Guide to the 2019 Thin Line Film Fest
Thin Line is back, y’all. From April 10-14, everyone can attend and see what the festival has in store for film, music and photography. The founders, as well as the entire Board of Directors, consists of volunteers who work to create a festival that leaves Dentonites enthusiastic for next year.
Mindy Arendt, Vice President and Marketing Director of Thine Line, wants everyone in Denton to attend Thin Line and enjoy what the festival is offering this year.
“The film line up - best yet - music line up, no matter your taste, we got you. Photography - the most beautiful moments captured and displayed. ALL FOR FREE.” Arendt said.
Which is true, all events are free while the only opportunity to pay is when donating or attending exclusive events in which case more info can be found here.
“We want people to create experiences while at Thin Line, to leave thinking differently, with a different point of view about something they saw at the fest, to learn, to interact, to talk, to live differently after for a good change,” Arendt said.
Film Director Susan Davis hopes that the number of people attending this year’s festival will be “off the charts”. Davis believes filmmakers have “entertaining, enriching experiences for us” and she has the dream job of watching hundreds of films and inviting filmmakers to show their talent at Thin Line.
“Thin Line Fest is a true gem in the documentary film festival world. We pull in strong submissions; we receive excellent film referrals; we make the most of the five days with an exciting program of award-winning films from such festivals as Sundance, Slamdance, Doc NYC, SXSW and IDFA (International Documentary Film Association),” Davis said. “We want Thin Line to be a relevant, ‘can't wait to be there’ event that everyone experiences or knows about,” Davis said.
The lineup for the films and music is extraordinary, made by professionals all over the world who have worked countless hours perfecting their craft.
Film
OPENING NIGHT FILM | Wednesday, April 10 | 6:30 pm | Campus Theatre
Thursday, April 11 | 5:30 pm | Alamo Drafthouse
Well Groomed
Texas Premiere Director: Rebecca Stern / Filmmakers in attendance Producer: Justin Levy Producer: Matthew G. Mills
Follow four champion groomers and their gorgeous, vibrant dogs through a year in the life on the technicolor competition circuit, playfully exploring their creative process. From South Carolina to California, New York to Arkansas, these women are revolutionizing the age old question - what is art? Director Rebecca Stern has captured an up-close and revealing look at pets, families, friendships and the glory of dog grooming through a bright spectrum of color.
Thursday, April 11 / 6:30 pm / Alamo Drafthouse
Friday, April 12 / 3:30 pm / The Campus Theatre
Love in the Time of Antidepressants
Australia, 2018 / English / North American Premiere Director: Paul Gallasch / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the short, Teeth - 13 min
Documentary making doesn’t get much more intimate than turning the camera on yourself and your mentally ill mother. Australian filmmaker, Paul Gallasch, does just that in a compelling tale of love, dedication and dependence. Paul is falling in love and has begun to worry how his mother Susan will function when he finally leaves home. Gallasch examines his family’s troubled history for answers, and maybe even a cure.
Teeth
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Writer/Director: Aaron Schnobrich / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the feature film, Love in the Time of Antidepressants
Paired with the short. Hawaiian grandmother Angelica’s healing from sexual abuse as a child parallels the fixing of knocked out and rotten teeth. Aloha is replacing her pain and an ever-present fight to survive.
Thursday, April 11 / 9:00 pm / Alamo Drafthouse
Saturday, April 13 / 10:30AM / Alamo Drafthouse
The Mischief Makers
France, 2019 / French, English subtitles / World Premiere Director: Laura Taubman / Filmmaker in attendance
Experience a year long dive into a public, but self-managed high school in the south of Paris, France. Throughout the academic year, follow the efforts of the teaching staff to motivate their students to work, the students' anxiety about their end of year exam and the political dramas playing out in the high school. At the end, it is a perspective on the difficulties of being a teenager in France in the modern era.
