THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Red Carpet Party at 6:00pm-7:30PM

Join us for the best party in Rockport in November! Taking place in the brand new Rockport Conference Center (the ROCC), the party will feature heavy hors d'oeuvres by Paradise Key, live music by SteelWater, and valet parking.

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Special Screening Runaway Radio at 7:30 PM

Once upon a time, before our lives went fully digital, radio entertained, informed and dictated what was cool through theater of the mind – and with that Houston's 101 KLOL played a big role in the lives of many Texans. The forthcoming documentary "Runaway Radio" focuses on the legendary outfit - starting in 1970 as a progressive rock station, where DJs played whatever they wanted, to how it evolved into one of several wild Album Oriented Rock (AOR) stations across the country, where on-air personalities were sometimes bigger than the music itself! In the film acclaimed musicians such as Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, Melissa Etheridge and Sammy Hagar along with top radio DJs from across the US reflect on how the medium changed their lives and the lives of devoted listeners. Yet in the end, changes and pressures from Washington, the music industry and Silicon Valley led to the station's, and much of the format's, demise in the 2000s.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Friday Morning Shorts at 11 AM

GAKYU
Directed by Mai Chouga, Documentary Short , Japan , 7 minutes
This documentary follows the unique journey of Miyamoto Gakyu of Kyoto, Japan, who studied clothing design for five years and then became a Buddhist sculptor. The film explores Gakyu's transition, the shock and fascination he experienced in Kyoto's artistic landscape, and the contrasting values in the art of creation between these two worlds.

YOU CAN'T SHRINK LOVE
Directed by Veena Rao , Documentary Short , United States , 5 minutes
An artist gives life to the memories of our most beloved companions.

PETERSON
Directed by Jimmy Willden , Documentary Short , United States , 5 minutes
A guitar-maker tells his story.

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL
Directed by Marco Ortega , Documentary Short , USA , 33 minutes
This short documentary film tells the story of a man who uses his talents to support and lift his community. When the "Black Lives Matter" movement grew in awareness, Marcus Baskerville head brewer of Weathered Souls Brewing Co. wanted to shed light on the growing problem of inequality and police brutality. This is where the "Black is Beautiful" project was born. We follow the impact of the initiative and where it is today.

FIRE FIGHTER
Directed by Sean Manning , Documentary Short , United States , 22 minutes
A pro wrestler/ firefighter struggling through injuries and battling his real life struggles all under the impression of becoming a successful professional wrestler and good father.

IT'S NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS
Directed by Ridgley Curry and Nick Brumfield , Documentary Short , United States , 24 minutes
Bill Bradley, a nine-year veteran of the Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon, makes his tenth attempt to achieve what has previously eluded him: An official finish. In his way lie sub-zero temperatures, blizzards, the threat of frostbite, and ominously, his inner doubts.

Brief Tender Light at 1:30PM

Directed by Arthur Musah , Documentary Feature , USA, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe , 1 hour 33 minutes
At America's elite MIT, a Ghanaian alum follows four African students as they strive to graduate and become agents of change for their home countries Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Over an intimate, decade-long journey spanning two continents, all must decide how much of America to absorb, how much of Africa to hold on to, and how to reconcile teenage ideals with the truths they discover about the world and themselves.

4-6 PM - Happy Hour

Critic at 6:00pm
Directed by Michael Allen Hennesy , Narrative Feature , United States , 1 hour 20 minutes
After savaging a reclusive Director’s new film, a disenchanted Film Critic is surprised to find himself invited to dinner with them, where their match of wits soon turns into something far more sinister.

Friday Night Shorts at 8:30 PM

Contains adult themes. Not suitable for young children.

SLEEPING WITH CLOUDS
Directed by Collin Black , Narrative Short , United States , 12 minutes
After a one-night stand, two strangers wake up to find their bed floating miles high in the sky. In order to find a way back down to earth, they must set aside their differences and work together to find a solution.

