VISIT HOUSTON

Texas Filmmaker's Showcase 1999

Texas Filmmakers Showcase 1999

HOUSTON FILM COMMISSION'S TEXAS FILMMAKER'S SHOWCASE 1999

Pictured from Left to right: Steven Hentges (Falling From Grace), Tommy Pallotta (RoadHead), Heather Korb (Third Ward Blues), and Lucia Cheung (Capturing the City).

Texas Filmmaker's Showcase at DGA Theater, Los Angeles

 

 

 

Capturing the City (16:00 min.) 

City as Subject: Hong Kong, the expired colonial city, is the subject of focus in this project. Subject as Method: A means to recontextualize the video footages. Video as Texture: A means to dematerialize the surface and to display information. Software as Tool: A means to visualize the hybrid of video and animation.

Lucia Cheung - Houston
A native of Hong Kong, Cheung graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Social Science in Architectural Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She came to the United States to attend school in 1996 and in 1999 received her Master of Architecture at Rice University in Houston. Her love of media arts led her to produce Capturing the City at the Rice Media Center. She is currently employed with an architectural firm in New York City and would like to create new projects as the opportunities arise. 

Crosswalk (25:00 min.) 

Just diagnosed with a terminal illness, Harold Moss withdraws what little savings he has at a nearby credit union. On this very same day, David Hiatt, an out-of-work young man who is desperately trying to secure a loan is rejected. With no money to pay the bills and a sick daughter, he makes a decision that will affect both men's lives forever. Crosswalk is a lesson in the cruel and comedic irony that results when people choose to do the wrong things for the right reasons.

Lance Larson - Dallas
Larson holds a Bachelor of Science in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin. He has also studied at the Video Symphony Institute and Montana Edit in Santa Monica, California. Recently, Larson has been the focus of much publicity among rising Texas filmmakers. He appeared on the PBS programs "Frame of Mind" and "Territory." He was also featured in The Dallas Observer, The Met, The Dallas Morning News, and more. Larson directed and edited the short Attache. He then directed another short, Matthew's Sunrise, which won the Award of Merit at the 1995 Chicago International Film Festival. Larson was also the Editor of the critically-acclaimed short, Beyond Bbabylon. Crosswalk, Larson's latest directorial effort, has been featured in numerous film festivals. It received the Texas Award at the USA Film Festival and became a finalist at the Athens Film Festival. 

Falling From Grace (29:16 min.) 

Still coping with the tragic death of her parents, a young woman involves herself with a mysterious stranger who exploits her past for vengeance. Together, they embark on a dangerous rampage across California, blowing up liquor stores in the hopes of calling the nation's attention to the dangers of alcohol.

Steven Hentges - Houston
Born and raised in Texas, Steven received a Master of Fine Arts with a specialization in Directing from the American Film Institute. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In 1995, for an undergraduate thesis project, he wrote and directed his first feture film, Jacklight. Steven has worked professionally as an Assistant Director in Texas, New York, New Mexico, and Caifornia on feature films, commercials, and music videos. He also interned in the feature films departments at Bedford Falls and Weinstock Productions/Castle Rock. In January 1999, Falling from Grace was awarded the first Sony Pictures/AFI Digital Video to 35mm Blow-Up Award. 

RoadHead (14:00 min.) 

RoadHead is a digitally animated documentary short. Filmmakers Bob Sabiston and Tommy Pallotta drove last December from New York to Austin and documented their trip. A series of random people encountered on the road were interviewed, edited, and then animated. A group of twelve artists donated their time and talent to animate the film, using Sabiston's proprietary software. The film capitalizes on the diversity of the artists' styles - each animator was allowed to illustrate the interview subjects in whatever manner they chose. The result is a chaotic, visually arresting series of cartoon portraits.

Tommy Pallotta & Bob Sabiston - Austin
Born in Houston, Tommy moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas where he graduated with a degree in philospohy. His first feature, The High Road, premiered at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center as part of the prestigious "Independents Night" film series and went on to play numerous festivals along with a limited theatrical release. He has been a Contributing Editor for The Independent Film & Video Monthly and is the website producer for aivf.org. Eschewing traditional film methods since his feature, Tommy has worked exclusively in video and digital formats and is co-founder of the Conduit Digitial Film Festival. 

Third Ward Blues (29:00 min.) 

Third Ward Blues explores the birthing ground of four internationally famous blues guitarists: Albert Collins, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Johnny Clyde Copeland, and Joe "Guitar" Huges. These musicians grew up within three blocks of each other in the Third Ward area of Houston, and the film portrays their personal and professional influence on one another. The film provides a glimpse into the personalities of the men creating this uniquely American music.

Heather Korb - Houston
Korb formally studied film at the Rice Media Center at Rice University in Houston. She was invited to attend the 1999 Cannes International Film Festival as part of Kodak's Worldwide Emerging Filmmakers Program. Third Ward Blues is her first film and was nominated for a Keepin' The Blues Alive Award from the W.C. Handy Foundation and has won numerous awards at festivals. Korb is currently in production on her second film, Double Bayou.