Friday, April 12 / 3:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 1:15 p.m. / The Campus Theatre
Bellingcat - Truth in a Post-Truth World
Netherlands, 2018 / English, Dutch, German - English subtitles / North Texas Premiere
Director: Hans Pool
A first-hand look into the revolutionary rise of the “citizen investigative journalist” collective known as Bellingcat. Comprised of various distinct personalities from around the globe, Bellingcat is an online association of talented and dedicated truth-seekers utilizing advanced digital research techniques to upend the world of journalism. De facto leader Eliot and his fellow researchers give us exclusive access into their tight-knit world as they demonstrate the unlimited power of open source investigation.
Friday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse
Saturday, April 13 at 12:30 p.m. / The Campus Theatre
Kifaru
Hong Kong, Kenya, 2019 / English, Swahili - English subtitles / Texas Premiere Director: David Hambridge / Filmmaker in attendance
Kifaru provides exclusive access that follows the lives of two young, Kenyan recruits that join Ol Pejeta Conservancy's rhino caretaker unit - a small group of rangers that care for and protect Sudan, the last male northern white rhino or kifaru in Swahili. Spanning over the course of the caretakers first four years on the job, Kifaru allows viewers to experience the joys and pitfalls of conservation firsthand through the lens of these men and view extinction in real-time.
Friday, April 12 | 4:00 p.m. | Alamo Drafthouse
Saturday, April 13 | 12:45 p.m. | Alamo Drafthouse
An American Story: Norman Mineta & His Legacy
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Dianne Fukami Producer: Debra Nakatomi / Filmmaker in attendance
Paired with the short, Erasing the Border - 12 min
Norman Mineta is one of the most influential Asian Americans in the history of our nation. A child of immigrants, his uniquely American story charts a path from the shame experienced as an American citizen inside a U.S. internment camp to a public service career that included 20 years in the U.S. Congress and serving in the Cabinets of two Presidents from different parties -- Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Now thriving in his 80s, a bipartisan trailblazer, patriot and bold changemaker, his legacy is a lifetime committed to social justice and the embodiment of the American dream.
Erasing the Border
USA, 2018 / English/Spanish, English subtitles / Texas Premiere Director: Laura Herrero Garvin Paired with the feature film, An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy
At the Mexico-US border, between Tijuana and San Diego, a wall unnaturally separates thousands of friends and families, tearing up the beach in two parts and diving into the ocean. Separated relatives can barely see each other through the thick metal mesh of the wall. They can only touch fingertips without the possibility to hug.
Director: Laura Herrero Garvin.
Friday, April 12 / 6:00 p.m. / The Campus Theatre
Saturday, April 13 / 5:15 p.m./ Alamo Drafthouse
Crossroads
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Ron Yassen Key Cast: Coach Bobby Selkin and Lacrosse player, Brendan Mobley / In attendance Paired with the short, Mason Fine: Chasing History - 7 min
A group of African-American teenagers from impoverished areas in Charlotte, North Carolina embark on an unlikely journey with an unlikely leader as they learn a sport unheard of in their communities, lacrosse. Explore the personal stories of 5 of the teens and the physician who started the team. In this ESPN sports documentary incredible bonds formed between a coach and his players demonstrate that love and compassion can change lives..
Mason Fine: Chasing History
USA, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Charles Elmore / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the feature film, Crossroads
He's a small town kid from the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, who dreamed of playing football for a Division I school. Mason Fine continues to chase his dreams and set higher goals as the starting quarterback for the University of Texas' Mean Green team.
Friday, April 12 / 6:00 p.m. /Alamo Drafthouse
Saturday, April 13 / 3:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Behind the Bullet
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Heidi Yewman / Filmmaker in attendance
Every year, almost 40,000 people are shot and killed in America. Each shooting devastates the victim's family and friends. Behind the Bullet explores a side of gun violence that's rarely talked about - the impact a shooting has on the shooter. Four individuals share how pulling the trigger changed them emotionally, physically, psychologically, and spiritually. They describe the moral injury that comes after a self-defense, accidental, or unintentional shooting, offering a new and unbiased perspective on gun violence.
