Lone Star Film Festival ticket holders will have the chance to preview the first two episodes of “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and hear a Q&A session with the show’s writer and director Nov. 4.
The 17th edition of the festival will feature six other premieres and a schedule packed full of screenings, networking opportunities and 49 speakers.
Many of the productions in the lineup have ties to North Texas or the state at large, including “Bass Reeves,” which was shot in and around Fort Worth.
“We always want to champion our hometown productions. And (‘Bass Reeves’) is pretty much as close as you can get,” said Chad Mathews, executive director of the Lone Star Film Society.
If you go
What: 2023 Lone Star Film FestivalWhen: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 2 – 3
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 4
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 5
Where: Downtown Cowtown at the ISIS
2401 N. Main St.
Fort WorthTickets: $10 per screening
$25 per screening with musical performance
$300 all access pass Click here for additional information.
“Yellowstone” fans will recognize actor Mo Brings Plenty in the world premiere of “Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse.”
The story is based on the song by Oak Cliff’s Michael Martin Murphey and follows a 16-year-old girl from Plano, played by Chevel Shepherd, who befriends a wild horse as she works to put her life back together following the tragic death of her parents.
Shepherd, Brings Plenty and other members of the production will be in attendance for the screening and participate in a short Q&A afterward.
Fort Worthians may also recognize the story of legendary bull rider Lane Frost.
The dramatic movie “8 Seconds” told the story of the rodeo athlete’s untimely death and was shown at the Lone Star Film Festival in the mid ’90s. Now, nearly 30 years later, a documentary about Frost’s life will have its world premiere at the same festival.
The film includes footage shot at Billy Bob’s Texas and Cowtown Coliseum and was produced by Tough Draw, which offices in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Another documentary titled “Crescendo,” about the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will have its North American premiere Oct. 26 as one of the opening events of the festival.
All told, festival attendees will have the opportunity to see more than 60 narrative, documentary, feature and short films.
In an age where there is no shortage of accessible screens or video on demand, Mathews said he sometimes gets questions about why people should venture out to a film festival when they could watch at home instead.
“Sure, of course you can do that. But when you go to a film festival, you’re going to be able to meet the filmmakers and hear their stories and rub elbows with the creators,” he said.
“I want to hear those stories and find inspiration through those people because they’re out there putting their blood, sweat and tears into these projects. … We want to get as many people as possible to all of these screenings.”
Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.