AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 18) BUSINESS WIRE -March 18, 1998--The premiere Texas screening of Houston filmmaker Tessa Blake's "Five Wives, Three Secretaries and Me" at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) represents this year's first clear hit with audiences and critics.
SXSW has been hailed by "Variety" as "rapidly becoming one of the most important film forums in the country," and "Five Wives," which premiered before a near-capacity crowd on Sunday night at the Austin Convention Center, is a prime example of the gems of independent cinema that the festival prides itself on discovering. The much-anticipated documentary was hailed by the Austin American-Statesman as "touching," "vibrant and searching," and "simmer(ing) with...love (and) awe." The filmmakers describe early conversations with potential distributors as "positive."
Director Blake used the receipts of a million-dollar trust from her 87-year-old father to make "Five Wives," a candid examination of her relationship to this man who often seems more icon than dad. The emotional and financial investments are apparent, as she skillfully reveals the many facets of Tom Blake: Houston oil man, Hollywood playboy, hotshot lawyer, and serial monogamist. The Austin Chronicle credits Tessa with "unflinchingly aim(ing) her questions and camera with unerring ease," as she explores the darker facets of her familial history, and the American-Statesman further notes that she offers "an insider's look at a fine old Texas family...with an outsider's sense of irony."
Though the conflict at the center of "Five Wives" deals with his disapproval of his daughter's interracial romance, Mr. Blake had only kind words for the film and for his daughter. Producer Jason Lyon, speaking before the screening, praised the festival for "moving to the forefront of indie film, and giving small films with...big hearts a chance to be seen by audiences who still love and appreciate the art of filmmaking." Finally, a quite moved director Blake, thanked her family in general and her father in particular for their "enormous bravery and generosity in allowing (her) to tell their stories."
The SXSW Film Festival continues through Saturday, March 21, and subsequent screenings of "Five Wives, Three Secretaries and Me" will be held on Wednesday, March 18 at 2 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center and on Friday, March 20 at 11 a.m. at the Dobie Theater. Information on either "Five Wives" or the festival at large can be obtained by calling the SXSW headquarters at 512/467-7979.
CONTACT: Asset Pictures
Roxane Carrasco, 212/255-6187 (office)
or 917/854-3470 (mobile)