December 3, 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
WHO NEEDS SLEEP Telethon Returns with Celebrity Appearances from the Mavericks, Cowboys and Stars
Kelly Kitchens Posted On November 15, 2021


36-Hour Telethon aims to raise money for cancer fighters on Saturday, December 4, 2021

WHO NEEDS SLEEP, a 36-hour variety telethon broadcast, returns for its fifth year to entertain and inform audiences while raising funds for North Texas cancer fighters. The telethon begins Saturday, December 4 at 8:00 pm CT and will be broadcast live at WhoNeedsSleep.org, and VokalNow.com.

RAISING MONEY WHILE ENTERTAINING

The telethon mixes live music and comedy performances, game shows, celebrity and athlete interviews, and special in-studio surprises. Viewers are urged to pledge money through donations over the course of the telethon, as well as bidding on unique sports and pop culture auction items. 

BENEFICIARIES 

Proceeds from the 2021 campaign will benefit the hematology and oncology wards of Cook Children’s Hospital of Fort Worth.

“Cook Children’s is honored and grateful to be a beneficiary of this event. Funds raised through WHO NEEDS SLEEP are helping us provide the best care to the patients in our Hematology and Oncology Program. Without the support of our community, we would not be able to provide leading-edge clinical research and additional resources to help families during their Cook Children’s journey,” said Grant Harris, Chief Development Officer / Senior Vice President of Cook Children’s Health Foundation.

The telethon will be produced live at Music City Mall in Lewisville, who will also be holding their Christmas tree lighting ceremonies and the arrival of Santa Claus during the livecast. 

“Last year, though we were broadcasting in a ‘bubble’ during the pandemic, we still loved being at Music City Mall during the event – the holiday spirit truly lent an added level of excitement,” said Executive Director Devin Pike, who will be on-air through the entirety of WHO NEEDS SLEEP, with a revolving cast of co-hosts.

UPDATE: SPECIAL GUEST STARS 

The WHO NEEDS SLEEP team has confirmed the return of voice-over legend Rob Paulsen, along with first-time guests MST3K‘s Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff; actor Burton Gilliam; comedian Paul Varghese; a “hall-of-fame” sports announcers roundtable with Brad Sham (Dallas Cowboys), Eric Nadel (Texas Rangers), Josh Bogorad (Dallas Stars) and Mark Followill (Dallas Mavericks); musicians Chance Munsterman, Sean Cole Silagy, Delta Rage, and Remy Reilly; and Atlanta Braves legend Steve Avery. 

About WHO NEEDS SLEEP

The telethon is produced by the Who Needs Sleep Foundation, a 501(c)3 registered organization solely tasked with raising and distributing funds to cancer-fighting individuals and organizations.


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Film
Pegasus Media Project Provides One-of-a-Kind Career On-Ramp to Dallas’ Aspiring Film Artists
Kelly Kitchens Posted On November 3, 2021


When Joey Lee graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, he felt excited about his future. He had created a portfolio of his strongest work and started to look for work in the advertising industry.

Unfortunately, the work never came along with COVID. Ultimately, Lee returned home and to the unfulfilling job he had left prior to attending college.

“I was kind of lost, stuck,” Lee says. “It’s funny. I had just started thinking to myself that maybe the film industry was something I wanted to get into, just because I like writing and telling different stories.”

That’s when Lee heard about Pegasus Media Project, and he applied on the spot. The first program of its kind offered in Dallas and, in fact, in the Nation, the Pegasus Media Project apprenticeship program is designed to give young adults like Lee a pathway into the film and media arts industry.

The State’s Largest Creative Economy
While Dallas-Fort Worth boasts the state’s largest creative economy at $34 billion and over 200,000 jobs, pathways to those careers were built on a culture of unpaid internships.

“But even with paid apprenticeships available, many people still need an on-ramp to qualify for them,” says Wendy Levy, Executive Director of The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, the national program sponsor for Arts2Work.

In the spring of 2021, Arts2Work, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas and Pegasus Media Project partnered to provide access to creative careers to people traditionally excluded from those opportunities.

Apprentice Caodan Tran is one of those individuals. “Being Vietnamese-American, I wish I had seen more stories like mine growing up,” she said. “This is something I’ve always wanted access to. I just didn’t know how to get there besides going back to school.”

In launching the program, Arts2Work partners MIT Solve, New Profit, the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas and Adobe provided a $250,000 cash and in-kind investment in the Dallas pilot program, seeding Pegasus Media Project as a certified Arts2Work Training Center.

A Fast-Paced, Intensive Program
This equipment and infrastructure have been vital to a program serving Dallas’ most underrepresented and underserved communities. Over 15 weeks, film educators, teachers and mentors working in the industry not only trained apprentices in equipment use and technique but quickly set them up to begin telling their own visual stories.

Lee’s mentor, Dallas filmmaker Jake Hochendoner, says he leaped at the opportunity to work with the apprentices.

