During our one small break, filmmaker Nathan Scoggins and I set out to see the sights and fell into The Silos, Magnolia’s sprawling prairie compound of Texas farm chic and commerce. Ten minutes (well, let’s say an hour) in, one comes to see how Chip and Joanna Gaines have come to utterly dominate American home design and architecture. One guy came up to me and said, “this is every man’s dream, isn’t it?” They rebuilt an old church here with timber by (ornately curved) pew. There’s a window frame from another church that cost $8000. In keeping with the faith theme, every stripe of customers makes the pilgrimage—from the devout to the converted, along with hordes of Baylor kids. Heck, there were Anabaptists (cousins of the Amish) there. It was an eye-opener.
The Festival concluded Saturday night with a celebratory Closing Night Party and Awards Ceremony, where winners were announced by Festival Founder and Executive Director Dr. Tyrha Lindsey-Warren.
Best Feature Film (U.S. and International) went to JOE238 by attending filmmaker Colleen Stymeist-Wood for her film telling the story of a grieving father who must set aside his own beliefs to honor his son’s last wish to be an organ donor.
Roy Mazzagate III’s THE DEC1SION claimed Best Short Film (U.S.) in which Ty finds himself in the middle of the consequences of the single most important decision of his life.
The anthology series of short films by Jamie Kassle telling stories about themes of love without words HIT LIST // THE LOVE PROJECT from Japan won Best Short Film (International).
Best Student Film (U.S. and International) went to Indonesian Rendro Aryo’s FAMILY STORY, a family’s journey of sticking together when their lives suddenly change forever; based on real experiences.
Finally, Best Animation Film (U.S. and International) was awarded to TO TURN OFF THE STARS by French filmmaker Margot Carvet. Her film shows how Renard’s daily routine collapses when he discovers it will force two lovers to separate at the break of day.
Carolina Blue Cigars at Closing night party at Pivovar. Photo by Sybilka Storie.
The closing party at Pivovar sampled rafts of Czech treats from pretzels to schnitzel to kolaches but spilled out to the “The Penguin Cigar Lounge Experience,” which, under the guidance of the Minister of Fun, literally became a smoke-filled room to sample super premium stogies and the newest yet oldest sensation in the whiskey and rye game: Uncle Earnest whiskey. “The Best Whiskey Maker the World Never Knew” was a Black man, Nathan “Nearest” Green, and he can rightly claim to be the godfather of Tennessee Whiskey. Guests sampled their 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey, their 100-proof 1884 Small Batch Bourbon, and their Straight Rye Whiskey. Luckily, we’d say, most visitors’ rooms were right upstairs.
“We are thrilled to close out our 4th annual festival in grand style with these winners who are super talented,” concluded Dr. Tyrha Lindsey-Warren. “Our feature film winner, JOE 238 has already signed a distribution deal with PBS and the movie will show nationally this April. This year’s festival was also very important because it has successfully set the stage for our 5th Anniversary festival next year.” Lindsey-Warren looks optimistically to a future where the festival’s draw rivals that of her home-design neighbor.
By the time I left Sunday, it was 75 degrees in Taylor, where an old friend and I walked her Marfa-like neighborhood, where most homeowners had already neatly piled up their fallen limbs and brush in the warm sunshine. South of town, driving the speed limit (80 miles an hour) I passed palisades of construction cranes heralding the arrival of Samsung’s $27 billion chip plant, which promises to bring 2000 new jobs to the area. Further south of that sprawled Tesla’s Gigafactory a place that looked like it employed…no one. Proof that Texas can be in SO many different places at once while being one thing: Texas. We’ll see y’all next year, hear?
Header Image: Closing Party. Photo by Sybilka Storie.
