Press Releases

Memory Strata: Works by Sky Hopinka and Simon Liu Houston Cinema Arts Society and Dallas Based PSA. PleasureStyleAttitude team up for a virtual screening and discussion

Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) and PSA (Pleasure Style Attitude) present a week-long virtual screening of seven films by two contemporary experimentalists whose work exists at the juncture of personal expression and cultural memory. Sky Hopinka’s films explore the spiritual and aesthetic traditions of First Peoples within the U.S., while Simon Liu’s work delineates the richness and anxiety of diaspora existing between the U.S., the U.K., and Hong Kong.

Beginning Sunday, May 10th at 10am and extending to Saturday, May 16th at 10pm, participants may view the program via a shared Vimeo link.  On Wednesday, May 13 at 7pm CST, programmer Michael Sicinski will conduct a live virtual Q&A with  Sky and Simon on YouTube Live.

The program includes Jáaji Approx., When you’re lost in the rain, I’ll Remember You as You Were, Not as What You’ll Become, and Lore by Hopinka and Sneyd Green, Highview (2020 re-edit), and Signal 8 by Liu.

What does filmmaking look like post covid-19? With personal filmmaking and exploration of processes outside traditional settings at the forefront, PSA. feels strongly about bringing together Simon and Sky to discuss t their work and process as  inspiration for artists and filmmakers looking to create expressive work during social distancing. HCAS and PSA.  were also inspired by the conceptual pairing and interactions of the two bodies of work . They evoke a unique discussion about culture and identity in the modern euro-centric social context.   

HCAS is thrilled to work with Sicinski and utilize digital programming to collaborate across Texas with the incredible talent behind PSA. Both organizations profoundly appreciate Sky and Simon’s work and its inquiries around place/placelessness and memory. As relationships to home and place  become increasingly strained, their work becomes all the more critical and relevant.

For more information and to sign up, visit: https://www.cinemahtx.org/event/memory-strata-works-by-sky-hopinka-and-simon-liu/

About PSA

PSA (Pleasure Style Attitude) is a pay what you want film series programmed by Daniel Laabs & Tony Nguyen showcasing films that amplify underrepresented voices and cultivate discussions of queerness, politics, aesthetics, class and race. PSA, through curation, encourages heterogeneity, accessibility, multiplicity, and curiosity. PSA  is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture 2020 Arts Activate funding. 


About Houston Cinema Arts Society

Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting unique and innovative film programs, multi-media art, and educational opportunities to engage, enrich, and empower Houston’s diverse communities and cultures. Created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and philanthropist Franci Neely, it organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, a groundbreaking and innovative festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The Festival celebrates the diversity of the arts in Houston and elevates the city’s film and arts scene. Houston Cinema Arts Society sponsors include signature sponsors Houston First Corporation, and Levantine Films, and presenting sponsor Nabors Industries. HCAS is also supported by the Franci Neely Foundation; The Petrello Family Foundation; Amegy Bank; Kinder Foundation; Brown Foundation; Texas Film Commission; Houston Film Commission; Texas Commission for the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts; and Houston Arts Alliance. The 2020 Houston Cinema Arts Festival will take place from November 12-16.


Sky Hopinka Biography

Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk/Pechanga) was born and raised in Washington and spent a number of years in California and Oregon. In Portland he studied and taught Chinuk Wawa, a language indigenous to the Columbia River Basin. He received his BA from Portland State University in liberal arts and his MFA in film, video, animation, and new genres from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He currently teaches at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. His feature length debut maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Simon Liu Biography

Simon Liu is a film artist whose work centers on building a lyrical catalogue of the rapidly evolving inner and outer landscapes of his place of origin in Hong Kong through alternative documentary forms, abstract diary films, multi-channel video installations and 16mm projection performances. The films act as a storage mechanism which offer potential re-examinations of the city’s history and Liu’s shifting notions of selfhood as a person of Chinese/English decent, who was born in a former British colony. Liu’s work has been presented at festivals and institutions globally including New York Film Festival: Projections, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Toronto International Film Festival: Wavelengths, Sundance Film Festival, New Directors / New Films, British Film Institute, M+ Museum, and “Dreamlands: Expanded” with the Whitney Museum & Microscope Gallery. The Museum of Modern Art in New York will host an upcoming solo-presentation of Liu’s moving image work as part of their ongoing Modern Mondays series. Liu is a 2019 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, a teacher at the Cooper Union School of Art, and a member of Negativeland, an artist-run film lab in Brooklyn. Liu is currently in post-production on his first feature film, Staffordshire Hoard.


