September 22, 2021
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Author

Kelly Kitchens

Is an editor and feature writer, Kelly J. Kitchens found herself engrossed in the North Texas’ arts, entertainment, leisure/hospitality and fund raising events scene in the early and mid-'90s. Her love of film, music, art, theater, and worthy causes drove her to then pursue the publicity side of the media business in 1995. Kelly has been honored as a “master publicist” in the Fort Worth Business Press and a “media professional” in The Dallas Morning News. The year 2014 is a bang of a year! Not only is Kelly working on the Dallas VideoFest in October and Lone Star Film Festival in November, she is also the publicist for the Alamo Drafthouses DFW in Richardson. She will be opening the Alamo in Dallas in 2015 and Alamo in Las Colinas in 2016. Kelly was featured in a journalist's Master Thesis all about how she became a publicist and how she works. It is recommended reading if you plan to call on Kelly. Kelly J Kitchens Media Relations/Entertainment Publicity kellykitchenspr.com 214-684-1378 kelly@kellykitchenspr.com


Film
Dallas VideoFest Ends 34-Year Run | Focus on Tributes, Representation and Politics
Kelly Kitchens Posted On September 10, 2021


REMEMBRANCES
In a special pre-festival kickoff 7 p.m. Sun., Sept. 29 at the Angelika, Dallas VideoFest will take an emotional look back to significant people and moments in Dallas film history. With the screening of the 1929 silent film MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA event, Dallas VideoFest will pay homage to late Dallas Composer Jack Waldenmaier.
Waldenmaier, who had a dual career in both music composition and music production, hosted the world premiere of his new score to the 1929 silent film at VideoFest 25.

“This was one of those moments during the festival that was very magical,” said Bart Weiss, founder and artistic director for Dallas VideoFest during its 34-year run. “Everyone who was there felt they had seen something very special.”

Held on National Silent Movie Day, the event will honor Waldenmaier and provide an opportunity for festival-goers to celebrate other friends and film industry vets lost during the pandemic.

=================

Dallas VideoFest34 presents DocuFest+ showcases dozens of documentary features – several premieres – along with shorts Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 at Angelika Film Center – Dallas (5321 E Mockingbird Ln., Dallas).
VideoFest.org

Documentaries explore nonfiction investigations of topics or events deemed worthy of further insight. Its specific storytelling techniques are flourishing like never before – encompassing reportage, memoir, history, and humor. Documentaries have always been an integral part of the Dallas VideoFest experience for 34 years.

TEXAS PREMIERE DOCS
The event features Texas premieres of several films made in Dallas, including Festival-opener PIECES OF US, a film that looks at the personal journeys of LGBTQ+ hate-crime survivors. PIECES OF US screens at 7 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 30 following a Red Carpet for the filmmaker and others at the Festival – a first for Dallas VideoFest.

IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS
Dallas VideoFest Founder and Artistic Director Bart Weiss said PIECES OF US and other films featured at the Festival deliver on common DocuFest themes of representation, politics and “the quirky.”

“We’re looking forward to a celebration for the community that gathers each year to experience something different,” said Weiss.

QUIRKY CONTENT CONTINUES
In the quirky category are features of innovative films and filmmakers for which VideoFest has become known – including “Big D,” an annual look at films shot around the world on mobile devices and Tik Toc “Docs,” showcasing documentaries presented in the 30- to 60-second format.

“Tik Tok Docs are an important part of how we point to how things were done in film in the past and how they will be done in the future,” said Weiss. “For years, the festival has screened lots of great shorts, which are so important to the legacy of the Video Fest.” “Big D” screens noon Sat., Oct. 2, and Tik Toc Docs screen 6 p.m. Sun., Oct. 3.

MORE LGBTQ+
Other LGBTQ+ films include BOULEVARD! A HOLLYWOOD STORY about two young songwriters and romantic partners, who find themselves caught in movie star Gloria Swanson’s web when she hires them to write a musical version of SUNSET BOULEVARD.

MORE POLITICAL
Political-themed documentaries focus on timely issues, including the last abortion clinic in Texas (ON THE DIVIDE, 4 p.m. Sat., Oct. 2) and the Hong Kong protests (FACELESS, noon, Sat., Oct. 2).

FILMS ABOUT FILM, ART
Films about Film remains a recurring theme of documentaries that play at VideoFest. This year that includes the final installment of editor Allan Holzman’s series: ART OF DIRECTING, the Israeli documentary IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR SITS A WOMAN, and VJ DIARIES.
Films about Art include JOHN WILCOX-THE RELINQUISHMENT OF TIME, CRUTCH, and JAMES SURLS: THIS PLACE EVERYWHERE about the Texas artist, James Surls’ sculpture at the Dallas Holocaust Museum.

TRULY SPECIAL EVENTS

On Sat. evening, Oct. 2, VideoFest will welcome Houston Filmmaker and Chef Adan Medrano, for a screening of TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN, a documentary focusing on the delicious “Comida Casera” (home cooking) of Texas Mexican-American families. This style of cooking was created by indigenous businesswomen, “Chili Queens,” who rose to fame in the late 1800s.

