6 at 4:30 PM; Saturday, September 12 at 4:15 PM; and Sunday, September 13 at 6:00 PM. The September 13 showing is the one to keep an eye on, because Richard Linklater will be there for a moderated chat afterward. If you've seen the movie before and want to hear some thoughts on it from one of the city's most famous directors, that's your best bet.

Tickets are $15 for evening shows and $12 for matinees, which run Monday through Friday before 5 PM. AFS MAKE and WATCH members get $4 off, and it's free for LOVE and Impact Circle members. There are also discounts for AISD educators and local high school and college students at the box office. All three screenings are at AFS Cinema, 6406 N I-35 Suite 3100, Austin, TX 78752.