Michael Sicinski’s Biography

Michael Sicinski is a Houston based writer, critic, programmer and educator who specializes in the analysis of experimental cinema. He is a frequent contributor to Cinema Scope, Cineaste, and Cargo. The program he curated for HCAF ’19 was titled “Around the World in A Day: Experimental Cinema Now.”

Sundance Award-Winner Comes to Houston (Virtually) through Houston Cinema Arts Society

The Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is partnering with the Houston Latino Film Festival (HLFF) to present a week-long virtual run of The Infiltrators from Friday, May 15th to Thursday, May 21st, including a live virtual Q&A with directors Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera on Wednesday, May 20th at 7pm on the Houston Cinema Arts YouTube Page, moderated by HCAS Artistic Director Jessica Green and HLFF Artistic Director Pedro Rivas.   


The Infiltrators is a docu-thriller that tells the true story of young immigrants who are detained by Border Patrol and thrown into a shadowy for-profit detention center – on purpose. Marco and Viri are members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, part of the DREAMers movement, who are on a mission to stop unjust deportations. And the best place to stop deportations, they believe, is in detention. However, when Marco and Viri attempt a daring reverse ‘prison break,’ things don’t go according to plan. Weaving together documentary footage of the real infiltrators with re-enactments of the events inside the detention center, The Infiltrators tells an incredible and thrilling true story in a genre-defying new cinematic language.


“The Infiltrators gets me so open, especially right now,” HCAS Artistic Director Jessica Green raves. “This film is the gold standard for what is increasingly possible in the space found in between nonfiction and fiction filmmaking. It’s a thriller, a performance film, a documentary, and depicts the incredible bravery of a group of young people. “

Houston Cinema Arts Society and MFAH Present a Virtual Screening of the Rediscovered Classic Cane River with Q&A between Sacha Jenkins and Bun B

Houston Cinema Arts Society is partnering with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston for a special virtual engagement of Cane River in conjunction with the MFAH’s new exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power. Cane River will play via MFAH’s virtual cinema from July 22nd – August 30th for $12 accompanied by a free online conversation with Sacha Jenkins (son of the film’s late director Horace Jenkins and director of Fresh Dressed and Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men) and Bun B on HCAS YouTube Channel on Tuesday, July 28th at 7pm CST.


Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power is on view in Houston from June 27th through August 30th as the final presentation of the three-year tour. The exhibition explores what it meant to be a Black artist in America during two revolutionary decades, from the 1960s and the Civil Rights movement to the early 1980s and the emergence of identity politics.


Written, produced, and directed by Emmy Award-winning documentarian, Horace B. Jenkins, and crafted by an entirely African American cast and crew, Cane River is a racially-charged love story set in Natchitoches Parish, a “free community of color” in Louisiana. A budding, forbidden romance lays bare the tensions between two black communities, both descended from slaves but of disparate opportunity — the light-skinned, property-owning Creoles and the darker-skinned, more disenfranchised families of the area. This lyrical, visionary film disappeared for decades after Jenkins died suddenly following the film’s completion, and generations were robbed of a talented, vibrant voice in African American cinema.


Sacha Jenkins is a New York–based, Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker who likes to take long, barefoot walks on the beach. Television producer, filmmaker, writer, musician, artist, curator, and chronicler of hip-hop, graffiti, punk, and metal cultures, Jenkins has directed the critically acclaimed Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (2019), Word is Bond (2018), Burn Motherfucker, Burn! (2017), and Fresh Dressed (2015). While still in his teens, Jenkins published Graphic Scenes & X-Plicit Language, one of the earliest ‘zines solely dedicated to graffiti art. In 1994 Jenkins co-founded Ego Trip magazine and went on to produce The White Rapper Show for VH1, The Big Book of Racism and Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists. He is currently the creative director of Mass Appeal. 


