Trista Suke’s FOXY leads awards at The first Billy the Kid Film Festival with a bang handing out ballistic sculptures and cash to winning filmmakers

Trista Suke’s FOXY leads awards as the Billy the Kid Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners for the first edition of the film festival, prior to the Closing Night screening of David Blue Garcia’s TEJANO on Saturday, November 2 at Flacas.

Canadian filmmaker Trista Suke’s FOXY received the Best Feature Film Award and a check for $200, with George Meyers’ NOT YOUR DAY, and Jay Pennington and Gerry Olert’s SMILE sharing the Audience Choice Award, with each filmmaker receiving a check for $100.

All filmmaker award winners, as well as Ambassador of Film honoree, Ruth Buzzi, and the filmmakers representing the Opening and Closing Night Gala selections also received special one-of-a-kind ceramic “ballistic art” sculptures by Scotty Carlson Pottery.

Billy the Kid Film Festival directors Philip Vasquez and Luci Digiorgio said, “This was a wonderful beginning for the Billy the Kid Film Festival with several filmmakers on hand to meet the film fans and talk about their films and the local Hico and Hill Country community coming out to enjoy the films, panels, and events. The films and filmmakers that won will always hold a special place in our hearts, as they will forever be a part of the very first fest.”

Other winners included Michael Wilbanks’ WALKING PAPERS, which received the nod as Best Short Film, and Chase Honaker’s documentary ALL GÜT THINGS: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF TEXAS GERMAN, which won the prize for Best Local Film. Mindy Bledsoe won Best Performance for her work in front of the camera for her film, THE IN-BETWEEN. All of the winners received a check for $100 to go with their awards.

Ty Roberts’ THE IRON ORCHARD was the Opening Night film presentation with the film’s star, Lane Garrison, fellow cast member Nolan Osmanski, and producer Camille Chambers in attendance along with BTKFF honoree and first “Ambassador of Film” Ruth Buzzi at Hico’s popular Silver Spur Winery prior to the film’s presentation at the Bluebonnet County Club. The following day brought with it a number of screenings and Q&As with filmmakers, leading up to the special Closing Night presentation, including the appearance of TEJANO cast member Emma Perez Trevino.

The 2019 Billy the Kid Film Festival Filmmaker Award winners:

AMBASSADOR OF FILM

Ruth Buzzi

BEST FEATURE FILM

FOXY

Director: Trista Suke

BEST SHORT FILM

WALKING PAPERS

Director: Micheal Willbanks

BEST LOCAL FILM

ALL GÜT THINGS: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF TEXAS GERMAN  

Director: Chase Honaker  

BEST PERFORMANCE

Mindy Bledsoe

THE IN-BETWEEN 

AUDIENCE CHOICE

NOT YOUR DAY    

Director: George Meyers   

SMILE

Directors: Jay Pennington, Gerry Olert

Trista Suke’s FOXY leads awards at The first Billy the Kid Film Festival ends things with a bang handing out ballistic sculptures and cash to winning filmmakers