Friday, April 12 / 8:00 pm / Alamo Drafthouse
Saturday, April 13 / 3:00 pm / The Campus Theatre
Float
USA, 2019 / English, Japanese, Romanian - English subtitles / Texas Premiere Director/Writer: Phil Kibbe Producer: Benjamin Saks / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the short, Steiner’s Workshop - 13 min
Imagine traveling halfway across the world, descending over 400 feet underground in a tiny elevator, and spending nearly a week in the vast, cathedral-like salt mines under Romania to compete in the most elite model airplane contest on the planet officially known as the “F1D World Championships”. Pilots representing over 12 countries attempt to keep their plane flying as long as possible. Follow the tumultuous journey of Brett Sanborn and Yuan Kang Lee, two American competitors as they prepare for and compete at the World Championships.
Steiner’s Workshop
Director: Arturo R. Jimenez / Filmmaker in attendance
Paired with the feature film, Float
Part mad scientist, part inscrutable musician, Nyle Steiner is a singular presence in the world of underground inventors. Beginning as a trumpet player in the 1960s, Steiner's creativity led him to experiment with sounds and machines, developing a series of instruments, including the EVI or Electronic Valve Instrument, a brass-style electronic synthesizer which sparked the interest of Hollywood and filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola who invited him to be a part of the recording of Apocalypse Now's soundtrack. For more than 40 years Steiner has been working in his Utah workshop assembling, modulating and understanding anything he can get his hands on.
Friday, April 12 / 8:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 5:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Fading Portraits
Iran, Islamic Republic of, 2018 / Persian, English subtitles / World Premiere Director: Ali Shilandri Producer: Farhad Mohammadi / Filmmaker in attendance Composer: Boris Skalsky / Composer in attendance
Fading Portraits provides a rare insight into a society where the government plays a pivotal role in artists' lives, controlling the fate of their work, and subsequently their role within a society. The predicament that all artists in such societies face is that when the artist's voice is not heard, it as if the artist does not even exist. Iran is one such society, and renowned documentarian and photographer Maryam Zandi is one such artist. The film documents her struggle, strength, and persistence in having her voice - and the voice of all artists in similar societies - heard.
Al Imam
Despite controversy and threats, Muslim spiritual leader Ani Zonneveld takes a stand for justice through activism and a progressive practice of Islam. Enduring threats, excommunication from family, and opposition from many fellow Muslims, she insists that the Qur'an is a progressive text and believes in an egalitarian view of Islam.
Friday, April 12 / 8:30 p.m. / The Campus Theatre of Denton, TX
Saturday, April 13 / 9:15 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Instant Dreams
The Netherlands, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Willem Baptist
When Polaroid announced the end of instant film in 2008, the last still working factory was bought by a small group of enthusiasts. Among them is the retired scientist Stephen Herchen who previously collaborated with the inventor of Polaroid and is still trying to unravel the secret of the lost chemical formula..
Friday, April 12 / 9:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Saturday, April 13 / 8:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Dons of Disco
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Jonathan Sutak / Filmmaker in attendance
A lip-syncing scandal pits an American singer against an Italian male model over the legacy of 1980s
'Italo Disco' star Den Harrow. In the 1980s, Den Harrow dominated the European pop charts with hits like “Future Brain,” “Bad Boy,” and “Don’t Break My Heart.” Thirty years later, American photographer Thomas Barbèy makes a startling revelation: he was “the secret voice” behind the project, and Italian Stefano Zandri has allegedly been lip-syncing for decades.