It’s been well over 25 years since Bernard Freeman—known better to the world as Bun B—changed the hip-hop landscape as one half of the legendary UGK alongside the late Pimp C. In 2006 Bun B won an ASCAP Award for Top R&B/Hip Hop Song for his writing and performance on the single “Give Me That” and also holds an MTV Music Award for Best R&B Video for Beyonce’s “Check On It”. His third solo album, 2010’s Trill O.G. was met with critical acclaim. By 2013, he would release his last project before his musical break, The Epilogue. As a professor of Theology at Rice University, Bun along with Professor Anthony Pinn led a course about Religion and Hip-Hop Culture. In August 2018, Bun B delivered Return of the Trill, a full length effort produced by Big K.R.I.T.. From selling millions of albums to Grammy nominations, changing academia, publishing, sneaker, food, and car culture, plus philanthropy, there isn’t much that Bun B hasn’t done. Bun B is also a board member of the Houston Cinema Arts Society.


For more information, visit: https://www.cinemahtx.org/event/cane-river/


To see what other films the MFAH is virtually presenting in conjunction with Soul of a Nation, visit: https://www.mfah.org/virtual-cinema


For tickets, visit: https://caneriver.vhx.tv/checkout/museum-of-fine-arts-houston-presents-cane-river/purchase 

‘CineSpace’ Short Film Competition Entries for 2019 Due in July

As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first human Moon landing this July and NASA rededicates itself to putting more boot prints on the lunar surface, filmmakers around the world will be making their final cuts at entries for “CineSpace,” a short-film competition that will share their works inspired by — and using — actual NASA imagery.

NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society are now opening the submission period for the 2019 fifth-annual competition. The deadline closes July 15, 2019, 49 years and 364 days after the Apollo 11 launch.

In 2018, the fourth annual CineSpace competition drew almost 240 entries from 54 countries. Fifteen finalists premiered their films at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival at the Rice Media Center in Houston. Filmmakers brought new visions to life using real-life space imagery from NASA telescopes and robotic spacecraft exploring our solar system and beyond, to sights captured on the International Space Station where men and women have been working continuously for more than 18 years.

Films featuring NASA-captured imagery and video collected throughout the agency’s 60-year history will be judged on creativity, innovation and attention to detail: which also are the hallmarks of spaceflight.

In addition to being screened at the CineSpace awards ceremony during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, winners and finalists may be screened at other film festivals across the country, as well as on NASA TV and even on the International Space Station.

The competition is open to all filmmakers, both professional and aspiring. Submissions of all genres, including narrative, documentary, comedy, drama, animation, experimental and others, up to 10 minutes running time, will be accepted on Tongal, an online creative community. Entries must use at least 10 percent publically available NASA imagery.

Finalists and winners will be announced at a CineSpace event during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival in November. Entries will be competing for $26,000 in prizes with cash awards going to the top three submissions as well as two special category films: 1) the best documentary film and 2) the film that best exhibits human presence in space. An additional price will be awarded to the film that uses obscure, never used before NASA footage from the depths of our archives.

NASA’s journeys into air and space continue to power inspiration that encourages future generations to explore, learn and build a better future. Humanity has used the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future.

The Houston Cinema Arts Society is a nonprofit organization created in 2008 that organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, an arts festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing and literary arts. The 11th Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival will take place Nov. 14-18, 2019.

For more information on CineSpace, competition guidelines and the submission process, and to view past winners and finalists, visit:

http://www.cinespace.org

Find NASA video and imagery at:

http://www.nasa.gov/content/download-nasa-videos-for-cinespace

Learn about NASA’s innovative and collaborative efforts at:

https://www.nasa.gov/offices/COECI/index.html

Look for more about the Houston Cinema Arts Society at:

cinemahtx.org

Gary Jordan
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
gary.j.jordan@nasa.gov

Michael Robinson
Houston Cinema Arts Society
713-429-0420 ext. 6
michael@cinemahtx.org

A Thousand Thoughts at HCAF 2018

BRINGING THE MUSIC OF KRONOS QUARTET TO LIFE:

LIVE CONCERT DOCUMENTARY A THOUSAND THOUGHTS TO SCREEN TWICE DURING 2018 HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL

 INTIMATE PERFORMANCES AT ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 SET TO BE HIGHLIGHTS OF HCAF18

HOUSTON, TX –– The 2018 Houston Cinema Arts Festival – which celebrates its 10th anniversary – has announced its first piece of programming in the form of two scintillating performances of the live documentary A Thousand Thoughts on Sunday, November 11 at Asia Society Texas Center. The live concert screening exhibitions will be held at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

During each of the two limited-seating performances, Kronos Quartet – a celebrated and groundbreaking string quartet from San Francisco, CA comprised of David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello) – will perform live in concert alongside the presentation of the film A Thousand Thoughts. Yang – who was born in Incheon, South Korea – joined the group in 2013 as its fifth cellist.

Written and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Sam Green and Joe Bini, the film is a wide-ranging documentary about the quartet and its 40-year history of acclaimed performances featuring interviews from notable artists such as Philip Glass, Tanya Tagaq, Steve Reich, Wu Man, and Terry Riley.

Together on stage during the course of the film, Green and Kronos Quartet interact effortlessly with the narrative transpiring on the screen in order to take the audience on an immersive musical journey. The live documentary experience has thus far held only seven performances – including at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival – dazzling audiences at every turn.

“As it celebrates a major milestone this year, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival is delighted to offer audiences the chance to experience A Thousand Thoughts in an intimate setting at the Asia Society Texas Center,” commented HCAS Artistic Director Richard Herskowitz. He added, “Asia Society offers the perfect vehicle for this interactive live screening event. Guests will feel like Kronos Quartet is in their own living rooms for 85 minutes.”

 A Thousand Thoughts filmmaker Sam Green will be one of the many returning guest artists who have made their collective marks upon Houston Cinema Arts Festivals past. Part of the mission of HCAF18 will be bringing HCAF alumni back to Houston in November and celebrating their artistic achievements over the course of the festival’s five days.

Tickets for the two showings of A Thousand Thoughts are now on sale. Tickets may be purchased by visiting cinemahtx.org.

ABOUT THE HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL

Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting innovative films, media installations, and performances that celebrate the artistic process and enrich Houston’s culture and urban vitality. Created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and philanthropist Franci Neely, it organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, a groundbreaking and innovative festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The Festival celebrates the diversity of the arts in Houston and elevates the city’s film and arts scene. Houston Cinema Arts Society sponsors include premiere sponsors Houston First Corporation and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, signature sponsor Levantine Films, and featured sponsor Nabors Industries. HCAS is also supported by the Franci Neely Foundation; The Petrello Family Foundation; Amegy Bank; Kinder Foundation; Brown Foundation, Silver Eagle; Texas Film Commission; Houston Film Commission; Texas Commission for the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts; and Houston Arts Alliance. The 2021 Houston Cinema Arts Festival will take place from November 11-22, 2021.

About Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS)

HCAS is dedicated to presenting innovative films, media installations, and performances that celebrate the artistic process and enrich Houston’s culture and urban vitality. Through year-round programming, its annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, and its co-sponsored shorts competition CineSpace with NASA, HCAS aims to provide a platform for film in Houston and unite the arts through film.

Media Contact

Jonathan Babin
Public Content | 713.524.2800, ext 422
jonathan@public-content.com

Houston Cinema Arts Society To Receive $15,000 Grant From The National Endowment For The Arts (Nea)

HOUSTON, TX, (MAY 9TH, 2018) – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $15,000 to Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) for a publicly accessible video archive, including four succinct videos highlighting the organization’s past 9 years. The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

“The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Through the work of organizations such as Houston Cinema Arts Society in Houston, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.”

“We are so grateful to have the support of the National Endowment for the Arts in our endeavors to go through our material histories and create an interactive and readily available library,” says Patrick Kwiatkowski, HCAS’s Executive Director. “Our hope with this project is to further our mission of celebrating the artistic process and enriching Houston’s culture by allowing anyone access to the history of incredible artists who have come to Houston.”