Following the 7 p.m. screening, patrons will gather at Trompo in Oak Cliff (407 W 10th St #140, Dallas, TX) for a party and meal prepared by Chef Medrano and the Trompo team.

CELEBRATORY OVERTURES
Ending its 34-year run on a celebratory note, the festival will also screen the film FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK Sun. Oct. 3 at Carbaret Drive-in in Richardson (at the lot on the top level in the back of the Shops at Promenade and The Forum Social Club at 300 N. Coit Rd). The after-party celebrating the film and influential all-female band from the 1970s will pick up at The Forum Bar in Richardson.

For Weiss, who conceived and has led the festival ever since its inception in 1987, the end of VideoFest feels bittersweet. “Personally, it’s sad, and in some ways, it’s somewhat of a relief,” he said. “It has been a great ride, but all rides end. I’m looking forward to us all getting together one more time.”

DALLAS VIDEOFEST 34
Fact Sheet

WHAT:
Dallas VideoFest 34 presents DocuFest+ – the last Dallas VideoFest

WHEN and WHERE:

Sept. 29, 7 pm — Dallas VideoFest Tribute and Special Screening of MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA

A special pre-festival kickoff and in honor of National Silent Movie Day, Dallas VideoFest showcases a special screening of MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA as well as tributes to friends and community members who have passed during this time of COVID

Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 — 2 screens
Angelika Film Center – Dallas
Mockingbird Station
5321 E Mockingbird Ln #230
Dallas, TX 75206
Oct. 3, 7:45 pm — FANNY documentary and Closing Night Celebration

Carbaret Drive-In
In the Parking Lot of The Forum Social Club
300 North Coit Road Suite 260
Richardson, Texas 75080

PASSES and TICKETS:
Available online at https://videofest.org/tickets/

Individual Tickets: $10-$15
All-Access Passes: $60
Weekend Passes: $50
Day Passes: $20-$30
Themed Spotlight Passes: $20 (Spotlight Passes include all films in the categories of LGBTQ+, Women, Music and Short Film Blocks)

Connect with VideoFest: (#DVF34)
https://videofest.org/

Sign up for the Video Association Newsletter:
http://tinyurl.com/DVFNewsletter

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Videofest

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/videofest

Instagram:
http://instagram.com/videofest

About Dallas VideoFest:

VideoFest (https://videofest.org/) is now the oldest and largest video festival in the United States and continues to garner critical and popular acclaim. VideoFest prides itself on bringing films to the theater that are rarely available to be seen anywhere else. Films like Experimental/Art Films, Animation, Narrative and Documentary Shorts as well as Documentary and Narrative Features and some hard-to-find Classic TV episodes and Classic Films are often in the mix.

History of VideoFest: Cutting-Edge Art
Merging art and technology since 1987, VideoFest has specialized in independent, alternative, and non-commercial media, presenting hard-to-find works rarely seen on television, in movie theaters, or elsewhere, despite their artistic excellence and cultural and social relevance. Even in a Web 4.0 environment where everything is seemingly available on the Internet, the VideoFest provides curatorial guidance, a critical voice in the wilderness navigating the vast and diverse landscape of media, helping to interpret its cultural and artistic significance. The event provides a communal environment for real-time, face-to-face dialogue between makers and audiences.

ABOUT VIDEO ASSOCIATION OF DALLAS
The mission of the Video Association is to promote an understanding of video as a creative medium and cultural force in our society and to support and advance the work of Texas artists working in video and the electronic arts.  The Video Association of Dallas (VAD) is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated on April 25, 1989.  It began in 1986 as a weekend event, Video As A Creative Medium, presented at the Dallas Museum of Art by independent curators Barton Weiss and John Held. That first event, which included two nights of video by selected local and national video artists, was a great popular success, which led to the founding of the Dallas Video Festival (DVF) in 1987. Video Association of Dallas also presents the 24 Hour Video Race, the Texas Show Tour, North Texas College Film Festival, Texas Filmmakers Production Fund workshops, Three Star Cinema, and other programs throughout the year.

VIDEO ASSOCIATION OF DALLAS – 1405 Woodlawn Dallas, TX 75208


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Film
Texas Frightmare Weekend Screens Rondo and Bob
Kelly Kitchens Posted On August 24, 2021


Explores Look Creator of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Howling and The Hills Have Eyes

RONDO AND BOB focuses on Robert A. Burns, a horror film legend for creating the look of seminal films THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, RE-ANIMATOR and THE HOWLING. Burns concocted iconic Leatherface masks and scoured the countryside for bones that filled the low-budget CHAIN SAW set.

Burns was obsessed with actor Rondo Hatton (aka the Creeper), an average man whose face was transformed into a distorted mask by acromegaly because of his deformity found his way into films in the 1930s and ‘40s.

The film reveals both men’s lives/careers through recreations, archival footage and interviews to reveal Burns as a normal-looking man who was brimming with creative weirdness and Hatton as a regular guy cursed with a hideous look. Burns thought himself incapable of love while Hatton found his soulmate.