Saturday, April 13 / 11:00 a.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 6:00 p.m./ Alamo Drafthouse
This Mountain Life
Canada, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Grant Baldwin / Filmmaker in attendance
The awe that mountainous landscapes evoke is universal, yet most of us seldom venture into true wilderness. A mother-daughter team sets out for six months in a tent in the winter mountains; a group of nuns inhabit a mountain retreat to be closer to God; a photographer buried in an avalanche; an impassioned alpinist; a focused snow artist; a couple who has been living off grid in the mountains for nearly 50 years. For them, the draw of the mountains of British Columbia, Canada is so strong that their lives must revolve around it.
Saturday, April 13 / 11:30 a.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 12:00 p.m.
Hiro’s Table
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Lynn Hamrick / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the short, After the Fire - 19 min
Over a sixteen-year year span Master chef Hiroji Obayashi and his wife Yasuyo managed the day to day operation of their intimate Mom and Pop restaurant, Hirozen Gourmet, nestled in the unlikely corner of a West Hollywood strip mall. The film is a tribute to the subtleties of Hiro's unique culinary vision and the perseverance it took for his family to transition from immigrant business owners to established restaurateurs with all the joys and sorrows that entailed.
After the Fire
Residents of Sonoma Valley struggle to find their places in a community that has been reshaped overnight by the historic Northern California wildfires. The film is an intimate look at what they’ve lost, what they’ve gained, and what happens next, after the fire.
Saturday, April 13 / 1:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 2:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Community First: A Home for the Homeless
USA, 2018 / English / North Texas Premiere Director: Layton Blaylock / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the short, Molly & Ann - 10 min
Community First is an extraordinary new movement in Austin, TX, which is transforming the lives of homeless people through the power of community. As explained by the founder Alan Graham, “It is specifically designed to lift the chronically homeless off the streets of the Austin area offering them a place to call home, helping them to heal from the ravages of life on the streets allowing them to rediscover a purpose in their lives.” You’ll hear about the heartbreaking events that cause homelessness, and the heartwarming stories of being welcomed into a nurturing environment where dignity and self-worth are restored.
Molly & Ann
USA, 2018/ English / North Texas Premiere Director: Paul Stekler / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the feature film, Community First: A Home for the Homeless
Molly & Ann is a short film about Governor Ann Richards and best-selling author and political columnist Molly Ivins, two Texas icons, unabashed progressives, and women who broke the old mold making their mark in a political world dominated by men. It’s made with personal footage from political documentary maker Paul Stekler, who knew them both
Saturday, April 13 / 4:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 1:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
The World Before Your Feet
USA, 2018 / English / North Texas Premiere Director: Jeremy Workman / Filmmaker in attendance Key Cast: Matt Green / Filmmaker in attendance
There are 8,000 miles of sidewalks, paths and roads in New York City and for the past six years Matt Green has been walking them all--every street, block, pedestrian overpass and park lane. A five borough journey that stretches from the barbershops of Harlem to 9/11 murals in Staten Island with Matt sharing an encyclopedia of New York history along the way. Executive-produced by Jesse Eisenberg.
Saturday, April 13 / 4:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 3:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Midnight Traveler
USA, 2018 / English / North Texas Premiere Director: Jeremy Workman / Filmmaker in attendance Key Cast: Matt Green / Filmmaker in attendance
When the Taliban puts a bounty on Afghan director Hassan Fazili’s head, he is forced to flee with his
wife and two young daughters. Capturing their uncertain journey, Fazili shows both the danger and desperation of their multi-year odyssey and the tremendous love shared between them
Saturday, April 13 / 6:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Sunday, April 14 / 3:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Jawline
Sundance U.S. Documentary Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker Saturday, April 13 / 6:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse 7 / 98 min Sunday, April 14 / 3:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse 1 USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Liza Mandelup
Austyn Tester—handsome and 16—feels oppressed by the confines of life in his small hometown in Tennessee. But in the online-streaming world, Austyn is adored by thousands of young girls, all eager for his “likes,” his attention, or just to hear him say their name. For Austyn and many like him, a big enough fan base could mean a ticket out of rural America and into a new life of wealth and fame—quite the undertaking when you’re coming of age.