HCAS’s venture will produce 4 succinct and comprehensive videos that highlight the immense history not only of HCAS’s annual film festival itself, but the cultural impact of the organization on the greater Houston area. This material will be published digitally, with accessibility features for the general public to access new media infrastructures of organizational and regional history. HCAS has previously celebrated the works of Tilda Swinton, Shirley MacLaine, and Robert Redford. HCAS is approaching their 10th year of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

About Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS)

HCAS is dedicated to presenting innovative films, media installations, and performances that celebrate the artistic process and enrich Houston’s culture and urban vitality. Through year-round programming, its annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, and its co-sponsored shorts competition CineSpace with NASA, HCAS aims to provide a platform for film in Houston and unite the arts through film.

Media Contact

Jonathan Babin
Public Content | 713.524.2800, ext 422
jonathan@public-content.com

Flicks, brews, and out-of-this-world fun: Houston Cinema Arts Society launches new CineBrew series and will host annual Julydoscope as part of summer programming

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HOUSTON, TX – Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) has an exciting summer of programming on tap for 2018, the year that marks the tenth anniversary of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival. Beginning July 13, HCAS will launch a new series called CineBrew, a brewery showcase that will include feature film screenings, local short films, and the chance to socialize and mingle with friends over cold pints.

The first CineBrew on Friday, July 13 will take place at Spindletap Brewery from 6:30 PM to 9 PM and screen the Steven Spielberg 1974 feature directorial debut The Sugarland Express. Spielberg – who is synonymous with summer cinema with hits like Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park – helped advance his burgeoning career in the early ‘70s with The Sugarland Express, starring Goldie Hawn.

After the cancellation of last year’s Julydoscope due to inclement weather, HCAS will is thrilled to bring back the family-friendly classic to Discovery Green in Downtown Houston on Saturday, June 21 with a dynamic selection of CineSpace shorts spanning the past three years. JULYDOSCOPE 2018 will kick off in proper galactic fashion with a family-friendly showcase by OPERA IN THE HEIGHTS at 7:30 PM, followed by a live saxophone quartet performance by the musical group MUSIQA beginning at approximately 8:00 PM. The screening portion of the evening will commence at sundown with over a dozen short films covering a wide array of genres, themes, and approaches to filmmaking that all revolve around the utilization of NASA imagery from its half-century spanning archives. Houston Public Media’s Ernie Manouse will host the evening.

CineBrew will blast off again in August at Eureka Heights Brewery with a screening of the iconic film Apollo 13. The brewery’s “Space Train” IPA will make for the perfect complement to the Ron Howard Oscar-winning drama. The August CineBrew will be held on Saturday, August 25 from 6 pm to 9 pm.

“The Houston Cinema Arts Society is excited to expand its programming during the summer months with the launch of CineBrew and the return of Julydoscope,” commented HCAS Executive Director Patrick Kwiatkowski. He added, “With CineBrew, HCAS is hoping to expand its reach into more alternative screening spaces and embrace the Greater Houston area with films – both in terms of venues as well as the Houston landscapes in cinema. Houston is a sprawling and layered city with many different event spaces, and HCAS hopes to create event programming that serves geographically, economically, and culturally diverse communities.”

A third CineBrew event will conclude the series in the fall at 8th Wonder Brewery on Thursday, September 20 from 7:30 pm to 10 pm with a screening of Rick Linklater’s 2003 film School of Rock, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2018.

For more information about CineBrew.

For more information about JULYDOSCOPE 2018.

About Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS)

HCAS is dedicated to presenting innovative films, media installations, and performances that celebrate the artistic process and enrich Houston’s culture and urban vitality. Through year-round programming, its annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, and its co-sponsored shorts competition CineSpace with NASA, HCAS aims to provide a platform for film in Houston and unite the arts through film.

