The second annual festival at Garland’s Plaza Theatre will feature documentaries, commemoration of Texas Film Archives and classic films rarely seen on the big screen.
IT CAME FROM TEXAS Film Festival this week announced new screenings and special guests joining the lineup for the second annual film festival dedicated to showcase movies made primarily in Texas. It will take place Sept. 13-15, at the downtown Plaza Theatre in Garland. As with last year’s inaugural edition of the event, the festival is sponsored by the city of Garland and Garland Cultural Arts.
In addition to securing the Western-adjacent classic films “Tender Mercies,” “Giant” and “The Last Picture Show,” festival director Kelly Kitchens added titles to the ICFTX 2024 lineup, a press release stated. One such title, the 2020 documentary “Horton Foote: The Road to Home, will screen as a double feature with Tender Mercies on Friday night and will celebrate its North Texas premiere at ICFTX 2024.
Actor Robert Duvall in “Tender Mercies.” Courtesy of Universal Pictures.
“When the idea of the Western genre blossomed into an Independent Texas Spirit theme, that broadened our horizons to a lot of possibilities in films we could showcase with our Oscar-winners: ‘Tender Mercies,’ ‘Giant’ and ‘The Last Picture Show,'” Kitchens stated in a press release. “It opened the doors to the rarely seen Spencer Williams’ all-Black film, ‘The Blood of Jesus,’ from 1941, the first Texas film honored with being on the coveted Library of Congress’s National Registry List in 1991. And, yes, we’re also showing a couple of classic westerns with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.”
Actor Rock Hudson and actress Elizabeth Taylor in “Giant.” Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers.
Actor Timothy Bottoms and actress Cybill Shepherd in “The Last Picture Show.” Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures.
ICFTX 2024 welcomes Oscar-nominated Jeannine Oppewall, art director of ‘Tender Mercies’
Jeannine Oppewall, who served as art director on “Tender Mercies,” will offer a show-and-tell about her experiences working on the film. It was the first film Oppewall designed.
Art director Jeannine Oppewall. Photo courtesy of AMPAS.
“I remember the last morning of filming,” she stated. “I set out before dawn and, coming up over a rise in the bare black fields of Waxahachie, I saw a huge orange sunrise through the mist, behind a tall leafless tree. A strange feeling of intense calm and quiet happiness overcame me: I saw clearly that I was doing what I was meant to do. The setting was the perfect visual metaphor for the emotion.”
Oppewall has also received Academy Award nominations for her work on “L.A. Confidential,” “Pleasantville,” Seabiscuit,” and “The Good Shepherd.”
“[I]n some sense, part of me grew up in Texas,” she stated. “And now I return to see how I have changed, to see how the place has changed, and to see what emotions I will have to revisit.”
FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:
Friday, Sept. 13
7 p.m. – Double Feature – Documentary and Feature ($20 individual tickets)
Writer Horton Foote. Photo by Susan Johann.
“Horton Foote: Road to Home” (2020)
North Texas Premiere
Director: Anne Rapp (in attendance)
Filmed in Wharton; New York City; and Hartford, Connecticut
Chronicles the creative journey of acclaimed Texas writer Horton Foote – a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and winner of two Academy Awards for screenwriting – through his own eyes and voice at the end of his life. (IMDb)
Horton Foote: The Road to Home trailer
9 p.m.
“Tender Mercies” (1983)
Director: Bruce Beresford
In attendance: Jeannie Oppewall (Art Director); Anne Rapp (Script Supervisor)
Filmed in Palmer, Waxahachie and Arlington
Featuring an Oscar-winning screenplay by Horton Foote, the film tells the story of a broken-down, middle-aged country singer who gets a new wife, reaches out to his long-lost daughter, and tries to put his troubled life back together. (IMDb)
It stars Robert Duvall in his Best-Actor Oscar-winning performance. (Rated PG)
Friday, Sept. 14
11 a.m. – Feature ($15 individual tickets)
“The Last Picture Show” (1971)
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Filmed in Archer City and Holliday
In attendance: Angie Bolling (Actress in TLPS’s sequel “Texasville”)
In 1951, a group of high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied North Texas town that is slowly dying, both culturally and economically. (IMDb)
Two-time Oscar winner stars Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd. (Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.)
Lunch Break
2 p.m. – Short, feature and panel ($10 individual tickets)
“The Making of a Classic.” Courtesy photo.
Director: Stephen Robinson (in attendance)
Filmed in Bastrop
Also in attendance: Martin C. Jones (producer)
“The Making of a Classic,” part of the Forging Texas video series, offers an intimate look into the production of Spencer Williams Jr.’s “The Blood of Jesus.” Set during the 1941 classic movie’s filming, it explores the behind-the-scenes journey of filming a pivotal scene.
“The Making of a Classic” illuminates Williams’ commitment and humility as he skillfully maneuvers through the emotional intricacies of the production process. Screenwriter A.J. Edwards masterfully captures the story based on true events. With standout performances by Marcus Henderson (Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”) and Erica Ash (Starz’s “Survivor’s Remorse”), the short film honors the legacy of Spencer Williams Jr.