“I had mentors early on who helped me get to where I am today,” said Hochendoner. “Without those mentors, I would have probably struggled to find myself, find my place, find my voice and be validated as an artist.”

As part of their on-the-job training, Pegasus Media Project apprentices also made films for local performing arts groups, working together telling powerful stories to bring Dallas audiences back to theaters again.

“We want to provide avenues for becoming an individual entrepreneur but also to have the option to hyper-focus on one skill and move into the workforce,” said Daniel Laabs, an independent Dallas filmmaker and lead mentor. “We want to give them as many options as possible and make them as hire-able as possible.”

Gratitude Abounds for Marketable Skills
Having completed the program, Lee says the experience has been meaningful for him and he hopes it will be a springboard to new opportunities for him.

“This program has blown me away,” said Tran, who said the skills she learned through the program felt like the missing link for her. “I have been so grateful.”

As the apprentices embark on their new careers, they will have an opportunity to showcase their short films in the Jobs in Arts + Media (JAM) + Filmmakers Showcase at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at Angelika Film Center. The event will focus on the skills apprentices acquired, the employers with whom they have networked and their readiness to be hired. Register online for more details.

About Dallas Arts2Work+Pegasus Media Project Initiative
In the spring of 2021, Pegasus Media Project partnered with The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture’s Arts2Work program and implemented an Apprenticeship Workforce Program for visual storytellers of underserved and underrepresented communities in Dallas through project-based, personalized education in digital media, audio/video production and post, cinema studies, emerging media arts and creative technology. This initiative was made possible through MIT Solve, New Profit and Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas.

 

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DIFF  / Film
Real Men Love Cats | CATDADDIES World Premiere at Dallas International Film Festival Oct. 8-10
Kelly Kitchens Posted On September 28, 2021


Filmmaker Mye Hoang’s new documentary, CAT DADDIES  premieres Sunday, Oct 10 at 3 pm in Screen 1 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (1005 Botham Jean Blvd., Dallas, TX 75215) as a part of the Dallas International Film Festival – Oct 8-10. Born and raised in North Dallas, Hoang was the founder of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas and an SMU alum.

The film will also screen in October at the famed Newport Beach Film Festival, the stubbornly independent Tallgrass Film Festival, and in November at the Hawaii International Film Festival.

CAT DADDIES focuses on David Giovanni who is living on the streets of New York, determined to stay together with his beloved cat, Lucky. When he’s finally granted a spot in a transitional housing facility that accepts cats, the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating medical diagnosis put his future together with Lucky in doubt.

David’s journey is interspersed with portraits of other “cat dads” from all over the country and some who struggle to navigate the unprecedented events of 2020 with their little furry friends. They include a group of firefighters, a stuntman, a truck driver, a Bay Area tech worker, a schoolteacher whose cat becomes a viral sensation, and an actor/Instagram influencer. These men couldn’t be more different, but they share an unconditional love for their beloved pets. CAT DADDIES is a refreshing and timely exploration of modern masculinity and the unlikely bond between man and cat.

SPARK OF THE DOCUMENTARY

Hoang’s husband and fellow filmmaker Dave Boyle, who also produced CAT DADDIES, initiated her fascination with cat dads.  Hoang had always been a cat lover and Boyle was indifferent about animals when they met – until one day a cat showed up on Boyle’s doorstep and created an immediate close bond.  As Boyle became a bonafide cat guy, Hoang noticed a transformation in Boyle and in their relationship.  She wondered how many other men could also not know they love cats because they have been conditioned to love dogs.  At the same time, a trend in cat dads on social media and Buzzfeed articles was exploding.  Men and cats were becoming more accepted and even cool with hashtags like #catdad #menwithcats #hotguyswithcats and so forth.

The filming of CAT DADDIES which began in late 2019 was then interrupted in March 2020.  The film inevitably took a slight shift in direction to address the ways in which the events of 2020 affected some of the cat dads and how their beloved pets became a source of healing and self-care.  “I see Cat Daddies as both a collective portrait as well as a time capsule, documenting a challenging year in which people desperately needed hope, relief and companionship,” said Hoang.

About filmmaker, Mye Hoang:

Hoang is the former Executive Director of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas and former Artistic Director of the San Diego Asian Film Festival.  She has directed numerous short films and produced several narrative features such as I WILL MAKE YOU MINE (SXSW 2020) and MAN FROM RENO (2015 Spirit Award nominee).  She is a co-producer on the upcoming documentary feature ASHIMA (2022) featuring acclaimed Japanese American rock climber Ashima Shiraishi.

DETAILS FOR CAT DADDIES:

When: Oct. 10 at 3 p.m.
Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Cedars) 1005 Botham Jean Blvd, Dallas TX, 75215
Admission: $10
DIFF link: https://dallasfilm.org/film/cat-daddies

In-Person from Film at DIFF: Film director/producer, Mye Hoang and producer/editor Dave Boyle

Watch preview clips…

 


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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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