Media Contact

Jonathan Babin
Public Content | 713.524.2800, ext 422
jonathan@public-content.com

 

NINE IS SUBLIME AT 2017 HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL

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HCAF17 TRANSFORMS HOUSTON INTO URBAN ARTS MECCA FOR FIVE DAYS OF SCREENINGS, PERFORMANCES, PANELS, AND PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO BOLSTER CITY’S COLLECTIVE SPIRIT

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE 2 OPENING NIGHT FILMS, SCINTILLATING LIVE PERFORMANCES, THE 3RD ANNUAL CINESPACE AWARDS, PACKED HOUSES FOR CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AWARDS CONTENDERS, AND THE SHOWSTOPPING, STAR-STUDDED SEMINAL EVENT ‘SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN: A HOUSTON AND CINEMA ARTS CELEBRATION’ AT WOMH

 

The 2017 Houston Cinema Arts Festival – which took place from November 9 – 13, 2017 – celebrated the undying resilience of the City of Houston as it played host to over 30 unique programs spread across multiple partner venues, including Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Rice Cinema, White Oak Music Hall, DiverseWorks, Aurora Picture Show, Café Brasil, and more.

On Thursday, November 9, the 9th Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival rolled out double the red carpet for its annual Opening Night festivities. The actual red carpet took its customary position at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston for Love, Cecil, a documentary tribute to legendary photographer, diarist, and award-winning costume designer Cecil Beaton. At Rice Cinema, a much different premiere screening took place for Bodied, a searing social satire set in the brutal world of battle rap.

Prior to the screening, HCAF Artistic Director Richard Herskowitz, HCAS Board Member and distinguished local attorney Mark Wawro, Tara Khanna of the Texas Film Commission, and filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland provided introductory marks to the packed auditorium. Following the screening, an intimate and thoughtful Q&A session was conducted between Lisa Vreeland and international style icon Lynn Wyatt.

Down the road at Rice Cinema, guests mingled in the STELLA Lounge as they patiently waited for the much-anticipated premiere of Bodied, local Houstonian filmmaker Joseph Kahn’s powerful film that has received rave reviews everywhere it has played. HCAS Advisory Board member Charles Dove, HCAS Executive Director Patrick Kwiatkowski and director Joseph Kahn helped introduce the film to the audience. Afterward, hip-hop icon Bun B hosted an insightful and wide-ranging conversation with Kahn about his film. The culmination of the evening was a special performance from local Houston battle rappers Scotty Raps and Liven Learn of H-Town Rap Battle that scintillated the crowd and left mouths agape as guests were able to experience the deft mastery and acute precision of the battle rap art form firsthand. Dough Beezy, the group’s creator and host, introduced the battle rap performance.

The following evening, Houston Cinema Arts Festival, in partnership with NASA, screened 13 finalists from 650 entries spanning nearly every continent worldwide at the Rice Cinema in the CineSpace short film competition and awarded top prizes totaling $26,000, which were judged and selected by Academy Award-nominated director Richard Linklater.

The top prize of $10,000 was awarded to Lunar, by Christian Stangl, Austria; 2nd place prize of $5,000 went to Nadir, by Pedro de Filippis, Hungary; and 3rd place prize of  $3,000 was awarded to The Invisible Border by Shannon-Leigh Reeve and Chelese Belmont, California.

Award winners for the Special Judging Categories ($4,000 each) went to Apizaco, by Alex Moreno (Mexico) in the category Film Best Depicting the Benefits of Space to Humanity and The New Sea, by Jamie Drew (UK) for Best Film Depicting the Spirit of Future Space Exploration.

Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director of the Johnson Space Center, NASA representatives Dan Jacobs and Carlos Fontanot, Houston Cinema Arts Society Executive Director Patrick Kwiatkowski, and Professor Carlos Villanueva of the University of Yucatan welcomed attendees at the beginning of the program and spoke to the huge growth in the number of entries in CineSpace, which continues to expand in myriad ways as its global footprint extends.

Prior to the start of the evening’s presentation, guests mingled in the STELLA Lounge and enjoyed the majestic views from telescopes provided by the Houston Astronomical Society.

The CineSpace finalist short films that spanned the globe were comprised of Apizaco (Mexico), Eight-Ball (Australia), The New Sea (United Kingdom), The Great Portals of Cyberspace: Doomsday (Sweden/France), I’m Here Now Somehow (Germany), The Invisible Border (United States), Lunar (Austria), Miss Baker’s Ride (United Kingdom), Nadir (Hungary), Planet, California (United States), The Space Between Us (Australia), To the Sky (Chile), and Transmitter Receiver (Canada).

