Every year we have the privilege of presenting a collection of the Best of Texas-made short films, and 2011 is no exception. There is something for everyone in the 90 minute Showcase comprised of projects selected by the jury panel that represent the creative, bold filmmaking that comes from Texas. The Showcase is designed for Los Angeles-based producers, agents, and studios to screen the work first hand of talented Texas cinematic storytellers.

Upcoming Screenings:

  • Rockport, TX - November 3rd-5th 2011, Rockport Film Festival presents the Texas Filmmakers Showcase films.

  • Houston, TX - November 10th 2011, Cinema Arts Festival Houston (<-- click for tix) presents the Texas Filmmakers Showcase, 3:45P at Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Like   Follow  2011 Showcase Screening Inquiries/Information: 713-437-5249 or filmhouston [at] gmail [dot] com


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8 (8:36 min., HD)

    A daughter spends the anniversary of her father's death with her mother.

  • Julie Gould and Daniel Laabs - Dallas, Texas

    Julie Gould (Writer/Director/Producer "8") - Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Julie Pool Gould, realized film's power to provoke early in life. Julie began working in front of the camera but soon realized her love was on the flipside. She has over ten years freelance experience working on numerous independent films, commercials and videos. The experimental documentary and 2011 SXSW Texas Short Grand Jury Award Winner, "8", is Julie's writing, producing and directorial debut. no8creative.com

    Daniel Laabs (Director/Editor "8") - In the last few years Daniel has directed a number of short films that have toured around the national festival circuit, including the award winning films, "sleet/snow" and "Start a Band". He studied film at the University of Texas at Arlington where he met Gould. He is also a film festival correspondent for Cinemalogue.com and was hired this year as the Narratives Curator for the Dallas Videofest. He is currently in pre-production for his first feature. daniellaabs.com

Fatakra (18:58 min., S16mm)

    Naveen left India to chase his dreams in America. Today, three years and a recession later, his wife and son join him.

  • Soham Mehta - Katy, Texas

    Soham Mehta is a theatre and film artist who splits his time between Texas and New York. Born in India but brought up in Houston, Soham spent the early part of his professional life working in technology by day and directing plays by night. Soham founded Shunya, a Houston-based theater troupe dedicated to providing a voice to the South Asian American experience. After leading the troupe for four years, Soham returned to school to pursue his MFA in film production. His award-winning short films have played in festivals around the world. "Survivors", one of Soham's short films, is available on iTunes from Shorts International. Soham cowrote the feature film "Where's the Party, Yaar?" which starred Kal Penn and is available on DVD from Lions Gate. He continues to develop his own work while working as an editor for film and television. sohammehta.com

LCD Soundsystem - "Home" (7:51 min., HD)

    A lone robot leaves its maker to discover a new life and ultimately return home.

  • Mark Armes and Rick Darge - Houston, Texas

    Mark Armes and Rick Darge are the co-founders of FUNWUNCE, a production company and artist collective based between Houston and Los Angeles. FUNWUNCE's work emphasizes an edgy, fun, and hands on approach to the film making process. Mark and Rick began a working relationship in 2008 that spawned a series of viral music videos and comedy shorts. Since then, FUNWUNCE has been called on by major brands such as FRITO-LAY to create fresh television and internet campaigns for their products. Rick and Mark's philosophy is that filmmaking should be an enjoyable activity for the creators and the audience, which is evident through their videos and obvious upon meeting them. cargocollective.com/FUNWUNCE

The Man Who Never Cried (23:28 min., HD)

    Rafe Winston has never cried; not when he was a baby, not when his heart was crushed by his high school sweetheart, not even when he first saw Steven Spielberg's E.T. So when his father dies, Rafe - at the age of 32 - decides to embark upon a true emotional journey with hopes to shed his first tear before the funeral - and before it's not too late.

  • Bradley Jackson - Austin, Texas

    Bradley Jackson has won numerous awards for his short films, including "Play Land" (finalist of the 2009 Doorpost Film Project), "Playing Chicken" (Audience Award and Best Narrative Short at the SXSW Click Film Festival), and "The Man Who Never Cried" (2010 Doorpost Film Project $100,000 Grand Prize and $10,000 Audience Choice Award). Having optioned a handful of feature length scripts to LA-based production companies, Bradley's first feature script is slated for production in 2011. His feature film directing debut is to go into production soon thereafter. ralphsmyth.com

Noc na Tanecku (Night at the Dance) (13:00 min., HD)

    A profile of the last days of a Czech dance hall in rural Texas - and the old-timers who come there to polka.

  • Annie Silverstein - Austin, Texas

    Annie Silverstein is an Austin based filmmaker. She directed the documentary "March Point" (Independent Lens 2008), is founder of the NATIVE LENS program, and Co-Founder of Longhouse Media, an indigenous media arts & education non-profit organization in Seattle, Washington. She spent a decade teaching and collaborating on community film based projects with Native American youth on reservations across Washington State, and was awarded a Fulbright in 2007 for her film project with homeless youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Annie is currently earning her MFA in Film at University of Texas-Austin. Most recently she produced/directed the short documentary "Noc na Tanecku" ("Night at the Dance") (SXSW, Silverdocs 2011), and wrote/directed her first short fiction film "Spark." newfilmworks_at_gmail_dot_com

Pioneer (15:53 min., Red/HD)

    A father tells his son the most epic bedtime story ever.

  • David Lowery - Dallas, Texas

    David Lowery is an award-winnning filmmaker from Texas. His work has been shown at festivals around the world, including Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance and Thessaloniki, among others. He is an alumni of the Berlinale Talent Campus, and in 2010 was named an Independent Icon by IFC Films. davidpatricklowery.com

Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 (4:00 min., HD)

    An unprecedented peek at the mysteries of nature.

  • David and Nathan Zellner - Austin, Texas

    David and Nathan Zellner are Austin-based filmmaking siblings who have written, produced, directed and edited numerous films and music videos that have screened at festivals worldwide. This includes five shorts ("Flotsam/Jetsam", "Redemptitude", "Aftermath on Meadowlark Lane", "Fiddlestixx", and "Sasquatch Birth Journal 2") which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival ('05-'11). In 2008 their feature "Goliath", which also premiered at Sundance, went on to be distributed by IFC Films and aired on The Sundance Channel. That same year they made Filmmaker Magazine's annual 25 New Faces of Independent Film. zellnerbros.com
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