I have been involved with the Society since its inception, but everything is new to me now!

I am honored to lead the Society after participating for the last nine years as a board member. I have watched the Society and Houston Cinema Arts Festival grow from a small group of people with an idea to an 8-day celebration of cinema arts about and by artists, that attracts visitors from inside the loop to around the globe. I have witnessed the development of year-round programming such as our summer Julydoscope celebration, our Artist’s Choice series, and recently CineSpace, our short film competition in cooperation with NASA. So let’s stop for a moment and celebrate what has been built - it is not easy to turn an idea into something that lasts 8 years.

Our challenge now, as we approach our 10th anniversary in 2018, is to “cement the legacy” and solidify the Society and our programming for the foreseeable future. And we can only do that with the people that are more important than the creators themselves - you - the supporters of the artists and our organization.

As we near our tenth year celebration, you will start to see new year-round programming that reaches new communities and constituents around this ever growing and ever more diverse city. Our marquee event, Houston Cinema Arts Festival, which will take place November 9-16 in 2017, continues to garner more regional and international interest, and CineSpace will soon open its call for entries for the third season. 2017 will be an exciting year here at the Society, and we hope to see you at our events.

I look forward to hearing your new ideas and suggestions for our continuous improvement. In the meantime please enjoy the show and don’t forget to turn off your cellphones.

Patrick Kwiatkowski

KWIATKOWSKI’S EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE INCLUDES THE FOUNDING OF A FILM DISTRIBUTION COMPANY AND 25 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ACUMEN

Patrick Kwiatkowski, Executive Director

HOUSTON— The Houston Cinema Arts Society has named Patrick Kwiatkowski as Executive Director. Kwiatkowski previously served as an HCAS Advisory Board Member and has been instrumental in the creation and expansion of the CineSpace short film competition, an innovative partnership with NASA, which has grown into a prominent fixture during the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival. In its second year during HCAF16 in November, CineSpace more than doubled in entries from the previous year, receiving a total of 457 from international destinations around the globe.

Patrick Kwiatkowski is a seasoned veteran in business, having worked at Fortune 500 companies, private enterprises, and founded his own film distribution company, Microcinema International. Kwiatkowski graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and additionally received a Master of Business Administration in International Business from the University of Chicago.

“I am very excited for this opportunity and eager to bring my passion for film to the Houston Cinema Arts Society in a new role,” Kwiatkowski commented. He added, “I am committed to the continued growth and development of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, which has helped connect the Houston artistic community through film and supports important entities across the City of Houston.”

In addition to his service to the HCAS Advisory Board, Kwiatkowsi is heavily involved in other non-profit entities, having served as an executive board member of the Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) and a longtime executive board member of the Neartown Little League.

In a letter to the HCAS Board, Chair Franci Neely commended Kwiatkowski for his leadership and expressed excitement for his forthcoming tenure. She noted, “We are excited to find an Executive Director who not only knows and understands the Houston market, but brings invaluable business and arts-related experience to the table.” Neely added, “We have high expectations that he will be instrumental in taking HCAS to the “next level”.”

Kwiatkowski was previously named as one of the Houston Chronicle’s “Most Fascinating Persons of 2015” for the creation and development of CineSpace. He will take on the role of Executive Director following Interim Executive Director Mary Lampe’s invaluable guidance and support during the 2016 Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

ABOUT HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS)


Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is a non-profit created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and the leadership of 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 vitality and diversity of the arts in Houston and enriches the city’s film and arts community. HCAS sponsors include Premier Sponsor Houston First Corporation, Signature Sponsor Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Featured Sponsor Levantine Films, Media Sponsor Texas Monthly and many others. HCAS is also supported in part by grants from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Texas Commission on the Arts. The 9th Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival will take place in November 2017 on dates yet to be announced. For more information, please visit hcaf17.org.

# # #

The entertainment at JULYDOSCOPE will kick off with scintillating and energetic performances from dance companies Sonkiss’d, Urban Souls, Holding Space Dance Collective, and Flamenco Room/Sirrom Studio, as well as performances by Houston rapper Genesis Blu and spoken word artist Natasha Carrizosa. Immediately thereafter, the audience at Discovery Green will be treated to the Houston premiere of the moving film Sonita, which profiles aspiring young Afghan rapper Sonita Alizadeh as she fights to rise above the restrictive gender norms in her homeland to fulfill her dream of becoming a hip-hop artist.

Sonita is an intimate portrait of the unique journey undertaken by Sonita Alizadeh in her native country of Afghanistan. From Iranian director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, Sonita poignantly shifts from observer to participant, altering expectations and revealing the intimate connections a new generation of women directors are making with their subjects. Winner of both the Word Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary and the Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, Sonita is a film that has inspired and moved audiences as it documents Sonita’s pursuit to become a hip-hop artist juxtaposed against her battle to prevent being sold by her family as a child bride.