April 13 | 7:00 p.m. | Alamo Drafthouse
April 14 | 6:00 p.m. | The Campus Theatre of Denton, TX
Satan and Adam
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: V. Scott Balcerek
Satan and Adam chronicles the unlikely pairing of legendary one-man-band Sterling "Mr. Satan" Magee and harmonica master Adam Gussow. Shot over 20 years, the film showcases one of the greatest blues duos you probably never got a chance to see. Magee and Gussow came together on the streets of Harlem in the 1980s, a time when race relations in New York City were at an all-time low. From completely different worlds, these two musicians forged a lifelong relationship that showcases the unifying power of music.
April 14 | 5:30 p.m. | Alamo Drafthouse
Always in Season
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere
Director: Jacqueline Olive / Filmmaker in attendance
When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swingset in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins while the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present. Directed, produced, and written by Jacqueline Olive, ALWAYS IN SEASON explores the lingering impact of more than a century of lynching nearly 5,000 African Americans and connects this form of racial terrorism with racial violence today.
April 14 / 12:30 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Thin Line Film | Building the American Dream • _____, Texas
USA, 2019 / English, Spanish - English subtitles Director: Chelsea Hernandez / Filmmaker in attendance Paired with the short, _____, Texas - 10 min
Building the American Dream
Across Texas an unstoppable construction boom drives urban sprawl and luxury high-rises. Its dirty secret: abuse of immigrant labor. Grieving their son, a Mexican family campaigns for a life-and-death safety ordinance. A Salvadorian electrician couple owed thousands in back pay fights for their children’s future. A bereaved son battles to protect others from his family's preventable tragedy. A story of courage, resilience and community, the film reveals shocking truths about the hardworking immigrants who build the American Dream, from which they are excluded.
_______, Texas
Paired with feature, Building the American Dream.A short exploration of group identities within the context of the shared geography of Texas. How do processes of immigration and gentrification change collective senses of identity? What does it mean to be Texan?
Music
April 10
Dan’s Silverleaf
9:30 p.m.- Trees Marie
10:30 p.m. - Summer Dean Band
April 12
Andy’s Bar
9:30 p.m. - Duell
10:30 p.m.- Mountain of Smoke
11:30 p.m. - Whores
Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios
9 p.m. - Miears
10 p.m. - Technicolor Hearts
11 p.m. - FELT & FUR
12 a.m.- NITE
April 13
Dan’s Silver Leaf
7 p.m.- Marathons & Unicorns
8 p.m. - Isaac Hoskins
9 p.m. - Bill Hearne Music
10 p.m.- Vandoliers
11 p.m. - Erika Wennerstrom
Harvest House
7 p.m. - Wild Natives
8 p.m. - Somogyi
9 p.m. - M3CCA
10 p.m. - Cure For Paranoia
J&J’s Ol’ Dirty Basement
8:00 p.m. CRISIS ACTOR - HARSH INDUSTRIAL / TECHNO JAMZ
9:00 p.m. - FILTH
10:00 p.m. - Rust Worship
11:00 p.m. - Soot
Andy’s Bar
9:30 p.m. - HOOF
10:30 p.m. - Convoy and the Cattlemen
11:30 p.m. - Royal Sons
12:30 a.m. - Pinkish Black
April 14
Harvest House
4 p.m. - HONIN
5 p.m. - Bastards Of Soul
6 p.m. - Kwinton Gray
7 p.m. - Fat Tony
Feature Film
Thursday, April 11 / 6:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Thin Line Film | Shorts Program 1 - Look Up!
Look Up!
Shorts Program 1: Look Up! Spain, 2019 / English / Texas Premiere Director/Producer: Monty Scholz
Steven’s reason to ride energizes this cinematic flight.
Under Her Wings
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Elizabeth Joy Herzfeldt-Kamprath / Filmmaker in attendance
Compassion can take you by surprise. Toni Lance came to St. Croix as a young artist, expecting to discover and express the beauty of the island. She could not have anticipated the heart connection with the island birds that came into her life, and how many she would take under her wing. This short documentary explores Toni's passion as an artist and her life as a caretaker of wild birds.
