IndieWIRE reports that IFC's First Take distribution program has picked up two more films, including one I've been wanting to see for some time: Victor Nunez's Coastlines. As a budding filmmaker growing up in Knoxville, the mere existence of Victor Nunez -- a guy who has made films in his native Florida since the 70s -- was inspiring. I've followed his career for years, and I was disappointed when Coastlines, after premiering at Sundance in 2002, just sort of disappeared. No theatrical distribution. No video release. Nothing.
All this was surprising, too, since Nunez earned a lot of acclaim for Ruby in Paradise, which launched Ashley Judd's career, and Ulee's Gold, which brought Peter Fonda an Oscar nomination. Though those are worth checking out, A Flash of Green, a real sleeper of a movie with Ed Harris playing an investigative reporter, might be Nunez's best. Of course, you'll have to dig around to find a copy; it's been out of print on VHS for years.
Anyway, it's nice to hear that I'll have a chance to finally see Coastlines. If you're new to Nunez and his work, check out this fine article written by Anthony Kaufman around the time of the film's production.