SPARK OF THE DOCUMENTARY
Burns’ longtime friend Gary Kent, who plays Rondo’s doctor in the reenactments in the RONDO AND BOB, introduced then film journalist Joe O’Connell to Burns in 2000. Burns gave O’Connell a copy of his unproduced screenplay RONDO AND MAE. The documentary which includes reenactment segments follows Burns as he searches for Rondo’s widow, Mae Hatton, and learns his idol’s true story.

“The visual genius Bob Burns brought to horror films is enough to rate a documentary, but I was drawn in by his obsession with Rondo Hatton. I was compelled to tell both men’s very human stories,” said O’Connell. Kent is the subject of O’Connell’s first documentary DANGER GOD about Kent’s B-movie/stuntman career. Kent was partial inspiration for Brad Pitt’s stuntman character in the film, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD.

About filmmaker, Joe O’Connell:
O’Connell is a former film industry columnist for The Dallas Morning News, The Austin Chronicle, and Austin American-Statesman. He’s writing a book about the Ross Sisters, three contortionists from West Texas who found fleeting fame in the 1940s.

DETAILS FOR RONDO AND BOB:
When: Sept. 10-12 (exact screening date/time to come)
Where: Texas Frightmare Weekend, Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport
Admission: TexasFrightmareWeekend.com
Links: RondoAndBob.com
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11828004/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rondoandbob
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rondoandbob

Watch trailer…


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Film
Dallas VideoFest’s 2021 Festival Will be Its Last
Kelly Kitchens Posted On July 20, 2021


In 1986 Dallas VideoFest was born on the heels of a wildly successful video art program called “Video as a Creative Medium” Bart Weiss co-presented at the Dallas Museum of Art.

At the time Weiss, a filmmaker and film teacher, had been delivering similar programming in Dallas area nightclubs. Embracing the concept of a four-day festival, Weiss brought the first Dallas VideoFest to life inside the DMA’s Horchow Auditorium in 1987.

Now, after 34 years of organizing VideoFest, Weiss has decided this fall’s event (Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at Angelika Film Center – Dallas) will be the last. But, he insists, he is not stepping away from the media world entirely.

Focus on Innovation
That first year at the DMA, in a sense, set the focus for VideoFest for years to come, when Weiss asked Comedienne Edie Adams to showcase the archived work of her husband Ernie Kovacs from the 1950s to early 1960s.

“Kovacs was the first artist working in television to not just stand and tell a joke but to use the camera to tell the joke,” Weiss explained. “Kovacs was exploring what the art form could evolve into, which is what we’ve tried to do with Dallas VideoFest.”

In addition to recognizing innovators with its prestigious Ernie Kovacs Award, VideoFest has also dedicated its platform to filmmakers, who use technologies and techniques to present their work in new and different ways.

Set Apart
Weiss says it’s this focus that has set VideoFest apart from other film festivals.

After a full decade of screening in the DMA — a space that featured five viewing environments, including installations and a video wall — VideoFest relocated to the Dallas Theater Center to retain autonomy in the films it screened.

“We had the whole building, and it was this incredible Frank Lloyd Wright space,” said Weiss. “We had to build everything. There was no screen, projector nor sound systems. We built a universe.”

Weiss reflects fondly on the VideoFest’s “Theater Center years,” a time when the event truly hit its stride. “People could come hang out in the lobby and talk to each other while deciding what they wanted to see next,” he said. “We loved the community aspect of it.”

Adapting to emerging trends and consumer needs, a number of local theaters have hosted VideoFest, including Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Studio Movie Grill, the Angelika Film Center — during the pandemic — drive-in theater sites. VideoFest also featured a special series called “Expanded Cinema,” where the work was shown on the outside walls of the 23-story, 1001-room Omni Dallas Hotel downtown, while the sound was transmitted simulcast by KXT-91.7 FM radio.

While available space often dictated the quantity and type of material screened, Weiss’s tastes also held sway. “Over the years, programming for the festival has been a reflection of things I’m thinking about,” he said. “Often it was about figuring out what was best at that particular moment.”

In the beginning, Weiss said VideoFest sought to fill a gap for presenting work from underrepresented communities. “It’s never been our intent to have films that would show up in the movie theater the next year,” he said. “We wanted to show things that might not be as readily accessible.”

This focus, he said, has been both a blessing and a curse. Dallas VideoFest never became a celebrity-based festival. Rather it remained a festival focused on the content and aesthetic of film work, rather than a celebrity cast.

Weiss is also proud of Dallas VideoFest’s commitment to championing interactive media — from CD-ROMs and HDTV to virtual reality — when they first arrived on the scene. When VideoFest was held at the DMA, video artists had the opportunity to work with the space’s video wall, which featured stacked monitors.

In recent years, the festival has been broken down into a series of mini-festivals, the Medianale for video art, Alternative Fiction for narratives and DocuFest for documentaries.