Launching Flowers into Outer Space
USA, 2017 / Japanese, English subtitles Producer: Julianne Wilkinson Senior Producer: Ingela Travers-Hayward
When it comes to flower arrangements, Japanese artist Makoto Azuma is quite literally pushing the boundaries out of this world. As part of an ongoing experimental artistic series, one-time rock musician Azuma and a crew of florists, balloon experts and cameramen are launching carefully selected flower arrangements into the atmosphere.
Mack Minded
USA, 2019 / English / World Premiere Director: Susan Carol Davis / Filmmaker in attendance
Before the acronym STEM even existed, Pauline Beery Mack, Texas Woman’s University professor in the 1950’s - 1970’s, pioneered in the quest for knowledge in science, technology and statistical research. Her advances in bone density studies provided NASA invaluable information for manned spaceflight, earning Mack a Silver Snoopy award presented by Astronaut Jim Lovell in 1970, a time when women scientists were rarely recognized among their male peers.
Event Horizon: How Space Changes Your Perspective on Life
USA, 2015 / English Producer: Sadie Bas
Only 560 people have ever been to outer space. For obvious reasons, a trip there can change one’s perspective. For NASA astronaut and former NFL wide receiver Leland Melvin, that change happened when he broke bread in the International Space Station with astronauts from all over the world.
The Last Steps
USA, 2016 / English Director: Todd Douglas Miller
On December 7, 1972, NASA launched Apollo 17, a lunar mission crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt. It would be the last time humans traveled beyond low Earth orbit, the last time man landed on another celestial body, and the last time man went to the moon. The Last Steps uses rare, heart-pounding footage and audio to retrace the record-setting mission.
Thursday, April 11 / 8:00 p.m. / Alamo Drafthouse
Thin Line Film | Shorts Program 2 - Two by Two
Beneath the Ink
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Cy Dodson
Shining a light on the resurgence of white supremacy, one Ohio tattoo artist Billy Joe White is challenging his community by saying “bring me your mistakes”. Beneath the Ink is a timely look at hate and racism in one Appalachian community that reveals heartfelt stories of change and redemption.
Do We Belong
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Sofian Khan
An Indian immigrant in Kansas is shot and killed in a senseless hate crime, leaving his wife to grapple with the question of whether America is truly her home.
Take It Outside
USA, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Claire DeJarnett / Filmmaker in attendance
Near Denver, Colorado exists a school with no walls, founded by environmental advocate, Megan Patterson. Her vision is to give children, including her son, an education outside the public school system where they can explore the natural world with confidence and an appreciation for the planet.
Alba: Not Everyone Will Be Taken Into the Future
An intense, intimate and beautiful journey into the mind of Alba, a 16-year-old ballet dancer at the acclaimed Corella Dance Academy in Barcelona. Her inner thoughts start to question the life she is leading, her lost adolescence, and her place in the world.
At Arm’s Length
In At Arm’s Length, two journalists who covered a mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX, attempt to reconcile their empathic relationships to the survivors with the distance required to continue reporting.
Betty Feeds the Animals
Every day for the last 10 years Betty has fed the 'outside animals'. She places 30 bowls of food outside every day, through rain, sleet or snow she never misses. People think she's crazy but she won't stop doing it until she physically can't any longer. This is her story.
April 12 5:30-7:30 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Shorts Program 3 - Take a Chance
Wild Wild Wes
Germany, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Alexander Conrads
"Wes is the name, wild is the game." With these words starts this portrait about one of the most inspirational and interesting people I've met in my life. "Wild Wild Wes" follows Wes around San Francisco and step by step manages to uncover who this bird of paradise actually is and how he became this colorful, iridescent person.
