HCAF 2013 Announces Film Festival Field Trip Program
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HCAF 2013 ANNOUNCES FILM FESTIVAL FIELD TRIP PROGRAM
FESTIVAL HOSTED 600 STUDENTS, TEACHERS WITH FREE SCREENINGS IN 2012
HOUSTON – For the third consecutive year, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival (HCAF) will host middle school and high school students free of charge at select screenings through its Film Festival Field Trip (FFFT) program. The program hosted more than 600 students and educators at last year’s film festival and is primed for continued growth at HCAF 2013 (Nov. 6-10), the fifth anniversary of Houston’s walkable festival featuring films by and about by and about artists.
The Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) began offering middle schools and high schools free admittance to its film festival through FFFT in 2011. The program welcomed 170 students in its first year and tripled in size in 2012. Participating groups at HCAF 2012 included Atascocita High School, Sam Houston High School, Spring Branch ISD, Yes Prep, Lamar High School, Woodlands Preparatory, Awty School, St. Joseph Catholic School, the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Jefferson Davis High School, Katy ISD and the Alliance Francaise, who attended free screenings of Le Tableau, Trash Dance, Texas Filmmakers Showcase and Question Bridge.
At HCAF 2013, the FFFT will provide students and educators a chance to view three films: the acclaimed French animated Ernest and Celestine, fresh off standing ovations at festivals in Cannes and Toronto and winner of the 2013 César Award for Best Animated Feature, at Sundance Cinemas on Friday, Nov. 8; Chasing Shakespeare starring Danny Glover and Graham Greene at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) on Thursday, Nov. 7; and the true-life documentary of Jamel Shabazz: Street Photographer at the El Dorado Ballroom on Nov. 8. The directors of Chasing Shakespeare, Dallas-based Norry Niven and New York-based Charlie Ahearn, will accompany the films and speak with students. All screenings will be offered on Thursday and Friday morning of the Festival.
“HCAS is committed to programming films that will inspire the next generation of artists and audiences and provide opportunities to increase students’ cinema arts literacy,” HCAS Executive Director Trish Rigdon said. “We are so pleased to be able to invite students and faculty to participate in HCAF 2013 through FFFT. We are very thankful to our sponsors and members who help make it possible to continue to offer this free educational program.”
The complimentary-admission program’s impact was illustrated in 2012 by the Spring Branch ISD Guthrie Center. The Center had annually brought a small group of students to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah but was unable to in 2012 because of budget cuts. HCAF provided a replacement for their trip much closer to home and enabled the school to expand its reach from 15 to more than 100 students.
Interested schools or groups can learn more information and sign up for this year’s FFFT program by contacting Todd Green, HCAF 2013 Outreach Coordinator, at outreach@cinemartsociety.org.
ABOUT THE HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY
Houston Cinema Arts Society is a non-profit organization created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and the leadership of Franci Crane. HCAS organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, a groundbreaking and innovative arts festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing and literary arts. The festival celebrates the vitality and diversity of the arts in Houston and enriches the city’s film and arts community. HCAS sponsors include the Crane Foundation, a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Levantine Entertainment, Houston First Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Champion Energy Services, Amegy Bank of Texas, The Brown Foundation, Inc. and others. The project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. The 2013 Houston Cinema Arts Festival was held Nov. 6-10. For more information, please visit HCAS at www.cinemartsociety.org.