Nurturing Talent
Over the decades, Dallas VideoFest has nurtured many previously unknown filmmakers, who have achieved continued success in the film world. Dallas-based indie filmmaker David Lowery screened one of his first films at VideoFest before going on to win a nomination for AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

The festival also remains connected to the founders of former Dallas animation studio DNA Productions Inc., John A. Davis and Keith Alcorn – Davis a former student of Weiss at SMU. The festival showcased the pair’s animated films for years, including the pilot of JIMMY NEUTRON, BOY GENIUS, which continued for several seasons and became a feature film.

One important initiative for Weiss has been to save the work shown at VideoFest, which the event has done since the second year. “We now have tapes of what is essentially a history of this medium from 1988 to the present,” he said. “In some cases, some of the filmmakers may not have copies of the work we have.”

The Future
As Weiss reflects on the next steps, he says the end of VideoFest feels bittersweet.

“Personally, it’s sad, and in some ways, it’s somewhat of a relief,” he said. “Throughout the pandemic, I know a lot of people have gone through this questioning of ‘what is it important for me to do?’”

Weiss said the nonprofit that organizes VideoFest, Video Association of Dallas, will continue to produce his monthly show on Dallas’ public television station, KERA-TV, FRAME OF MIND, occasionally award the Ernie Kovacs Award and potentially partner with other organizations to continue contributing to Dallas film culture.

On a personal level, Weiss — himself a filmmaker — also has ongoing projects he’s looking forward to committing more time to. These projects include a narrative series called FIRE BONES and two documentary films of his own about the Denton band, Brave Combo, and noted film critics, Andrew Sarris and Molly Haskell. During the pandemic, Weiss produced a series on “How Performing Arts Organizations Can Go Digital,” for the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and he also created a sizzle reel for Dallas Arts Month.

In the future, Weiss said he hopes to reimagine what an organization could be like that does not need a large staff to produce major events but still finds ways to influence culture.


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Film
Dallas-Based TV Series #WASHED Season 2 Nominated for a Daytime Emmy
Kelly Kitchens Posted On June 1, 2021


Nominees for the broadcast portion of the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were unveiled on May 25, 2021, by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
https://theemmys.tv/daytime-48th-nominations-cbs/

#WASHED is a nominee for Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design for a Drama or Daytime Program. The #DaytimeEmmy telecast will air on June 25 on CBS and Paramount+.

Congratulations are in order to #WASHED’s set designer, Yvonne Williams, director of photography, Jamarrio Washington, producer/lead actor, Byron Hardy, assistant director/lead actress, Nadirah Shakir, show creator/director, Jerod Couch as well as the entire cast and crew.

Show creator/director Jerod Couch’s Statement:
“I’m so proud of the #WASHED cast and crew for being nominated for a Daytime Emmy. It’s so amazing to see our Dallas-based indie series alongside shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV. It’s a testament to the talent and creativity in our wonderful city. We created something magical outside the traditional Hollywood studio system with nowhere near the resources but with the same level of creativity. Our set designer, Yvonne Williams; director of photography, Jamarrio Washington; assistant director, Nadirah Shakir; and producer, Byron Hardy—all deserve special kudos for this amazing accomplishment.”

According to the NATAS press release:
“This year’s awards honor content from more than 3,000 submissions that originally premiered in calendar-year 2020. The submissions were judged by a pool of more than 1,000 peer professionals from across the television industry whose confidential ballots were then tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Lutz & Carr, LLP. The June 25 telecast will mark the 15th time CBS has broadcast the Daytime Emmys®, more than any other network.”

Phase 2 of the 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards nominations, which #WASHED has submitted in 10 more categories, will be announced on June 28 and presented virtually on July 17 and 18.

ABOUT #WASHED Season 2

Two-time regional Emmy award winner Jerod Couch launched the second season of TV series #WASHED on Amazon Prime on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The series follows a group of aging millennials as they attain everything they never wanted in pursuit of their dreams.

#WASHED completed shooting in December 2019. The production utilized more than 150 Dallas cast and crew and 30 locations in the heart of Dallas. Couch, who grew up in southern Dallas, created the show and directed each episode. Previously, he won regional Emmys for writing and directing commercials for Texas Rangers.

CREATOR’S THOUGHTS
“#WASHED is a unique take on the urban coming-of-age story. The half-hour dramedy/satire features a group of 30-somethings wondering if their dreams come with expiration dates. They are too old to just be dreamers, yet they are young enough to make those dreams a reality.

“My adolescent years were spent hopping from ‘hood to hood’ in Dallas, ultimately settling in the Wilmer-Hutchins area,” Couch said. “After returning home from a five-year producing stint at ESPN, I set out to create an indie TV series to tell the story of an aging millennial struggling to balance that former life in the ‘hood’ and current ‘#WASHED-up’ 30s lifestyle that doesn’t include the fame and fortune you had planned as a kid.”

#WASHED Season 2 Teaser
Season 2 Trailer | #WASHED | Digital Series | Dallas

The first of nine episodes of the second season of “#WASHED” starts on Amazon on Sept. 2. The series features an all-Black cast. In the writers’ room, efforts were made to tell diverse Black stories.