In a Relationship
USA, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Rania Elmalky / Filmmaker in attendance
Crossing spiritual boundaries, two American converts to Islam, Mark and Stephanie, navigate unfamiliar territory. Now part of a culturally diverse religious minority, they grapple with issues of identity, as the search for their significant others takes them in starkly different directions.
There's Something in the Water
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Rory WT Producers: Stephanie M. Casey, Shannon S. Wayne, Daniel Villanueva / Filmmakers in attendance
Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas, but it’s delicate ecosystem is threatened by a seemingly unstoppable invasive species of floating fern: Giant Salvinia. There's Something in the Water is an 8-minute animated documentary featuring interviews with people who live and work on the lake, demonstrating the damage that has been caused, and how everyone can work together to try and fix it.
Paradigm Now: The Albizia Project
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Rob Lau
Is the albizia tree a destructive force disrupting native ecosystems and communities in Hawai'i, or the material that can awaken new paradigms through thoughtful design? Paradigm Now dives into the journey undertaken by Joseph Valenti, architect and founder of The Albizia Project. In pioneering the housing prototype named Lika, Valenti has opened the door to sourcing timber locally, restoring ecosystems, and designing for future island resilience.
Fit
USA, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Rudy Cervantez / Filmmaker in attendance
An army veteran turned personal trainer pursues a career in body building.
Take No Prisoners: A journey through Time and Music
USA, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Andrew Valentine / Filmmaker in attendance
Denton local Paul Slavens is a solo musician, radio host, and front man of the famed local band Ten Hands. Craig Welch is the enigmatic front man of the notorious acid metal band Brutal Juice. Ariel Hartley is the frontwoman of the up and coming psychedelic rock band Pearl Earl. Together, these musicians from three different generations of music explore their pasts, pursue possibilities of the future, and share their ties with the town that nurtured their identities as artists.
April 12 6:30-8:30 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Thin Line Film | Shorts Program 4 - Play On
The Other Side
USA, 2019 / English / World Premiere Director: Dylan Voisard / Filmmaker in attendance
Denton journalist Mike Miller channels life from the arts and music scene through the medium of local television. Since 2012, The Other Side has peered behind the curtain of culture, preserving access to the platform of the public gaze. Tune in to check out the spirit of the individual as it moves through the landscape of community.
New Mexico Rain: The Story of Bill and Bonnie Hearne
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Bunee Tomlinson / Filmmaker in attendance Key Cast: Bill Hearne / In attendance
New Mexico Rain is a story of the love, tenacity, and talent of Bill and Bonnie Hearne. Bill was legally blind from birth and Bonnie wafs totally blind, yet they were able to parlay their musical talent into a successful musical career and their love and tenacity into a marriage that stood the test of time. Their unique style of music made them essential acts in the venues around Austin and northern New Mexico.
Sound and Sole
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Writer/Director: Cara Hagan / Filmmaker in attendance
Arthur Grimes was born and raised in the Appalachian mountains. He is the only professionally working, African-American buck dancer in Boone, North Carolina. In this short documentary, Arthur recounts his dance journey from eager youth to professional master, gives us a glimpse into his performance experience, and demonstrates his deep love for Appalachian music, dance and history.
Ethan
USA, 2019 / English / World Premiere Director: Jo Sittenfeld / Filmmaker in attendance
Filmed over twelve years, Ethan is a funny, poignant coming of age story of a young man with autism. As his family grapples with raising a son to adulthood, Ethan shows glimmers of hope amidst a future of uncertainty. Ethan’s story speaks to the larger issue of young people with disabilities transitioning to adulthood, aging out of the public school system and its support services. This thought-provoking, intimate portrait is both the specific story of one imperfect and wonderful family and the universal story of our shared search to belong.
April 13 2-4 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Thin Line Film | Shorts Program 5 - All of Us
All Inclusive
Under the spell of mass entertainment on the high seas.
Tinkering with the TEKS
USA, 2018 / 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Anthony Najera / Filmmaker in attendance
Denton County school, Dyer Elementary, puts together a plan to improve their playground with unique learning opportunities for their students and interactive learning stations.
