Gulf Coast Film and Video Festival
Action: student filmmakers wanted
LIZ DAVIS
THE SIGNAL
Student filmmakers have the opportunity to have their independent films viewed on the silver screen at a local film festival.
The 16th Annual Gulf Coast Film and Video Festival (GCFVF) is accepting submissions until July 1. The festival’s categories include narrative features and shorts, documentaries, foreign, animation and student projects.
This year GCFVF has added a new category for screenplays and music videos. Music videos must be less than 5 minutes in length.
Founding Director Hal Wixon created the GCFVF in 1998 and has continued to organize the festival every year.
“We thought the greater bay area needed something like a film festival,” Wixon said. “There was nothing like it at the time, so we decided to give it a shot.”
The Gulf Coast Film Festival added ‘Video’ to their title to distinguish them from other film festivals with similar names and also to show that they accept both film and video at their festival.
“Film is expensive, so most directors submitted in video format,” Wixon said. “At the time, there were two or three other film festivals with the name Gulf Coast Film Festival, and we didn’t want to be confused with them.”
Wixon encourages UHCL, and other students, to submit their films to “gain recognition and perfect their chosen profession.”
Many winning and nominated films from the GCFVF have gone on to be screened at Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest (SXSW).
Peggy “Domino” Taylor, vice president and publicist of GCFVF, has been involved with the festival for 13 years. Taylor says that they “accept submissions from all over the world and the films get better and better every year.”
“The GCFVF was created to showcase new and emerging artists,” Taylor said. “By submitting their films, students help the film festival expand awareness of independent film-making.”
In 2013, Margaret Toombs’ film “Liz Un-Caged” won the GCFVF award for Best Student Project. Toombs has gone on to screen several of her movies at Spring Street Studios.
“It’s an easy process to submit films to festivals,” Toombs said. “It is especially exciting to see one’s movie screened locally, so that friends and family can attend.”
Hector Luna, producer and publisher for GCFVF as well as producer for C47Houston News and Entertainment Magazine, said that participating in film festivals is a great opportunity to have your movie judged by audience members.
“Exposure is a valuable asset to any movie maker wanting to establish a foothold in this highly competitive field,” Luna said. “It doesn’t hurt to show your movie to as many people, audiences and potential investors as one can.”
Each year Wixon presents a Lifetime Achievement Award to a celebrity who has encouraged independent filmmakers and actors in his or her field of study. The celebrity guest star has not been announced yet for this year’s festival but many past celebrities include University of Houston alumni such as Robert Wuhl, Walter Coblenz and Brandon Smith.
The awards ceremony will be held at Houston Nassau Bay Hilton Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. In addition to the celebrity guest, there will be a silent auction and dinner banquet. The films will be screened Sept. 21 at Courtyard Houston NASA/Clear Lake starting at 10 a.m.
For more information or to submit a film or screenplay, visit www.GulfCoastFilmFest.com. Instructions about how to submit a film or screenplay are under the “entries” tab. The GCFVF will accept submissions until July 31 but to save money students can submit by April 30. Banquet tickets are $55 and film-screening tickets are $20 for an all day pass.
“Not only does submitting to the GCFVF look good on a resume, it is a great opportunity for people to use their talents to be recognized and progress in the film industry,” Wixon said.
