The fledgling Cinema Arts Festival Houston has bagged a big name for the event: Tilda Swinton. (If Tilda Swinton isn’t a big-enough name for you, you’re probably not the type of movie fan who would appreciate the Cinema Arts Festival Houston.)

Swinton, who’s starred in Orlando and won an Oscar for Michael Clayton, will make several appearances in town in conjunction with the festival.

“Tilda Swinton’s commitment to working with innovative artists, from Derek Jarman
to Lynn Hershman, and to building audiences for challenging cinematic art, has inspired
us in launching our Festival,” said Richard Herskowitz, Cinema Arts Festival Houston
curator.

Here’s what’s on tap:

The Worlds of Tilda Swinton is a series of events
that includes three screenings of Swinton’s films: Derek, Teknolust and a special
sneak preview of her latest independent feature. On closing night of the Festival,
in conjunction with Swinton’s 8 ½ Foundation, Swinton will introduce an outdoor
screening of The Red Shoes in Discovery Green, Houston’s downtown park, preceded
by a live performance by the Houston Ballet.

Pretty impressive stuff.

Swinton will also be involved in the screening of a documentary about Derek Jarman, who has directed her in several films.

Representing Swinton’s dedicated work as a creative accomplice of avant-garde artists,
the 2008 feature documentary Derek will be shown Sunday, November 15, at 1 pm at
the Brown Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Swinton wrote and narrated
the screenplay of this documentary tribute, directed by Isaac Julien, about the
legendary painter and filmmaker Derek Jarman. Following the screening, Swinton will
join Festival curator Richard Herskowitz for a conversation about Jarman’s legacy.
Swinton’s connection to Jarman dates back to the beginning of her film career when
she was a stage actress and a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Jarman
cast her as Lena in Caravaggio (1986). Jarman, a painter, gay activist and visionary
film director, among other things, was to become her mentor and she his muse (although
she has said he needed “no muse but himself”). Swinton ultimately performed in seven
of Jarman’s feature films.

The festival is next month, from November 11-15

This article appears in Oct 8-14, 2009.