On Saturday, November 11th, HCAF17 hosted Singin’ in the Rain: A Houston and Cinema Arts Celebration – a love letter to Houston chock full of live performances held at premier entertainment venue White Oak Music Hall. The evening was hosted by FOX 26’s Ruben Dominguez and included an all-local lineup of high profile artists performing unique renditions of songs from the Gene Kelly film Singin’ in the Rain as it celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2017.

As the film played, legendary blues vocalist Carolyn Wonderland kicked off the performance portion of the evening with a stirring rendition of Fit as a Fiddle. Wonderland’s sultry voice proved to be the perfect medium for the song and a decidedly moving start to the event.

Next up Broadway veteran Courtney Markowitz took the stage with a version of All I Do Is Dream of You. Markowitz, who recently relocated to Houston with her family, was thrilled to get to perform in her new city and help support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts along the way.

Stephanie Rice later performed a soul-stirring version of the Singin’ in the Rain classic You Were Meant For Me. The Texas-born pop-rock singer-songwriter is no stranger to wowing an audience, having recently impressed judges and fans as a finalist on the hit show The Voice.

Just after Rice’s performance, local hip-hop hero, Houston Cinema Arts Society Board Member, and unofficial Houston mayor Bun B brought the house down with his take on Good Morning accompanied by high-energy break-dancers. After raising over $66 million for hurricane relief with the Hand in Hand telethon, Bun continued his pledge to help the city recover by being an integral part of the Cinema Arts Celebration production.

For the final vocal performance of the evening, critically acclaimed jazz singer and actress Kat Edmonson, who came all the way from Brooklyn, NY to be a part of the evening’s production, did a solo rendition of the titular song from the film, the true cinema classic Singin’ in the Rain, which was ranked #3 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Years… 100 Songs.

The final act of the evening was a high-energy rendition of the Glee cover of Umbrella / Singin’ in the Rain by Houston Ballet dancers choreographed by Oliver Halkowich.

All of the artists then took the stage together, and Bun B thanked the crowd for attending and invited them to stay and continue the celebration. DJ Ramalama – Matt Johns – spun rain-themed hits throughout the evening in between performances and took over for the after-party portion of the evening, which went until midnight.

Upstairs, VIPs mingled and watched the performances from the Amegy Bank of Texas Lounge, which featured Stella Artois beer, wine, and tacos courtesy of Tacodeli.

The event came together through collaboration with Gulf Coast Entertainment, which assisted in the procurement of several of the artists who performed.

In support of local artists impacted by Hurricane Harvey, White Oak Music Hall donated the use of the venue to Houston Cinema Arts Society a portion of the proceeds from the event to the White Oak Music Hall Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

Alley Theatre’s Brandon Weinbrenner, in conjunction with the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and White Oak Music Hall, directed Singin’ in the Rain: A Houston and Cinema Arts Celebration.

Other Notable HCAF17 Highlights

Archivist Michael Zahs showcased early silent films and slides from the Brinton Collection at Rice Cinema, including what is purportedly the first news reel footage ever shot, which was captured in the aftermath of the Galveston storm of 1900. This special presentation followed the screening of Saving Brinton and concluded with a Q&A with Zahs and filmmaker Andrew Sherburne.

A retrospective on Abigail Child took place over the course of HCAF17, including two screenings at DiverseWorks and a Closing Night screening of Child’s new documentary Acts and Intermissions at Aurora Picture Show.

Filmmakers Wayne Slaten and Cressandra Thibodeaux were joined by the subjects of their films Ash: The Art of Wayne Gilbert (Wayne Gilbert) and Jesse Lott: Artist in Action (Jesse Lott) at the Museum of Fine Arts for a double feature of world premieres, which culminated in an insightful and poignant Q&A discussion.

Screenings of awards contenders and critically acclaimed films, including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Call Me By Your Name, and Bomb City drew packed houses at the Museum of Fine Arts throughout the course of the five days of HCAF17. These films drew rave reviews from audiences.

iPic hosted a 3D screening of Blake Williams’ film Prototype, which represents the first time the Houston Cinema Arts Festival has utilized the popular new Houston cinema venue.

Café Brasil hosted the “Art & Sex Double Feature” of Pendular and Flames on Saturday, November 11th. Flames co-director Zefrey Throwell presented the film and conducted a post-screening Q&A with Richard Herskowitz.

