"BTW, I don't suppose you know any wealthy folks that'd like to invest in a motion picture? ;) "
Greg Pak is from the Austin area, I believe. He's in NYC now, as I understand it.
www.gregpak.com - read his thinking on the financing matter, look closely how he made and is distributing his own full-length movie. I tend to agree with Greg on just about everything he's written over the past 3 years, even though he and I have never met nor directly conversed in any fashion. Robert R got stupendous financing, but only after making over 200 movies and having the actual film in the can to sell plus having one amazing connection to Hollywood through the Texas Film Commission. If you are willing to let go of your baby, and the story is compelling, a RR *might* consider buying it. But if you want to do it yourself, you are going to have to go the route the rest of us do - self-finance with a few trusting friends.
Check
www.indieclub.com www.cinefuse.com www.sophocles.net www.ifp.org www.coldchair.com (these guys did it starting from access cable) just as places to read what others like you and me struggle with. That will become your struggle too.
Hang in and keep the faith. You got skills, my man.