5th Annual Waco Family and Faith International Film Festival: Celebrity Golf, Geena Davis, Ozomatli and More than 30 Films
| February 7, 2024 | No Comments
From February 15 to 18, the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival will be held in the beloved and cozy Texas location. The 5th edition of the festival will screen 11 feature films and more than 20 short features from all around the world.
This year venues include:
- Art Center Waco
- Bear Ridge Golf Club
- Cambria Hotel
- The Pavilion at the Carleen Bright Arboretum,
- Hippodrome Theatre
- Leo Lockwood Theater
- Marie’s Wine Bar
- Waco Civic Center
Categories for the shows include the following:
- Opening Night
- Family Day
- Black History Month: The Beauty and Power of Great Friendships
- The State of Unity & Coming Together For Good,
- Film and Faith Soul Sessions
A preview
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The slate for the fest includes the following films:
| FILMS | FILMMAKER(S) | TIME / COUNTRY | DESCRIPTION |
| FEATURE FILMS | |||
| Running the Bases | Marty Roberts, Jimmy Womble | 02:00:00 / USA | When a small-town baseball coach gets the offer of a lifetime from a larger 6A High School, he uproots his family and leaves the only home he’s ever known. But soon faces opposition to his coaching methods from the school superintendent. |
| Washington’s Armor | Tammy Lane | 01:38:05 / USA | Follows the trajectory of George Washington as a boy and a young man as he develops his relationships and ideals. |
| Station Identification: Story of WTLW-TV | John P. Ondo | 01:47:00 / USA | The curtain is pulled back on the 40-year history of a viewer-supported Ohio TV station’ that many believed could never make it on-air, that still services its community with local and faith-based programming. |
| The Liberator | William McCann | 02:00:00 / USA | Armed only with faith, wit and eloquence, Irish champion Daniel O’Connell leads a peaceful rebellion against English tyranny that ends 300 years of exile from Parliament. But when the ultimate prize – Ireland’s nationhood – comes within his reach, will The Liberator remain true to the path of peace?
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| The Journey | Joao Vitor Rodrigues de Carvalho Castello | 01:44:20 / Brazil | When emotional problems start to hit Paul, his friend Gabriel, supported by his grandfather, fights for his friend’s life, showing a different perspective as a solution to his problems, which he doesn’t accept well and makes them get into a big and dangerous journey, seeking a new life. |
| State of the Unity | Jillian Speece | 01:18:00 / USA | In 2016, the band “The Bergamot” took a timely journey to perform in all 50 States inviting people to sign their message of unity on their car. What ensued is a heartwarming tale of empathy and understanding during a polarizing time. |
| Fioretta | Matthew Mishory | 02:07:00 / USA/Czech Republic | Randy Schoenberg and his son Joey journey through Europe and the centuries to reclaim 500 years of family history. Along the way, they encounter kings, mystics, and a false messiah, as well as the ordinary people who witnessed Europe’s distant and recent past. Randy is renowned for recovering Nazi-looted art, but his greatest achievement might be reuniting the fractured shards of his own family. |
| Champions (Opening Night Movie) | James Keith
Ashton Gunning Kevin Iannucci James Day Keith Alex Hintz
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01:24:00 / USA | A former minor-league basketball coach is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that despite his doubts, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined. |
| People Like Us: The Center of Family Love Documentary | Nicholas Mark Coleman | 01:12:00 / UK | Since opening its doors in 1981, The Center of Family Love has been offering residential and vocational programs for atypical and neurodiverse individuals to help them grow, learn and thrive; changing lives, outcomes and communities. |
| #ButGod | Kevin McAfee | 01:22:32 / USA | When Jeremy and Emily Freeman’s son Caleb was in a devastating car accident, doctors gave him a 10 percent chance of survival. Fear of losing a child was all too fresh for the Freemans- their seven-year-old son, Trey, had died just four years earlier from a genetic immunodeficiency. But God had a different plan for Caleb. The story unfolds as Caleb finds his way back to family and friends and a new way of living. The family trusted God’s plan as they persevered through the fear and pain. |
