The 7th Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival (HCAF15) will be the biggest one yet, expanding by three days to become an eight-day festival. HCAF15 will run from Thursday, Nov. 12, through Thursday, Nov. 19, at celebrated arts venues throughout Houston including the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and Sundance Cinemas Houston.
HCAF is the only festival in the United States dedicated to films about the arts – a nod to the Bayou City’s vibrant and diverse arts community. Since its first year in 2009, the expertly curated festival has attracted notable filmmakers and actors including Robert Redford, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Isabella Rossellini, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro, Shirley MacLaine, Thomas Haden Church and Will Forte. Legendary director James Ivory of Merchant Ivory Productions and Tony-award winning director Julie Taymor headlined HCAF in 2014.
“I was overwhelmed with the warmth and hospitality of the (HCAF) board, the patrons and the audience,” Taymor said. “This kind of festival is unique in our country and should be celebrated and preserved for its true love and respect of the cinema art form.”
Festival attendance increased by more than 20 percent in 2014. HCAF14 featured 50 films, exhibitions and live cinema performances – an emerging trademark of the festival – over five days, plus eight additional programs in a post-festival “Spotlight on Texas.” HCAF had a post-festival “Spotlight on Houston” showcasing local films and filmmakers in 2013.
“Looking back at the success of the ‘Spotlight On’ screening series, we realized we needed to expand the festival to meet audience demand,” Houston Cinema Arts Society Executive Director Trish Rigdon said. “The additional days will give us more opportunities to showcase quality cinema to Houstonians and visitors – and that’s something we are excited about.”
ABOUT HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS)
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 Neely. 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 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Houston First Corporation, Texas Monthly, Levantine Films, Champion Energy Services, Nabors, Amegy Bank of Texas, as well as a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and 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 7th Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival will be held Nov. 12-19, 2015. For more information, please visit hcaf15.org.
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