“We quickly learned this ‘30-something life crisis’ is a shared experience across our society,” Couch said. “Therefore, in Season 2 of ‘#WASHED’ instead of focusing on one character, we explore a multitude of characters dealing with coming-of-adulthood from the male and female perspectives. Issues include chasing love, fame, fortune, career woman vs. corporate America, high-risk pregnancy and the search for self-actualization.”

“#WASHED” was created, directed, produced and written by Jerod Couch.

WORLD OF #WASHED
The #WASHED world morphs from a narrative centered around one main character in season 1 to an ensemble cast in season 2. Over the course of nine episodes, the viewer will oscillate between four different worlds: “The Office,” “The Game,” “Mya’s Life” and “The Club.” Through these unique perspectives, a multitude of personalities, motives and life experiences; and just how far they’ll go to reach their dreams.

All the awards and nominations #WASHED has received:

Winner Best Texas Film – Houston Comedy FF
Excellence in Web Series Promotion Winner – Minnesota WebFest
WINNER Boss Pitch – Hip Hop FF
Outstanding Dramatic Digital Series Nominee – Micheaux FF
Best Drama Series Nominee – Minnesota WebFest
Best Representation of Communities of Color Nominee – Minnesota WebFest
Winner of Dell’s “Small but Mighty” Award
Winner Best of Fest: Audience Choice Award – Hip Hop FF
Best Comedy Nominee – Indie Series Awards
Best Soundtrack & Best Web Series Nominee – Hip Hop FF
Best Episodic Series Nominee – Houston Comedy FF


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Film
Lumedia Musicworks Extends the Early Music Film Competition’s Submission Deadline | Now June 1st
Kelly Kitchens Posted On May 12, 2021


For a second year, Lumedia Musicworks will present the Early Music Film Competition, rewarding an artist who successfully brings one of two early music selections to life on screen. The deadline for submissions is extended to June 1st.

Film entries must feature the music as the primary voice in the film and must be submitted online by midnight. For more details and technical requirements, visit http://www.lumediamusicworks.com/filmcompetition.

Dallas-based Lumedia is a nonprofit committed to showcasing and performing early music, performing on historical reproductions of instruments from the baroque, renaissance and medieval periods at a historical pitch. Lumedia Musicworks’ core team is highly trained in historically informed performance practices.

The music film competition is open to all ages, occupations and geographic locations. Applicants can choose from one of two exclusive soundtracks made by Lumedia. The first-place winner will receive a cash prize of $750, a film feature at Lumedia’s summer 2021 short film event and exposure on Lumedia’s media outlets and website.

More details and technical requirements are available on Lumedia’s website. The competition is sponsored by Patricia and Robert Brooks, longtime supporters of Lumedia and the Dallas arts.

Lumedia’s film competition underscores the organization’s push to expose more audiences to early music, said Julianna Emanski, Lumedia’s artistic director.

Last year’s event featured music films from around the country and the world showcasing early music.

About Lumedia Musicworks
Lumedia Musicworks brings early music to life through captivating live performance, short films and innovative educational


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Film
Thin Line Fest | A Virtual Pop-up Experience March 23-28
Kelly Kitchens Posted On March 18, 2021


The biggest documentary film festival in Texas returns — virtual pop-up style — March 23-28. Presented by streaming specialists, Falcon Events, Thin Line Fest 2021 is delivering six days of world-class cinema and music directly to viewers. 27 features. 44 shorts. 17 musical performers — all live-streaming directly into the audience’s homes for free.

Thin Line Fest 2021 is a unique live virtual experience — audience members will experience real-time screenings together. The fest’s virtual platform offers attendees the chance to mingle with filmmakers, musicians, and other attendees in virtual venues between screenings and performances.

“Over the previous year, most festivals have adopted an on-demand format similar to Netflix,” said Thin Line founder Joshua Butler. “Thin Line Fest has instead focused on creating an ‘in the moment’ and live experience across six days of watch-it-or-miss-it programming.”

The THIN LINE Difference

“The movie-going experience has changed, obviously, but filmmakers are still telling important stories,” said Butler. “We’re thrilled to offer viewers the opportunity to see films they ordinarily might not get a chance to see — all from the safety and comfort of their couches.”

Taking place March 23-28, Thin Line Fest 2021 showcases acclaimed documentary films from across the globe. This year’s line-up includes an Oscar-nominated short, ten international films celebrating US premieres, two world premieres, and work featured at film festivals like Slamdance, IDFA, Sundance, Visions De Reel, Big Sky, and SXSW. Additionally, attendees will enjoy live-streamed performances from some of the most respected musical artists Texas has to offer.

An Array of Subjects

With stories set in Russia, Iran, Brazil, and across the USA, Thin Line features award-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers. Among this year’s documentaries, topics covered are vast: environment, education, social injustice, music-movement-arts, space exploration, incarceration reform, advocacy for disabilities, political action, universal workforce, LGTBQ, major-city gentrification, military history, photography, and more.

See everything the fest has to offer at www.thinline.us. Register now to attend.