IN TOW
Directed by Sharon Arteaga , Narrative Short , United States , 21 minutes
A self-involved teen and her overworked single mom confront their differences as their mobile home is towed away … with them inside of it!

RACA
Directed by Drew Saplin , Narrative Short , United States , 15 minutes
Raca follows Nacho, a socially inept, katana-wielding weirdo in search of connection, as he treks across his small coastal town on the 4th of July on a quest to find ice for his “best friends” in time for the fireworks show.

HERO COMPLEX
Directed by Matthew Thornton , Narrative Short , United States , 11 minutes
A man's night goes from bad to worse when he lunges at the opportunity to turn a quick buck.

I WALK WITH GHOSTS
Directed by Grant Clover and Michael Metzler Jr. , Narrative Short , United States , 8 minutes
In this short poetic film, a man follows ghosts, witnessing the subtle beauty of their journeys and their desires. Through his wanderings with them, he comes to realize what they're looking for in their brief, inexplicable lives -- as the physical and supernatural worlds collide.

MIDNIGHT SLED RIDE
Directed by Jimmy Willden , Music Video , United States , 3 minutes
Keep the lights on.

THE COUNTRYMAN
Directed by Andy Kastelic , Narrative Short , United States , 21 minutes
Bitterness threatens to destroy a small farming community until a stranger arrives with a curious proposition.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11

11 AM - Saturday Morning Shorts

EL GATO FEO
Directed by Daniel Fabelo , Narrative Short , United States , 15 minutes
Fleeing the violence of Pancho Villa’s revolution, a widow finds refuge with a unit of female freedom fighters known as soldaderas… only to discover her estranged sister among them.

FOTONOVELA
Directed by Alberto E. García , Documentary Short , Spain , 4 minutes
An old photograph triggers a search for identity.

STEADY HANDS
Directed by Grayson Lackey , Narrative Short , United States , 10 minutes
Two ranch hands pass the time waiting for their checks at the end of a long day by recounting stories from their past.

FROM THE DARK
Directed by Erika Sanz , Narrative Short , United States , 7 minutes
Laura, a quite shy and introverted thirteen year old teen, embarks in a dark journey to get free from her worst enemy: Her own self.

HOW TO BUILD A BETTER FRIEND
Directed by Tsvetalina Pourciau , Student Short , United States , 5 minutes

THE WATER'S EDGE
Directed by Kaytlyn Bunting , Student Short , United States , 8 minutes
Along the riverside of an 1830s landscape, ex-lovers Judith and Phillip re-unite after 10 years. When Phillip learns that he has a son with Judith, he begs her to run away with him. Judith must now decide between the life of adventure she always wanted and the life of love and safety with her child.

OUT OF SEASON
Directed by Harrison L Chiu , Narrative Short , United States , 12 minutes
After their hunting trip goes wrong, two step-brothers forge an unlikely friendship when they discover they are more alike than they thought.

1:30PM - The One That Got Away
Directed by Pablo Schmitt , Narrative Feature , United States , 68 minutes
The town's richest man is missing, and P.I. John DeWitt has been hired to find him. But as the clues unravel, finding him might prove to be deadly.

4-6 PM-Happy Hour - ArtWalk in Downtown Rockport

6 PM - Double Feature: Breaking the Code and Conquista
 
Contains adult themes. Not suitable for young children.

Breaking the Code
Directed by Michael Flanagan , Documentary Feature , United States , 47 minutes
Born to rural Texas farmers in 1943, Vernon Fisher's childhood exposure to painting was only as "something you did to houses." By the 1980’s, he was exhibiting alongside Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, establishing himself as one of the most important artists of the 20th century.

Conquista
Directed by Joshua Moroles, Robert Espericueta , Documentary Feature , United States , 45 minutes
"Conquista" is a riveting documentary that tells the incredible story of a daring artist who shook the art world to its core. In 2012, a man calling himself "Conquista" walked into the Menil Collection museum in Houston, Texas, and spray-painted over a rare 1929 Picasso painting worth a staggering $78 million.

