21 April 2005
We're now accepting Call for Entries for the 2006
Texas Film Festival! You can download them here. 
For more details, visit our page under our FILMS link above.
4 April 2005
We'd
like to announce the winners of the 2005 Texas Film Festival.
JURY AWARD
Best Short - The Balloon
Best Feature Narrative - Break a Leg
Best Feature Documentary - POPaganda: The Art & Crimes of Ron
English
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
Best Short - Frog
Best Feature Narrative - Ocean Front Property
Best Feature Documentary - Seoul Train
DIRECTOR'S AWARD
Best Short - Snow Blink
Best Feature Narrative - Deadroom
Best Feature Documentary - Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton
Sea
Thanks to everyone who supported this year's
festival. Sorry to make this short, but we're very tired.
2 April 2005
Our
last day of Festival is here, but we have packed it full. We start
earlier at 2:00 today so we have time for our War Stories Panel
and Awards Ceremony. The Panel starts at 7:30 and is FREE to the
public. In addition to the director guests we already have on hand,
about 7 more will be arriving Saturday.
Also, we will be awarding the Jury Award, the Director's Award,
and the Audience Choice Award in the following categories:
Best Feature Narrative
Best Feature Documentary
Best Short
BARBECUE: A TEXAS LOVE STORY jump starts
our day as this documentary team travels the Lone Star State in
search of why barbeque is so engrained in Texas culture. Narrated
by Former Governor Ann Richards.
Directors and guests will be present
There
was time when the Salton Sea, tucked into the southeast corner of
California was known as the Riviera of the West - a haven for jetsetters
and
vacationers. Witness the fallout of one
of the worst ecological disasters in the United States in PLAGUES
AND PLEASURES ON THE SALTON SEA.
Official Selection at over a dozen film festivals across the nation
Director will be present
“Our life is made by the death of
others.” - Leonardo Da Vinci
DEADROOM centers around four encounters, each confined to a single
room. The four intertwined stories weave a tale that is shocking,
humorous, tragic and uplifting. In Deadroom, secrets are shared,
truths are revealed, and each of the eight characters comes to an
understanding they could not have gained without the touch of death.
Directors will be present
1 April 2005
This
week is going by so fast! Despite some nasty weather, we got some
great audiences for our screenings last night. A few more guests
arrive today including Mike Watkiss of COLORADO CITY & THE UNDERGROUND
RAILROAD and Warren Mayberry of BARBECUE. One of our guests that
was supposed to fly in yesterday, Pedro Carvajal or POPAGANDA, unfortunately
will not be able to make it due to illness. We're sad that he won't
be available to present his film, but we hope he feels better.
Our final SHORTS PROGRAM starts at 5:00
today and includes a couple of shorts made by Aggies, one made by
a former S.W.A.M.P. member in GRIPS and the other made by the creator
of the Texas Film Festival in HEADS OR TAILS.
POPAGANDA: THE ART & CRIMES OF RON ENGLISH
is a film about the culture-jamming and billboard-liberation antics
of Ron English. The modern day Robin Hood of Madison Avenue, Ron
paints, perverts, infiltrates, reinvents and satirizes modern culture
on canvas, in songs, and directly on hundreds of pirated billboards.
Shot entirely guerilla-style, the film chronicles the evolution
of an artist who offers an alternative universe where nothing is
sacred, everything is subverted and there's always room for a little
good-natured fun.
What do you do when only one person stands
between you and your lifelong dream… again and again? in BREAK A
LEG, Max Matteo, a talented actor, can’t seem to catch a break.
Despite his skills, Max is always second choice to a producer’s
nephew or a more marketable “name”. His frustration comes to a boiling
point and he takes matters- and people’s lives- into his own hands.
- Copper Wing Award for Best Picture at the Phoenix Film Festival
(FF)
- Audience Award for Best Film at Cinevegas FF
- American Independent Film Spirit Award at Sante Fe FF
- Best Performance by John Cassini at Marco Island FF
 see
films and schedule
31 March 2005
Festival's
half way over, and there's still tons more to do! Brett Ingram arrived
yesterday to present his film MONSTER ROAD. He'll be leading a film
workshop at 3:00 in Rudder 301 today called "Documentary Storytelling."
Even if you're not going into a film or journalism field, this is
a great opportunity to check out!
Today we start off a little different and
move straight into the features. COLORADO CITY & THE UNDERGROUND
RAILROAD takes a look at the dark underbelly of polygamy and the
abuse that it can foster. Mike Watkiss directs his first feature-length
in this documentary, but he has been investigating such stories
for over 25 years. Unfortunately, the director will not be present
for the film, but he will be here this Saturday for our War Stories
panel.
What if you were stuck on a deserted island
with your ex-girlfriend…and her new husband?
"The opening credits of OCEAN FRONT PROPERTY bill it not as
“a film” by Joe Scott, but rather “a slice of life”, and it is exactly
this slice-of-life approach to the characters and subject matter
that makes the film so personal and enjoyable. It is easy to like
and relate to each of the characters, and to appreciate their flaws
and inner struggles."
