FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Women Texas Film Festival 2019 announces Filmmaker Awards after big year for the fest

On Sunday, August 18, Women Texas Film Festival presented by Methodist Dallas Medical Center announced the award winners for the 4th edition of the film festival during an awards brunch held at Oak Cliff Brewing Co. (1300 South Polk St.). Mindy Bledsoe’s THE IN-BETWEEN took home the award for Best Feature Film, Giovanna Morales Vargas’ A PERFECT 14 wins WTxFF’s Storyteller Award, and TWO WAYS HOME, produced and starring Tanna Frederick and directed by Ron Vignone wins the newly created WE (Women Empowerment) Award.

Women Texas Film Festival Founder and Artistic Director Justina Walford said, “I am in love with this jury. Each juror added wisdom and gravitas, but most importantly used their love of filmmakers to be the focus of their decisions. As always, we want to not simply screen films envisioned and created by women, but to push forward the risk takers. And this group of films and the filmmakers that created them earned the right to be singled out via these awards.”

For the first time in WTxFF’s history, a jury of filmmakers, film industry veterans, and tastemakers was assembled to determine the award winners. The Feature Films Jury included Melanie Addington (Executive Director, Oxford Film Festival), Jennifer Merin (President and Editor-in-Chief, Alliance of Women Film Journalists), and Milan Chakraborty (Producer and Executive Producer of PLUS ONE, ASSASSINATION NATION, MY FRIEND DAHMER, and THE LIFEGUARD, among others). The WTxFF Short Films Jury included Kimberly Browning (Festival Director, Hollywood Shorts Film Festival, and Executive Producer, HBO ACCESS), Jonathan Duffy (Producer of SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, THE LONG DUMB ROAD, HELLION, and PIT STOP, among others), and critically-acclaimed actor Morgana Shaw (LITTLE WOODS, SLEEPING IN PLASTIC, THE HARROWING, I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS, SKATELAND, SECONDHAND LIONS, HOME FRIES, A PROMISE TO CAROLYN; “Salem,” “Revolution,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Prison Break”).

The features jury also gave an “Honorable Mention, Storytelling” for Gabrielle Zilkha’s QUEERING THE SCRIPT. The Shorts Jury cited three films for awards. Best Short Film was given to Helen Cho Anthos’ I’D NEVER BOTHER ANOTHER CHICKEN AGAIN, Best Director was given to Katherine Propper (PENTECOST and STREET FLAME), and a “Special Jury Prize, Acting” for SAC DE MERDE’s Arielle Haller-Silverstone.

In remarks leading up to the presentation of the Best Feature Film Award to THE IN-BETWEEN, the jury said, “THE IN-BETWEEN was selected because, while at first glance it is a buddy ‘road trip’ film, it is filled with extremely complex characters and their gripping relationship and hidden disabilities enriches the story. The film does not make their disabilities a focus, but rather just another part of who they are which is what we should all strive for in inclusivity and representation in film.” THE IN-BETWEEN received an in-kind $2500 production package from AMS Studios. 

As part of the presentation for A PEREFCT 14’s Storyteller Award, the jury said, “A PERFECT 14 serves as a personal story within a greater purpose which captured our heart.” A PERFECT 14 received an in-kind $500 production package from AMP Creative.

The jury created a new award for WTxFF, which was the WE (Women Empowerment) Award. Prior to the presentation of the WE Award to TWO WAYS HOME, the jury stated, “Our new Women Empowerment Award, or the ‘WE Award,’ is for TWO WAYS HOME for the stunning performance and choices of both the lead actor and director for the depiction of bipolar disorder and a charismatic depiction of a compelling character on the road for redemption who suffers for expectations of her to behave beyond her capabilities. This film is about real representation and is powerful in sharing a woman’s challenge through her mental illness and her relationships with family.” The award brought with it an in-kind production package of $500 from Wooden Camera.

A production package of $1000 from MPS Studios went to Helen Cho Anthos (I’D NEVER BOTHER ANOTHER CHICKEN AGAIN) for her Best Short Film win, and a production package of $500 went to Katherine Propper as part of her Best Director win.

The fourth year for Women Texas Film Festival was clearly a year of exponential growth including a film program that doubled the number of films offered, three theaters utilized for the first time (including Alamo Drafthouse Cedars along with the Texas Theatre and Hitt Auditorium), and twice as many filmmakers attending from the previous year.

WTxFF returned to the Texas Theatre as its festival hub and central screening location after a two-year hiatus with Emily Cohn’s CRSHD, including a continuation of the film festival’s tradition of honoring all of Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas’ notable female filmmakers on its Opening Night red carpet, and another one of WTxFF’s signature themed parties duplicating the production design of that evening’s gala film, which transformed the historic theatre into a pastel-colored social zone with a never-ending cereal breakfast bar and nooks throughout for attending film fans to utilize for selfies.

WTxFF joined forces with Presenting Sponsor Methodist Dallas Medical Center to host/produce innovative post-screening Q&As at Methodist Dallas’ Hitt Auditorium built around screenings of films that featured stories, themes, and characters dealing with medical, psychological and sociological issues. Other festival highlights included a “Make Out Party” party inspired by Emily Esperanza’s short film, MAKE OUT PARTY. The popular event featured a feminist kissing booth, designed to encourage conversation about consent and a music performance featuring Liz Martian and the Lounge Lizards, as well as a performance by HOLY TRINITY director Molly Hewitt.

For more information on the Women Texas Film Festival go to WomenTxFF.org.

Women Texas Film Festival (WTxFF) 2019 Award Winners

FEATURE-LENGTH FILMS

Best Feature Film

THE IN-BETWEEN

DIR: Mindy Bledsoe

WTxFF Storyteller Award

A PERFECT 14

DIR/SCR: Giovanna Morales Vargas

PROD/ED: James Earl O’Brien

Honorable Mention (Storyteller)

QUEERING THE SCRIPT

DIR: Gabrielle Zilkha

WE (Women Empowerment) Award

TWO WAYS HOME

Dir: Ron Vignone

Producer/Cast: Tanna Frederick

SHORT FILMS

Best Short Film

I’D NEVER BOTHER ANOTHER CHICKEN AGAIN

DIR: Helen Cho Anthos

WTxFF Leader Award (Best Director)

PENTECOST/STREET FLAME

DIR: Katherine Propper

Special Jury Prize for Acting

SAC DE MERDE

Arielle Haller-Silverstone