Find the full Thin Line Fest 2021 line-up below: 

FEATURE FILMS: Alice Street; Amazon Mirror (O Reflexo do Lago); Anatomy of Wings; Help Is On The Way; Kombinat; Missing in Brooks County; Mu and The Vanishing World; My Darling Supermarket; Operation Wolf Patrol; Proof; Punta Sacra; Queen Lear; Red Heaven; Rumba Rules, New Genealogies; SanDance!: A Journey to the Heart of San Culture; Since I Been Down; Spouses; The Condor & The Eagle; The Falconer; The Forbidden Strings; The Girl Who Wore Freedom; The Silhouettes, Time Was; Try Harder!; We Are As God; Witness Theater; Your Face.

SHORT FILMS: A Bold Experiment; A Concerto Is a Conversation; Al on Earth; Ale Libre; 

Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible; Broken Orchestra; Dafa Metti; DJAO – After the Road; Driven; First Move; 

For Humanity; Her New York; Huntsville Station; I’m with Harrison; Ignis; L.A. Roll; Material Bodies; Nomads’ Land; Oil & Water; Pam; Pandemic19; Pant Hoot; People Over Profit: A Small Business COVID-19 Documentary Short; Road to Roxham; Shoulders Deep; Skate in Tokyo; Snowy; Take a Vote; Take Me To Prom; Tangled Roots; Team Meryland; The Field Trip; The Gender Line; The Last Miner; 

The Leftovers; The Rifleman; The Seeker; The Undocumented Lawyer; The Water Walker; This Land;  We the Power; Welcome Strangers; Yves & Variation; A Rose By Any Other Name.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES: Character; Isaac Hoskins and the Glass Mountain Orchestra;          Jackson Scribner; Juicy the Emissary; L25; Maple; Medicine Man Revival; Noogy; Pudge; 

Rosegarden Funeral Party; Simon Flory; Skip Schipper; STRAYS; Sunbuzzed; The 40 Acre Mule; Upsetting; Vandoliers.

About THIN LINE FEST

Thin Line Film is the longest running documentary film festival in Texas. We love documentaries because real life is more interesting than fiction! Generally, we believe that documentaries should communicate the Truth. However, we love watching documentaries when we can’t tell if it’s real or not!

‍Thin Line Music is the soundtrack of the festival. It’s the perfect mix of styles from national and regional acts on small and intimate stages. An exciting and eclectic mix awaits our virtual festival participants.

‍Thin Line is a one-of-a-kind festival. Powered by Falcon Events, we’ve combined the best of modern media to create an engaging, multi-layered experience that appeals to all. Join us for an immersive festival experience.


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Film  / Pegasus Film Festival
Pegasus Film Festival Continues in All-Virtual Format
Kelly Kitchens Posted On March 18, 2021


Sixth Annual Event Kicks off Saturday, May 22, 2021

As the pandemic continues, Pegasus Film Festival has continued its focus on maintaining a creative outlet for high school students.

Now in its sixth year, the Pegasus Film Festival, as a part of the newly formed Pegasus Media Project by educators and professional filmmakers, Niloo Jalilvand and Glenys Quick, is open to students (from kindergarten through graduating high school seniors) around the globe. The festival will be held online via Falcon Events (FalconEvents.com) Sat., May 22. No matter where the students and their family and friends live, they will be able to view their work along with their peers.

An organization run by students, for students, Pegasus Film Festival has also continued its partnership with FilmFreeway, a platform for filmmakers to submit their creations to established and trusted festivals around the world.

“As someone who has participated in Pegasus since my sophomore year and is now about to graduate, I can honestly say that each year has taught me valuable lessons that I will never forget,” said Festival Director, Daviah Harrison. “It has been an honor to watch Pegasus grow, and I can’t wait to see what this year will bring.”

A Creative Outlet for Teens
The pandemic, says Harrison, has allowed students to dig deep into their art and learn new things about themselves. And casting a wider, international net – a change the team made last year – means the festival will be bigger than ever, with a wider range of submissions.

Also, as the planning team quickly pivoted to a virtual format in 2020 amid COVID-19 concerns, they are applying what they learned to their sixth-annual event. “Last year was a surprise to all of us, and switching to an online festival was not easy,” said Harrison. “But, this year we are prepared and excited to connect with people everywhere.”

Deadline Extension and Submission Categories
The Pegasus team hopes to foster a positive and enjoyable digital experience for all that will lift the spirits of home-bound creatives. The festival’s submission categories include:
Narrative
Documentary
Experimental
Animation
Music Video
Micro Movie

Support for Pegasus Film Festival
Funds raised by the Festival go beyond the costs of hosting the event and awarding prizes to festival winners. Contributions go to creating an exceptional experience that will strengthen Dallas’ youth film community. Sponsors provide the means to bridge the gap between student filmmakers’ inspirations and their finished productions. They serve to give education and confidence that inspires young filmmakers in need to to continue to pursue their fervor for this complex and rewarding art form.

