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Films shot in and around Amarillo include Paul Newman classics. hood and a loved one Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. But as evidenced at last weekend’s Amarillo International Film Festival, the region boasts an emerging contemporary film scene dominated by scrappy, lovingly produced indie films.
The festival was spearheaded by Sherman Bass, film commissioner for the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Bureau, who oversaw an impressive range of films from the heartfelt to the avant-garde, reflecting the richness of Texas Panhandle cinema. Amarillo’s dedicated film culture includes the Amarillo Film Society, its offshoot Amarillo Film Club, and the filmmaker collective CORE.
The relatively new festival stands out for its popularity with both young and old audiences. Many existing festivals are struggling to bridge this gap.
The three-day festival took place at the almost enviable Arts in the Sunset. It’s part of a former shopping mall converted into a museum and maker space for artists, with beautiful screening facilities and wide open spaces for adventurous art exploration. It’s also conveniently located near historic Sixth Street on Route 66, filled with antique shops, restaurants and cafes. The spirit of creativity is so strong at Arts in the Sunset that the festival’s glass blowing statues were created by Blind Bird Designs, one of the artisans based in the space.
One of the festival’s main sponsors is the Tecovas Foundation, a charity known for its commitment to promoting the arts, education and more. They pledged their commitment to the festival with the first annual Tecovas Foundation Lighthouse Award. The award shares its name with the Lighthouse, a stunning 310-foot-tall structure located within Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo. last crusade. The festival repaid the honor by awarding the foundation its inaugural award.
Amarillo International Film Festival Award Winners
The biggest winner at Saturday’s awards ceremony was “There Is a Table,” starring, written and directed by Amarillo local Mallory Maybin. It is a semi-autobiographical story that documents a young woman’s efforts to maintain the strong bond she shared with her brother through the divorce and remarriage of her parents and their long journey away from home. It won the $1,000 Greater Amarillo Filmmaker Award, the Audience Choice Award for Narrative Short Film, and the $500 Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health Award.
The award, given by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, is named after the former first lady and recognizes “films that inspire women and girls to see themselves as smart, viable and powerful people and motivate them to take control of their own lives and health.”
Another winner was Paul Vo Le’s “Broken Rice,” the story of an isolated and homesick international student who proposes a college project based on his mother’s broken rice stand in Vietnam. It won the Audience Award for Best Student Short Story and a $500 Jury Prize.
The Audience’s Choice in the Narrative Feature category went to Mark Beal’s surprising, bold and unique horror film. marginaliaIt draws on a variety of influences, from medieval texts to Hieronymous Bosch. sigh.
The Audience Award for Documentary went to Ryan Hope Travis and Munjal Yagnik. land of freedomExamines the land, heritage, and continuity of black farmers in the South. The film follows six farmers and two USDA field directors across Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
The Audience Choice Award for Documentary Short went to Michael Dean Marbach’s “Wonderful World With Clint Townsend.” The film tells the story of Townsend, who has written four books and pursued many adventures since being diagnosed with ALS 20 years ago. His latest is recording a version of the standard “What a Wonderful World” with a touring cast. the great gatsby musical.
The $2,500 Narrative Feature award went to Jim Menza. Enabling KaneIt is the story of three brothers fighting over inheritance rights.
The $2,500 prize money for the documentary category went to: Forge of FriendshipIt chronicles the remarkable 40-year friendship between JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.
The $1,000 Jury Prize for Best Short Documentary went to Drew Koch’s “Love You Well.” This is the story of a man who survived abuse and his journey to connect with his father.
The $1,000 Jury Prize in the Narrative Short Story category went to Mireille Menard’s “Dying in Sugar/ Mourir dans l’sucre.” This is the story of two sisters trying to escape the monsters in their town by finding a new home under the weeping willows.
The $500 Jury Prize for Best Animated Short Film went to Danny Bourke’s “Sunspark.” The film tells the story of a robot janitor who, while searching for spare parts, unexpectedly discovers the broken body of another robot.
Jury’s $500 Rt. The 66/Road Trippin’ Award fittingly went to Charles Lay’s unique road movie “Rt. 66,” which combines dialogue and images collected while traveling along the famous Route 66, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Lay says Amarillo is one of his favorite places along the famous highway.
You can read more about the Amarillo International Film Festival here and more about the festival content here.
Main Image: Amarillo International Film Festival Winner ‘There Is a Table’ (Courtesy of Filmmaker)