“I am thrilled that Houston Cinema Arts Society is able to bring JULYDOSCOPE back to the Houston community for a sixth year with a film as powerful and uplifting as Sonita,” commented HCAS Artistic Director Richard Herskowitz. He added, “The audience will love the young protagonist from the moment she bursts onto the screen with her infectious passion for hip-hop and her undeniable will to rise above the gender roles in Afghan society.”

JULYDOSCOPE Homepage: http://cinemartsociety.org/events/event/JULYDOSCOPE-2016-free

“Sonita” Trailer: https://youtu.be/B47MbpPuz7A 

ABOUT HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS)


Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) is a non-profit created in 2008 with the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and the leadership of 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 vitality and diversity of the arts in Houston and enriches the city’s film and arts community. HCAS sponsors include Premier Sponsor Houston First Corporation, Signature Sponsor Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Featured Sponsor Levantine Films, Media Sponsor Texas Monthly and many others. HCAS is also supported in part by grants from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Texas Commission on the Arts. The 8th Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival will take place from Nov. 10-17, 2016. For more information, please visit hcaf16.org.

ABOUT DISCOVERY GREEN

Discovery Green is a 12-acre park created by a public-private partnership between the City of Houston and the non-profit Discovery Green Conservancy. Since the park opened in April 2008, it has welcomed more than 5 million visitors and hosted more than 2,000 public and private events. The Discovery Green Conservancy works with hundreds of programming partners to present three dynamic programming seasons each year most of which are FREE and open to the public. As a non-profit organization, the Conservancy raises all the funds needed for the programming that Houstonians enjoy. Learn more at www.discoverygreen.com.

ALL THE LABOR

Amazon, iTunes

AN UNREAL DREAM: THE MICHAEL MORTON STORY

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes

APPORVED FOR ADOPTION

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

Amazon, YouTube, Netflix DVD and Instant, iTunes

THE BALLAD OF THE WEEPING SPRING

Amazon

BECOMING TRAVIATA

Amazon, Fandor, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD

BIG JOY

Amazon, Fandor, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix Instant

CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD and Instant

FROM ABOVE (formerly known at HCAF as CHASING SHAKESPEARE)

Amazon, iTunes, Netflix DVD

CUTIE & THE BOXER

Amazon, iTunes, Netflix DVD

ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE

Amazon

ERNEST & CELESTINE

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD

HARRY DEAN STANTON: PARTLY FICTION

Amazon, Fandor, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD

JAMEL SHABAZZ STREET PHOTOGRAPHER

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes

MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes

NEBRASKA

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD

PERSISTENCE OF VISION

Vimeo

PHILOMENA

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD and Instant

REQUIEM NN

Amazon, YouTube, Vimeo

SHEPARD & DARK

Amazon, Fandor, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD

VIOLA

Amazon, Fandor, iTunes, Netflix DVD

WILD STYLE

Amazon, Fandor, iTunes, Netflix DVD and Instant

DAZED AND CONFUSED

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes

NARCO CULTURA

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD and Instant, Vimeo

PARIS, TEXAS

Amazon, iTunes, Netflix DVD

LUCKY THEM

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD and Instant

HONOR FLIGHT

Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix DVD and Instant

Back next month with the films from HCAF 2013!