“Even online events have their own individual costs, so any contribution made will be used well to support our cause,” said Harrison. “Sponsorship packages provide benefits like the ability to promote your company, free passes to the event and participating as part of the judges’ panel.”

Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities. For more on the Pegasus Film Festival, visit PegasusFilmFestival.com/Donate.

About Pegasus Film Festival
Apart of the newly formed Pegasus Media Project (PegasusMediaProject.com) by educators and professional filmmakers, Niloo Jalilvand and Glenys Quick, the Pegasus Film Festival has been in action since 2015 when festival founder, Jalilvand ,realized a need for student exposure in the arts. Being a teacher at an art school, she wanted to shed more light on the creative artists she was around daily. Pegasus is giving young filmmakers the chance to present their art to a virtual audience and judges.

This year’s leadership team is composed of dedicated and creative students from across the DFW Metroplex. Daviah Harrison, who attends Booker T. Washington HSPVA, is the 2021 Festival Director; Joel Camot, attending Alcuin School, is the Festival Producer; Lucy Roberts, attending The Hockaday School; is the Assistant Director, and Ariel White, from Plano West Senior High School; is the Social Media Coordinator. The team consists of members from Desoto High School, Young Women’s Leadership Academy and St Mark’s School of Texas.

This student-led festival has created many opportunities and will guide students to become great leaders in their careers


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Dallas VideoFest  / Film
Love Talking About Film? Dallas VideoFest Asks You to Join in the Cinematic Conversations
Kelly Kitchens Posted On November 2, 2020


In the age of COVID-19, film lovers have taken to streaming video platforms to enjoy cinema safely from the comfort of their own homes.

With its new Cinematic Conversations, Dallas VideoFest is building community among home viewers and creating an accessible and stimulating conversation around film. Featuring guest hosts – from film directors and screenwriters to film critics and historians, academics and columnists – the live, weekly Zoom calls last about an hour and focus on a wide range of films available on common streaming platforms.

“People are watching a lot of material on Netflix and Amazon Prime because they are not going out in the world right now,” said Dallas VideoFest Founder and Artistic Director Bart Weiss. “This gives them a chance to engage their brain and feel more active. Maybe next time you watch something, you start to think about it in a different kind of way.”

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Step 1:

Watch the film that will be discussed at any time on your own. The films will generally be available on streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime. Occasionally, they will be on other platforms. DVF is making every effort to showcase films that are readily available for free or rent.

Step 2:

Request the Zoom information by emailing: Festival@VideoFest.org.

Step 3: 

Log on the Zoom call by 7:25 pm CT

Step 4: The conversation

The conversation format features a conversation between Weiss and the guest host for the first half. The second portion is often guided by questions from participants.

THE EXPERIENCE

“It’s very similar to what you experience in a film festival when you have a Q&A with the filmmaker,” said Weiss. “But those are sometimes only 15 minutes long. You can’t get into very much detail or into the meat of what’s going on in the film.”

The quality of these discussions recently captured the attention of a Sundance filmmaker, Sam Feder, who told Weiss the Cinematic Conversation focusing on his film was the best Q&A he has viewed, addressing topics others had not discussed in depth.

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Watch Sam Feder’s Cinematic Conversation of his film DISCLOSURE here.

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Weiss said Cinematic Conversations also fill a gap in film critique that has existed for more than a decade.

“People want to know about films, and they want to know what people think about films,” said Weiss. “This is an opportunity to help fans understand what’s in the films, the themes that are involved and what the film is saying.”

To participate in Cinematic Conversations, follow the Dallas VideoFest Facebook page, and watch the film listed for the upcoming week’s conversation. Visit the Facebook page before 7:30 p.m. CST Wednesdays for the Zoom login, and join the discussion.

Upcoming Cinematic Conversations:

Wednesday, November 4
Feels Good Man with Danny Gallagher

Wednesday, November 11
The Trial of the Chicago 7 with Gordon Quinn

Wednesday, November 18
RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World

Wednesday, November 25
David Byrne & Spike Lee American Utopia with Manny Mendoza and Thor Christensen

Wednesday, December 2
Robocop with Dallas cast and crew

Wednesday, December 9

Spelling the Dream

And more are being scheduled.


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Film
Dallas VideoFest Presents Hybrid In Person & Online Formats | 33rd Anniversary Festival October 1-4
Kelly Kitchens Posted On September 8, 2020


As our arts and culture community seeks ways to feel more connected in a time of social distancing, Dallas VideoFest continues to innovate and broaden its reach

On the heels of its successful real-time, virtual Alternative Fiction festival in the spring, Dallas VideoFest will continue to reshape the film festival landscape with its fall DocuFest. VideoFest.org/Festivals/DocuFest/

Highlighting dozens of documentary features and shorts over four days, Oct. 1-4, DocuFest, offering drive-in style and virtual viewing followed by real-time Q&A with featured filmmakers.

DRIVE-IN FESTIVAL
The drive-in portion of DocuFest will take place at The Tin Star Theater (2712 Beeville, Dallas, TX, in Trinity Groves). The Tin Star drive-in theater is hosting the performing arts and a variety of shows in a socially distanced atmosphere.