- Brian McKay, eFilmCritic
Director will be present
We end Thursday with the winners of the
Student Academy Awards from 2004. It's a collection of five shorts
that covers everything from an animated superhero who fights a maniacal
Nazi regime in "Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher" to a documentary on the
ins and outs of cheerleading through the eyes of the some of the
nation's youngest cheerleaders in "Cheerleader." Also included in
the program is "A-Alike," "S.P.I.C.: The Storyboard of My Life,"
and "Between Us."
see
films and schedule
29 March 2005
Despite
a slight inconvenience of the winged variety, our evening went off
without a hitch again. If you have yet to come out, there's plenty
more to see. Also, don't forget to block out some time to come see
our War Stories panel this Saturday at 7:30!
We keep the shorts rolling with our third
SHORTS PROGRAM. There's a blend of comedy with animation with serious
drama so there's sure to be something for everybody. If you're nervous
about attending a film festival, this is the place to start.
Our first feature documentary of the festival
is SEOUL TRAIN, a film garnering attention for shining light on
the current situation that many North Koreans face trying to escape
a country that holds them prisoner. A heartbreaking but very important
film, this is one not to miss as an American and as a human.
"The life and work of Seattle-based
animator Bruce Bickford is canvassed in MONSTER ROAD, the winner
of Slamdance's docu jury prize. Akin to "Crumb" in its
exploration of a genius creative type who's also an eccentric, pic
offers a portrait of Bickford, whose cult success in the 1970s has
been followed by decades of a reclusive existence caring for his
Alzheimer's-stricken father."
- Scott Foundas, Variety
Director Brett Ingram will be present
Check out a trailer here.
Brett Ingram of MONSTER ROAD will be leading
our second film workshop entitled "Documentary Storytelling."
The workshop is free to the public and will be held in Rudder 501.
see
films and schedule
28 March 2005
Festival
opened with our best opening attendance ever! We've gone digital
with our ticket taking, and that went smoother for us than tearing
those tickets. This year we set up a Critic Board for viewers to
sound off on what they saw. You can read what they
said here.
Our two directors from DEADROOM are here
in town, and they're excited to be here to share their experience.
Their workshop starts at 3:00 at Rudder 301. It's free to everyone.
Our second installment of SHORTS PROGRAM
kicks off our Tuesday evening of Festival. These shorts come from
all over, including Rome, Ludwigsburg, Los Angeles, Austin, and
even College Station!
We take a trip over the pond to jump into
the intriguing London art scene in COLLUSION, our first feature
of the evening.
Capping off Tuesday is DEAR PILLOW in which
the director Bryan Poyser is attending for a Q&A afterwards.
"It’s hardly family fare, but a dark streak of humor
keeps DEAR PILLOW from sinking into sex-talk overkill, and any film
with the line, 'God put heaven in a girl’s ass' is going to
prove difficult to ignore if only for the post-screening arguments
it’s likely to engender. " - Austin Chronicle
Official Selection at over 7 film festivals
Read more about us in our Press section!
see
films and schedule
28 March 2005
Festival
has begun! We start off tonight with our first SHORTS
PROGRAM
where we see everything from animated senior citizens to Storm Troopers
in a high school hallway. Shorts Programs are a good way to test
out festival if you've never been so bring along a friend to see
what we're about.
We also are proud to screen THE OLIVE HARVEST,
a love story set against the backdrop of the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict.
Our special screening tonight is PRIMER,
a film by Shane Carruth that's received may accolades this past
year, including two prestigious Sundance prizes and several Independent
Spirit awards.
You can also read reviews about our films each day through the Battalion.
Tomorrow, we are privileged to host a filmmaking workshop led by
two of the directors of DEADROOM called "Artistic Integrity
in Independent Filmmaking." More details here.
see
Tuesday's Workshop
1 March 2005
Our
feature length films can be see on our right. We've also updated
our films pages to include synopses, photos, and conact
information. We're almost finished so the rest of the shorts should
be complete really soon.
see
films and schedule
20 February 2005
OUR SCHEDULE IS UP!
Our festivities start at 3 pm each day (2 pm on Saturday)
with a workshop led by one of our director guests. We have both
shorts and features planned for each day as well. Click below to
visit our Films & Schedule page.
see
films and schedule
1
February 2005
WE HAVE SELECTED OUR
FILM ENTRIES FOR THE 2005 TEXAS FILM FESTIVAL!
Check back for updates to see our schedule and details about
each film, or sign up to receive an email.
see
film entries
6
December 2004
The new website is up! You should really
bookmark it! Better yet, you should sign up for email updates (on
your left).
10
November 2004
Heather & I just got back from the AFI
Fest in Los Angeles. We got to spend 5 days there and watched over
20 films and 17 shorts combined. We saw some promising projects
that we hope to go after for our festival.
23
September 2004
You can sign up for email updates (to the
left). We'll let you know about the upcoming guests, our film schedule,
and special events!
12
September 2004
We're now
accepting entries for the 2005 Texas Film Festival!
Download a Call-for-Entries form here. Submissions must be postmarked
January 2, 2005.
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