1,000 TIMES GOODNIGHT

YouTube, Netflix Instant or DVD, Amazon

A THOUSAND SUNS

iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon

ACTRESS

Fandor, Netflix Instant, iTunes, Amazon

ART AND CRAFT

Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon

BJORK: BIOPHILIA LIVE

iTunes, Amazon

BORN TO FLY

Netflix Instant, iTunes, Amazon

BURROUGHS: THE MOVIE

YouTube, Amazon

THE CITY OF YOUR FIINAL DESTINATION

Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

YouTube, Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon

DIOR AND I

YouTube, Netflix Instant and DVD, iTunes, Amazon

EVERYBODY STREET

YouTube, iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon

EXHIBITION

Fandor, Netflix Instant and DVD, iTunes, Amazon

FLUTTER

iTunes, Amazon

GUISEPPE MAKES A MOVIE

YouTube, Amazon

THE IMITATION GAME

YouTube, Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon

IN THE STREET

Fandor, YouTube

JALANAN

Vimeo, Amazon, Amazon

A LESSON BEFORE DYING

YouTube, Netflix DVD, Amazon

THE MAN OF THE CROWD

iTunes

A MASTER BUILDER

Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon

MUDBLOODS

iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon

MUSE OF FIRE

iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon

THE REMAINS OF THE DAY

Netflix DVD, iTunes, Amazon

STATIONS OF THE ELEVATED

iTunes

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY

Netflix Instant, iTunes, Amazon

TOMATO REPUBLIC

YouTube, Amazon

WILD

Netfilx DVD, iTunes, Amazon

A WOMAN LIKE ME

Netflix (Instant), iTunes

ALMOST THERE

Fandor, Vimeo

ASH AND MONEY

Vimeo

APOLLO 13

Netflix (DVD), iTunes

BLIND

Netflix (DVD or Blu-Ray), iTunes

CAROL

Nexflix (DVD or Blu-Ray), iTunes

CINESPACE

CineSpace on HCAF

GOLUB

Netflix (DVD), Fandor

HOUSE PARTY

Netflix (DVD), iTunes

IN THE FAMILY

Netflix (DVD or Blu-Ray)

THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Netflix (Instant), iTunes

SAGRADA

Netflix (Instant)

THE JONES FAMILY WILL MAKE A WAY

Fandor, iTunes

Youth

Netflix (DVD or Blu-Ray), iTunes

THE PEARL BUTTON

Netflix (DVD or Blu-Ray), Fandor, iTunes

The inaugural year of CineSpace drew 194 entries from 22 countries and 32 U.S. states. Sixteen finalists premiered their films at Houston Cinema Arts Festival’s CineSpace Day at the Museum of Fine Arts, 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 off the Earth, for the Earth for more than 15 years.

Films featuring NASA-captured imagery and video collected throughout the agency’s 50-year history will be judged on creativity, innovation and attention to detail: the same hallmarks of spaceflight. Works submitted to CineSpace will compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to be shown to audiences both on and off Earth.

In addition to being screened at the CineSpace award 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. Entries must use at least 10 percent publically available NASA imagery.

Academy Award-nominated director Richard Linklater once again will serve as the judge in selecting the finalists.

The submission period opens June 1, 2016 and closes July 31, 2016. Finalists and winners will be announced at a CineSpace event during the Houston Cinema Arts Festival in November 2016. Entries will be competing for $26,000 in prizes with cash awards going to the top three submissions as well as the two films that best demonstrate the themes “Benefits of Space to Humanity” and “Future Space Exploration.”

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 next decade of exploration will be a time of rapid technological advancement and innovation as humanity stands poised to make the journey to Mars.

The Houston Cinema Arts Society is a non-profit organization created in 2008 that 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 Eighth Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival will take place from Nov. 10-17, 2016.

For more information on CineSpace, competition guidelines and the submission process, and to view the 2015 winners and finalists, visit:

http://www.cinespace16.org

To browse NASA video and imagery, visit:

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

For more information about the Houston Cinema Arts Society, visit:

http://www.cinemartsociety.org

For more information about the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, visit:

http://houstoncinemaartsfestival.org/

The competition drew 194 entries from 22 countries and 32 states. Academy Award-nominated director, producer and screenwriter Richard Linklater – a Houston native who won best director honors at the 2015 Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards for his film Boyhood –  helped NASA and HCAS judge the contest entries. Prize money is 1st Place $10,000, 2nd Place $5,000 for 2nd place and $3,000 for 3rd place.  Two additional categories will be awarded $4,000 each for “Film Best Depicting Benefits to Humanity from the International Space Station” and “Film Best Depicting Spirit of Future Exploration of Space.” The winners will be announced at the end of the screening of all of the 16 finalists.  Tickets for the screening are on sale now at this link.

The finalist are (alphabetical order):

A Little Journey
Lisset Mendoza
Anaheim, CA

As We Set Sail
Lee Arter
Los Angeles, CA

Come Closer
Amia Yokoyama
Los Angeles, CA

End of the Sky
Elijah Alvarado
Iowa

General Astronomy
Victoria Taylor-Gore
Amarillo, TX

Gravitation: Variation in Time and Space
Andrei Severny
New York, NY

Guiding Light
Guy Shahaf
Yehud, Israel

Higher Ground
Mary Magsamen and Stephen Hillerbrand
Houston, TX

Home
Benjamin Eck
Sherman Oaks, CA

Is It Possible To Define Inspiration?
Courtney Robinson
Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Le Voyage
Alexandre B. Lampron
Laval, Quebec

Mission Avante
Fernando Dueñas Peña
Bogota Colombia

Outer Space
Sander van de Berg
Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland

Red Pearl
Molly Vernon
League City, TX

Supersymmetry
Trent Jaklitsch
Brooklyn, NY

Voyagers
Daniel Land
Detroit, Michigan

Before I joined the Society as Executive Director in 2010, I was a costume designer in theatre and film while also teaching full-time at Rice University as the Director of Theatre, along with a few classes for the Graduate Design Program at the University of Houston School of Theatre.  One of my areas of expertise happens to be color and as you might guess, one of my favorite classes to teach is color theory.  I love teaching, almost anyone who will listen, how the human eye sees color, the relationships between the different hues, the various approaches to color theory as a scientific study, and in the process, helping others learn that they too can master the art of color.