Please make sure you are following CDC guidelines in your car and on the premises. Masks are a must.

With immersive topics centered on current events – including the 2020 presidential election – the festival is especially timely both in theme and content, said Dallas VideoFest Founder and Artistic Director Bart Weiss.

“Documentaries give us greater insight into the world,” said Weiss. “When we see these headlines or view an ad on Facebook, we’re seeing one moment. Documentaries give us a canvas to put things into perspective, to understand these topics in a different kind of way.”

Meanwhile, the hybrid drive-in/virtual format offers viewers a way to interact and enjoy quality and thought-provoking films safely at a time when many are longing for the theater experience.

That sense of connecting together in one space is one reason developing a drive-in experience for DocuFest felt important in 2020, said Weiss. “You can see people in their cars, and go up and say hello,” he said. “And, when people like something, they all honk their horns. There’s something very powerful in that.”

VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
For the virtual viewing component of DocuFest, Dallas VideoFest will again partner with Falcon Events (falconevents.com) Dallas-based event producers, which specialized in producing live online and virtual events, to deploy the latest live online technology via a secure and robust platform to create a virtual film festival experience.

Connect with VideoFest:
#DVF33
#DVF33DocuFest
#TXArtsAreEssential

For membership in Dallas VideoFest year-’round:
https://www.prekindle.com/events/VAD

Sign up for the Dallas VideoFest Newsletter:
http://tinyurl.com/DVFNewsletter

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Videofest

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/videofest

Instagram:
http://instagram.com/videofest


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Production
“#WASHED” 2nd Season Premieres Sept. 2 on Amazon | Dallas-Based TV series Features Black Cast
Kelly Kitchens Posted On August 12, 2020


Two-time regional Emmy award winner Jerod Couch launches the second season of TV series “#WASHED” on Amazon, starting Wednesday, Sept. 2. The series follows a group of aging millennials as they attain everything they never wanted in pursuit of their dreams.

“#WASHED” completed shooting in December 2019. The production utilized more than 150 Dallas cast and crew and 30 locations in the heart of Dallas.  Couch, who grew up in southern Dallas, created the show and directed each episode. Previously, he won regional Emmys for writing and directing commercials for Texas Rangers.

CREATOR’S THOUGHTS
“#WASHED” is a unique take on the urban coming-of-age story. The half-hour dramedy/satire features a group of 30-somethings wondering if their dreams come with expiration dates. They are too old to just be dreamers, yet they are young enough to make those dreams a reality.

“My adolescent years were spent hopping from ‘hood to hood’ in Dallas, ultimately settling in the Wilmer-Hutchins area,” Couch said. “After returning home from a five-year producing stint at ESPN, I set out to create an indie TV series to tell the story of an aging millennial struggling to balance that former life in the ‘hood’ and current ‘#WASHED-up’ 30s lifestyle that doesn’t include the fame and fortune you had planned as a kid.”

#WASHED Season 2 Teaser
 Season 2 Trailer | #WASHED | Digital Series | Dallas

The first of nine episodes of the second season of “#WASHED” starts on Amazon on Sept. 2. The series features an all-Black cast. In the writers’ room, efforts were made to tell diverse Black stories.

“We quickly learned this ‘30-something life crisis’ is a shared experience across our society,” Couch said. “Therefore, in Season 2 of ‘#WASHED’ instead of focusing on one character, we explore a multitude of characters dealing with coming-of-adulthood from the male and female perspective. Issues include chasing love, fame, fortune, career woman vs. corporate America, high-risk pregnancy and the search for self-actualization.”

ABOUT #WASHED
“#WASHED” is an award-winning indie television series created and directed by two-time regional Emmy winner Jerod Couch. Season 2 is set to debut in 2020 with nine, half-hour episodes featuring an ensemble cast of #WASHED (up) millennials. At a crossroads, these multidimensional, and often conflicted characters face a harsh reality: too old to just be dreamers, yet young enough to make those dreams a reality. A unique take on the urban coming-of-age story, #WASHED packs a punch as the content hits close-to-home in a relatable, hilarious and dramatic fashion.

Season 2
“#WASHED” stars:

  • Dallas native Byron Hardy (rapper, B.Hardy),
  • San Antonio’s Nadirah Shakir (“Vampire Diaries,” “BARBERSHOP 3”), and
  • Houston’s Ashlee Lee (“ATX Most Wanted” – a college version of “BET’s 106 & Park”)

“#WASHED” was created, directed, produced and written by Jerod Couch.

WORLD OF #WASHED
The #WASHED world morphs from a narrative centered around one main character in season 1 to an ensemble cast in season 2. Over the course of nine episodes, the viewer will oscillate between four different worlds: “The Office,” “The Game,” “Mya’s Life” and “The Club.” Through these unique perspectives, a multitude of personalities, motives and life experiences; and just how far they’ll go to reach their dreams.

Thanks to #WASHED Sponsors:

  • Reebok
  • DFW Vapor
  • Dallas Weekly

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