Professor and film historian Rick Worland
“The Blood of Jesus” (1941)
Director: Spencer Williams
Filmed in Dallas
Housed at the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection, Southern Methodist University
In attendance: Rick Worland (SMU film professor and film historian)
“The Blood of Jesus” is among Williams’ notable works, where he served as director, writer and star, pioneering independent cinema and impacting the industry. Rediscovered in the 1980s, “The Blood of Jesus” was unearthed from a warehouse in Tyler, alongside a collection of film prints. It was the first Texas-made film entered into the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry in 1991. Twenty-five films are selected each year to showcase the range and diversity of American film heritage and increase awareness for its preservation.
The film tells the story of an atheist who accidentally shoots his godly wife. When she dies, she ends up at the fabled crossroads of Hell or Zion, where the devil tries to lead her astray. (IMDb)
Special film archives and preservation panel discussion
A panel discussion will feature SMU film studies head Worland, as he delves into the historical and artistic significance of the film. Worland will detail how its last-known film reels were found in a warehouse in Tyler and how the film came to the SMU Film Archives in the late-1980s for preservation.
Additionally, Worland and Elizabeth Hansen of the Texas Archives of the Moving Image will discuss the importance of film preservation and archiving.
4:30 p.m. – Documentary with Garland High School Student Short Films ($10 individual tickets)
“Children of Giant” (2015)
Director: Hector Galan (in attendance)
Filmed in Marfa
A documentary that unearths deeply wrought emotions in the small West Texas town of Marfa before, during and after the month-long production of George Stevens’s 1956 feature film, GIANT. (Galan Productions)
This block includes student films from Garland High School’s “Reel Owl Cinema.“
Dinner Break
Actress Elizabeth Taylor
7:30 pm – Feature film ($15 individual tickets)
“Giant” (1956)
Director: George Stevens
Filmed in Marfa and Valentine; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Los Angeles
Actor James Dean
This Oscar-Award-winning epic covers the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family and associates. (IMDb)
Stars James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. (Rated G)
Sunday, Sept. 15
1 p.m. – Feature and cartoon ($10 individual tickets)
“Under the Western Stars” (1938)/Tex Avery “The First Bad Man” Cartoon (1950s)
Director: Joseph Kane (“Under the Western Stars”); Tex Avery (“The First Bad Man”)
Filmed in California
Introduced by Sean Griffin (SMU Film History Professor)
Roy Rogers is elected to Congress to bring the misery of the 1930s “Dustbowl” to the attention of Washington politicians. (IMDb)
Although not filmed in Texas, the star of “Under the Western Stars,” Roy Rogers, traveled to Garland to promote the film and was photographed on the square during the trip. The film will be followed by “The First Bad Man,” a cartoon from famous Texas animator Tex Avery.
Under the Western Stars trailer
“The First Bad Man” Tex Avery cartoon (1955)
3:30 p.m. – Double Feature – Feature and Documentary ($15 individual tickets)
“The Big Show” (1936)
Director: Mack V. Wright and Joseph Kane
Filmed in Dallas’ Fair Park
Housed at the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection, Southern Methodist University
Introduced by Sean Griffin (SMU Film History Professor)
At the Texas Centennial in Dallas (the precursor to the State Fair of Texas), Gene Autry confuses two girls by being himself and his own stunt double. (IMDb)
A Fair to Remember (2008)
Directors: Allen Mondell, Cynthia Salzman Mondell and Phil Allen
Filmed in Fair Park, Dallas
The Mondells will attend the festival.
A documentary about the rich history of the Great State Fair of Texas.
A Fair to Remember trailer and website
Dinner Break
7 p.m. – Comedy troupe live riffs on Campy Classic with GHS Student Short Films ($15 individual tickets)
Mocky Horror Picture Show live riffing of “Rock Baby – Rock It” (1957)
Director: Murray Douglas Sporup
Filmed in Dallas
Mocked by comedians Danny Gallagher, Liz Barksdale and Albie Robles
A live-riffing movie comedy show. This campy classic follows local Dallas teenagers as they resist attempts by shady underworld types to take over their beloved rock ‘n’ roll club. This rock ‘n’ roll-themed movie features top-notch rockabilly performances by Don Coates and The Bon-Aires, Preacher Smith and the Deacons, The Five Stars, The Belew Twins, Johnny Carroll and Roscoe Gordon. (IMDb)
Featuring the Texas’ version of 1957’s Elvis, The Everly Brothers, among others – Black and white acts alike.
This block includes student films from GHS’ “Reel Owl Cinema.”
IT CAME FROM TEXAS Film Festival
The Second Annual Fest for Films Made in Texas
WHAT:
City of Garland’s Cultural Arts presents It Came From Texas Film Festival
Films exhibiting the Independent Texas Spirit: Classic Texas-sized Oscar-winners, Library of Congress’s National Registry Honoree, Documentaries, Student Films, and a Film Preservation and Archive panel—10 Texas-made films return to the Big Screen.
ADMISSION – PASSES and TICKETS:
Available online at http://GarlandArts.com
Direct link to tickets and passes:
https://www.prekindle.com/event/65896-2023-it-came-from-texas-film-festival-all-access-pass-garland
All-Access Festival Pass: $65 (increases to $75 on Sept. 1)
Individual Tickets: $10-$20
Student Individual Tickets: $10
(Full value of individual tickets is $125)
Festival Pass Perks:
Limited Availability
Early admission
Commemorative Poster
Discounts from participating businesses
Sept. 13-15
The Plaza Theatre on the Downtown Square
521 W. State St.
Garland
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