That's especially the case if you're San Antonio native Duane Graves, whose horror

flick "The Wild Man of the Navidad" is unspooling this weekend and next at the big-time, Robert De Niro-driven Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

      And it's a big weekend showcase a little closer to home for resident S. A. filmmaker Brett Mauser. "Crosshairs," a hit man thriller boasting a local cast and crew, lights up a screen Sunday night at 7:30 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes Cinema (1255 S.W. Loop 410).

      Graves, born and raised in the Alamo City, works out of Austin these days. A film degree grad from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Graves co-directs "The Wild Man of the Navidad" with Austin's like-minded Justin Meeks. The filmmaking duo also co-wrote the script and co-edited this '70s-set monster-in-the-woods yarn set in a rural Texas community "depraved by moonshine."

     "Crosshairs," an indie feature written, produced by and starring Matthew Jasso, is the second in the Wes Mercer series.

     Hit man Mercer (Jasso), already conflicted about his cold-blooded line of work, finds himself a target of a hit just as he's beginning a relationship with a legal secretary named Carmen, portrayed by Laura Evans.

      Admission is free for "Crosshairs." In addition to being a super way to support local filmmaking talent, there's a bonus. Jade Esteban Estrada's music video "Bella Morena," shot entirely in downtown San Antonio, will also screen.

     

©2008 San Antonio Express-News