8:30 PM-Short Films: A Little Bit Weird
 
Contains adult themes. Not suitable for young children.

NOT HIM
Directed by Sarah Young , Narrative Short , United States , 15 minutes
When her husband turns strange and violent, a wife becomes convinced he is possessed. But will anyone believe her?

MOTHERLODE
Directed by Grace Perry , Animation/Narrative Short , United States , 6 minutes
Sam is a 26-year-old woman who is struggling to get her life together. She finds a mysterious rainbow baggie with edible flowers inside and decides to take a bite. Her life is suddenly turned upside down propelling her into several different realities.

PREGNANT? SCARED?
Directed by Elizabeth Katz , Student Short , United States , 13 minutes
When a desperate young dancer confesses her desire for an abortion to a new friend, she must protect herself from the demon growing inside her and the curious group of women particularly invested in controlling her body.

WILD ONES
Directed by Hanly Callahan , Narrative Short , United States , 8 minutes
In a dream-like exploration of the nature of parenthood, a mother comes to terms with the chaos of raising a young boy—only to realize the complex consequences of this for her and her family.

MR. COPYCAT
Directed by Kieran Firth-Bernard , Animation , United Kingdom , 9 minutes
Mr Copycat travels to Paris to meet new people and taste delicious French food, but nobody could understand his manner of repeating words and actions. A tribute film celebrating 50 years of the Mr Men.

KNOCKIN DOORS
Directed by Jackson Brouillette , Student Short , United States , 22 minutes
A young man's first day at a door-to-door sales job does not go as he imagined.

THE MOSQUITO EFFECT
Directed by Romano Natale , Student Short , United States , 9 minutes
After accidentally altering the timeline, two friends must figure out a way to undo their mistake or lose their favorite restaurant forever.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - FREE

10-11 AM - Brunch by Rotary Club of Rockport, TX
Join us for a free brunch provided by Rotary Club of Rockport, TX. This event is free for all attendees. We encourage filmmakers and filmlovers to mingle and talk about the wonderful films they’ve seen over the festival weekend.
Award recipients will be announced during this brunch.

11 AM - Sunday Morning Shorts - FREE EVENT
Screening

EVERYTHING'S FINE
Directed by Jami Bleiker , Student Short , United States , 6 minutes
Two best friends fight over a girl at a college party.

JAGUAR DEL CIELO
Directed by Austin Alvarado , Documentary Short , United States , 14 minutes
Jaguar Del Cielo follows field tech Felix Tafoya’s journey to better understand and conserve Mexico’s apex predator in the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

YOU, ME, AND THE MOON
Directed by Teresa Durrwachter , Student Film , United States , 3 minutes
A woman recounts a love story from her youth.

CYCLE
Directed by Jay Thomas , Student Film , United States , 12 minutes
A documentary covering the love of cycling from father to son.

THE ROUTE TO EMANCIPATION
Directed by Talib Abdullahi , Documentary Short , United States , 18 minutes
The Route To Emancipation by Black History Bike Ride follows 3 friends as they embark on a 350 mile cycling route from the Texas Capitol in Austin to the site where Juneteenth began in 1865. The journey takes viewers back through centuries of Black history in Texas, with interviews from educators, historians, and community leaders along the way.

LA COSECHA
Directed by Samuel Díaz Fernández , Documentary Short , United States , 13 minutes
Nolvia Castillo immigrated to the United States from a small village in Chiriqui, Guatemala, where she remembers eating fresh fruits and vegetables. In her new home of Austin, Texas, Nolvia finds her independence through learning how to drive and delivering produce to her neighbors as part of a food distribution program by local nonprofits Go Austin/Vamos Austin and Urban Roots Farm.

Date: November 9-12, 2023

Location:

The Rockport Conference Center - 106 S Austin Street Rockport, TX 78382

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