Voices of Maria
USA, 2018 / English, Spanish / English subtitles / World Premiere Co-Director: Dane Christensen & Sam Menendez / Filmmaker in attendance
In the aftermath of the second deadliest storm in US history, Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico’s infrastructure utterly wasted. In the midst of an island-wide blackout, emerged an overwhelming sense of community as Puerto Ricans united to become stronger than the storm that devastated their homes. Voices of Maria relives the storm from the perspective of the island's natives as they rebuild their communities.
Places Disturbed
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Julianna Villarosa / Filmmaker in attendance
Filmed during a month-long residency at Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas, this experimental documentary meets essay film explores the adjacency of protected wilderness and a neighboring oil boom as well as associations between disregard for the environment and the female experience.
The Derby
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Director: Remington Smith
The Derby follows the haves and the have-nots during Kentucky Derby weekend. Via on-location interviews from varied perspectives--from an anonymous reveler drinking and placing bets on Millionaires Row, to Guatemalan equine workers supporting themselves and their relatives--the film uncovers unseen sides of Kentucky’s biggest sporting event.
Thin Line Film | Shorts Program 6 - Point of View
Beto O'Rourke: Portrait of a Campaign for U.S. Senate
USA, 2018 / English / World Premiere Director: Michael Flanagan / Filmmaker in attendance
Follow Congressman Beto O'Rourke's campaign for U.S. Senate as he attempts to become the first Democrat to win state-wide election in Texas in over 25 years. Through interviews with supporters, volunteers, and members of the campaign, including intimate footage of O’Rourke himself, Beto O’Rourke: Portrait of a Campaign for U.S. Senate captures the spirit of a movement that captivated the nation.
Ebrahim
Germany/Greece, 2018 / Arabic, English subtitles / Texas Premiere Director: Elliott McKee
Having survived the journey to Europe, Ebrahim waits in a camp halfway between the home he loves and his new life in ’the promised land’, which appears less promising with every passing day.
Girl in the Hallway
Canada, 2018 / English / Animation / North America Premiere Director: Valerie Barnhart / Filmmaker in attendance
Why does 'Little Red Riding hood' give Jamie nightmares? It's been 15 years, and the girl in the hallway haunts him still. This is a testament to locked doors. A lullaby sung by wolves with duct tape and polaroids. Not all girls make it out of the forest. Some stories children shouldn't hear.
Sunflowerman
USA, 2018 / English / Texas Premiere Writer/Director: Charlie Collier / Filmmaker in attendance
Hat wearer, coffee drinker, watch painter, and mens fashion illustrator. Currently located in Fort Worth Texas, Sunflowerman (Matthew Miller) makes a living as an artist thanks to his following on social media, specifically Instagram.
Crossed
USA, 2018 / English/Spanish, English subtitles / World Premiere Director: Arnila Guha / Filmmaker in attendance
Liz Magallanes is a dreamer. Thrust in a tangle of immigration laws and new presidential policies, her identity is being questioned in spite of her total integration in American culture and society.
Mr. Overton
USA, 2015 / English / North Texas Premiere Director/Producer: Matt Cooper / Filmmaker in attendance Cinematographer/Producer: Rocky Conly / Filmmaker in attendance
At 109 years old, Richard Overton who passed away on December 27, 2018, was the oldest living WWII veteran. When the film was made, he lived alone, drove his own car, and ate ice cream every day. This is his firsthand account of his life from long ago. As Mr. Overton says, "I may give out, but I'll never give up."
April 13, 2019 at 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM The Campus Theatre of Denton, TX
Thin Line Film | True Texas
Texas Highways welcomes you to a special program of short films, the finalists selected for the magazine's True Texas Travel Experience documentary film competition. The film shorts celebrate the people, places and wide-open spaces that define the Lone Star State.
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Header design by Kylie Phillips.