YOU NEVER CAN TELL directed by Sir Peter Hall with costumes by Trish Rigdon, London, West End, 2005.

Each year I start the process with a study of the color trends based on the Pantone color of the year.  Pantone is one of the leading color forecasters in the U.S. for the fashion, interiors, and decorative industries.   Pantone announces the color annually in January and this year it is a dark wine-red, dubbed Marsala.  The next step is to prepare a visual color study for the board of directors to get their feedback — our own bit of market research.

2015 color trend study prepared by Executive Director, Trish Rigdon.

Once we reach a consensus about the direction of the color scheme the next step is to work with our graphics designer, Jenny Conte, principal of Sharp Egg, who prepares mock-ups of the annual marquee poster to show us various options.  Then it gets really fun — back to the board for a vote.  You will see in the photo illustration how we vote. Everyone tags their favorites with a post-it along with comments. Let the best color combination win!

The result of the vote this year was evenly tied between Lucite Green and Biscay Bay as two companion colors to compliment Marsala.  We consulted with the HCAS Marketing Committee to break the tie.  In the end, we made a small alteration by brightening up the Marsala with a touch more red.  I hope you will like the new colors and would love to hear from you.

HCAS Board of Directors vote on color scheme for 2015 Festival.

Have you noticed the color change over the years? If you have been a long-term Society member then you can look back at the t-shirts that came with your benefits and see the color history of the Festival.  We would love to see all those past t-shirts this year, in fact, stay tuned for an announcement about a designated day to wear your colors at the seventh annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, November 12 - 19, 2015 — it will be here before you know it.

Volunteers at JULYDOSCOPE 2015 meeting and greeting over 2,000 attendees.

For several years in a row one of our stalwart sponsors has contributed 1,000 pencils annually.  Pencils are needed for attendees to fill out demographic and opinion surveys.  Our sponsor’s pencils were much appreciated; however, they weren’t sharpened. Have you ever sharpened 1,000 pencils?  Well, I’ll tell you it takes quite a long time, even with an electric sharpener.

Time is something our staff of four doesn’t have a lot of, especially as we approach the Opening Night of the Festival.  Sure, we could purchase those small yellow golf pencils that are already sharpened, but every penny counts and we are grateful for both the contribution and the understanding of how important it is that we have pencils.

You may be thinking “Why are the surveys so important?”  The simple answer is that surveys provide the demographic and quality measurement data that we need for local, state, and national government and foundation grant applications.  This year alone, grant awards accounted for $95,000 in funding.  That is approximately 16% of our annual budget!  Without the pencils, Festival attendees can’t fill out the surveys.  Without the surveys we can’t provide the data required for the grant applications.  Without the grant awards we would lose up to 16% of our annual financial support. It all starts with the pencil!

How do we solve the pencil sharpening challenge? Volunteers come to the rescue of course.  We do what we can to make the task as pleasant as possible by providing a space in our office, all of the electric sharpeners from staff desks, a monitor and headphones to watch screeners (yes, the ones screened in the Festival), and popcorn (donated of course).  Once volunteers understand the importance of the pencils, they are eager to serve on the ‘pencil sharpening team.’ We have even had a few volunteers come back for multiple sessions and request that no one else finish the job.

Whether it is sharpening pencils, running errands, taking tickets, counting heads, distributing marketing collateral, or serving on the ‘standing by team,’ in case we need something we didn’t even know we needed, all volunteer hours are essential to the smooth operations of our various programs. On average, 100 volunteers provide Houston Cinema Arts Society over 1,000 hours of service. I was a volunteer in 2009 before joining as Executive Director in 2010.  Operations Manager, Angelina von Graff, was a volunteer too. She contributed over 200 hours in 2012 and then joined the staff in 2013.

We have volunteer opportunities all year long.  It takes months to prepare for the Festival and in the meantime, we have ongoing year-round programs like our new Artist’s Choice Film Series, Julydoscope, and HCAS on the Road Education Outreach.

Volunteering is fun and rewarding.  You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped us bring excellent and unique arts programming to the city and you can  also earn festival tickets and passes.  To learn more about the details of volunteering click here: http://houstoncinemaartsfestival.org/support/volunteer

I invite you all to join the fun.  Please sign up to volunteer today.

All best,

Trish