ABOUT HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS)


Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting innovative films, media installations, and performances that celebrate the artistic process and enrich Houston’s culture and urban vitality. Created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and philanthropist Franci Neely, it organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, a groundbreaking and innovative festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The Festival celebrates the diversity of the arts in Houston and elevates the city’s film and arts scene. Houston Cinema Arts Society sponsors include premiere sponsor Houston First Corporation, signature sponsor Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and featured sponsor Levantine Films. HCAS is also supported in part by the Franci Neely Foundation; the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance; an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works; the Brown Foundation; and a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. The 2017 Houston Cinema Arts Festival took place from November 9-13, 2017.

Media Mark Sullivan / Jonathan Babin

Contact On the Mark Communications / 713.978.5050

Mark@onthemarkcom.com

Jonathan@onthemarkcom.com

A SPACE RACE FOR FIRST PLACE AT HCAF17: THIRD ANNUAL CINESPACE SHORT FILM COMPETITION SCREENS FINALIST SHORT FILMS AND AWARDS PRIZES AT RICE CINEMA

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FINALISTS FROM 650 GLOBAL ENTRIES SHOWCASED AT RICE AS PART OF PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA

On Friday, November 10, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, in partnership with NASA, screened 13 finalists from 650 entries spanning nearly every continent worldwide at the Rice Cinema in the CineSpace short film competition and awarded top prizes totaling $26,000, which were judged and selected by Academy Award-nominated director Richard Linklater.

The top prize of $10,000 was awarded to Lunar, by Christian Stangl, Austria. Second place $5,000 went to Nadir, by Pedro de Filippis, Hungary, and third place $3,000 was awarded to The Invisible Border by Shannon-Leigh Reeve and Chelese Belmont, California.

Award winners for the Special Judging Categories ($4,000 each) went to Apizaco, by Alex Moreno, Mexico for Film Best Depicting the Benefits of Space to Humanity and The New Sea, by Jamie Drew, United Kingdom for Best Film Depicting the Spirit of Future Space Exploration.

Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director of the Johnson Space Center, NASA representatives Dan Jacobs and Carlos Fontanot, Houston Cinema Arts Society Executive Director Patrick Kwiatkowski, and Professor Carlos Villanueva of the University of Yucatan welcomed attendees at the beginning of the program and spoke to the huge growth in the number of entries in CineSpace, which continues to expand in myriad ways as its global footprint extends.

Prior to the start of the evening’s presentation, guests mingled in the STELLA Lounge and enjoyed the majestic views from telescopes provided by the Houston Astronomical Society.

The CineSpace finalist short films that spanned the globe were comprised of Apizaco (Mexico), Eight-Ball (Australia), The New Sea (United Kingdom), The Great Portals of Cyberspace: Doomsday (Sweden/France), I’m Here Now Somehow (Germany), The Invisible Border (United States), Lunar (Austria), Miss Baker’s Ride (United Kingdom), Nadir (Hungary), Planet, California (United States), The Space Between Us (Australia), To the Sky (Chile), and Transmitter Receiver (Canada).

ABOUT HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS)
Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting innovative films, media installations, and performances that celebrate the artistic process and enrich Houston’s culture and urban vitality. Created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and philanthropist Franci Neely, it organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, a groundbreaking and innovative festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The Festival celebrates the diversity of the arts in Houston and elevates the city’s film and arts scene. Houston Cinema Arts Society sponsors include premiere sponsor Houston First Corporation, signature sponsor Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and featured sponsor Levantine Films. HCAS is also supported in part by the Franci Neely Foundation; the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance; an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works; the Brown Foundation; and a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. The 2017 Houston Cinema Arts Festival takes place from November 9-13, 2017.

ABOUT CINESPACE
CineSpace is a collaboration between NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) that offers filmmakers around the world a chance to share their works inspired by, and using, actual NASA imagery through “CineSpace,” a short film competition. Winners were announced and screened along with all finalists at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, November 9-13, 2017.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Babin/Mark Sullivan
On the Mark Communications
Jonathan@onthemarkcom.com
Mark@onthemarkcom.com
(713) 978-5050

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