| Be The Light | Victor Hawks and Malcolm Goodwin | 01:46:00 / USA | BE THE LIGHT is the story of a down and out girl, Celina, who tries to make amends with and save her dying father. To do this, she sparks a musical movement that will save her family in the most beautiful of ways, they’ll believe again. |
| SHORT FILMS | |||
| My Dad: The Cottonpicker | Thaїs Bass-Moore | Filmmaker pays homage to her father in a unique, comical and heartwarming way. | |
| Riley and the Wooden Sword (Student, animated) | Ravindu Prassanna Jayawardane | 00:04:12 / Sri Lanka | “Riley and the Wooden Sword” is a heartwarming and inspiring tale that reminds us to embrace our creativity, believe in ourselves, and unlock the limitless possibilities that lie within our imagination. It celebrates the transformative power of friendship, self-belief, and the magic of animation. Brought to life by the amazing talent of four junior animators at Mogo Studios, the film was crowned with the DIGICON 6 Regional Gold Award in 2023! |
| Resurrection under the Ocean (Student) | Serkan Aktaş | 00:02:57 / Turkey | “Resurrection under the Ocean” is about the resurrection of a man who was helplessly sinking to the bottom of the ocean, after falling to the bottom of the ocean, with a symbolic narrative. |
| Lights (Student, animated) | Jitka Nemikinsová | 00:08:26 / Czech Republic | Lightbulbs are throwing a party for growing up flames to welcome them in the system that will let them shine and protect them. But one flames likes to play with fire and rebels against the system. |
| Then Came March | Josue Berganza | 00:04:58 / USA | Daniel suffers psychological consequences from the first month of the COVID quarantine. |
| For Those Left Behind (Student) | Cikal Artha Anugerahito | 00:17:48 / Indonesia | Haufan arrives in his hometown with the feeling of agitated because he has to accept his father’s death while he was on his way to visit his father after a while. Haufan must escort his father to the last resting place by doing the funeral process which is Haufan’s family tradition. In this funeral process, Haufan found out things that he never knew before. |
| Let’s talk (Student) | Elad Mukades | 00:18:18 / Israel | When Ori picks up his soldier brother for a day at the beach, he is horrified to see that his brother has become religious. In addition to that aggravation, the car’s tire goes flat. As the sun sets, Ori is forced to choose between his “new” brother who is planning to make shabbat in a deserted place, and going to be with his sick mother. |
| The Scattered Nest (Student) | Valera Nescorodiany | 00:27:12 / Slovakia | The family’s journey for political asylum turns into a struggle for survival. The Shymko family is trapped in Belarus, but their dreams transcend borders. The family undergoes a civil “reincarnation”, a process not everyone is able or willing to endure. The film Scattered Nest is a representation of the great social drama of ordinary, disadvantaged people and an inspirational poem about them at the same time. |
| Limbo (Student) | Giovanna Heroso, Alana Ismail | 00:10:05 / Brazil | The documentary delves into the lives of four people as they talk about their perception of time. |
| Obsession (Student, animation) | 佳颖 孙 | 00:03:41 / China | The Chinese novel “A Dream of Red Mansions” leads to women who have been living under the male gaze and social discipline for thousands of years. After constantly escaping from the male gaze and social discipline, the women in the film find herself and eventually wake up. |
| Mosquito Fish (Student, animation) | Bryn Wright (She is 12 years old from Carlsbad, CA) | 00:01:57 / USA | What are mosquito fish? Are they fish that jump out of the water to eat mosquitos… or mosquitos that can swim? Learn more about these amazing creatures that can help keep our backyard ponds and fountains mosquito free – without harmful pesticides. |
| Alicita (animation) | Olivia Almagro | 3:00 / USA | Fun loving, Alicita, who is Afro Cuban and lives in the diverse and lively neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City, is living her best life and learning so much about herself as well and how to “shine her light” for all to see! |
| HBCU Superheroes (animation) | Adisa Iwa Raheem Mander Shaka Harris Ronald Sullivan | 07:00:00 / USA | Ordinary and everyday people who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities turn into superheroes to save our society from evil. |
| Interception: Jayne Kennedy American Sportscaster | Safiya Songhai | USA | A bronze-skin bombshell rocks the world of Sunday Morning Football —millions tune in, but few know the tumultuous story of Jayne Kennedy, the first Black woman to boldly run interception on the racial lines of American sportscasting. |
| Sincerely, Jonah (Focus Features Award) | Cyan Shreve | 00:09:44 / USA | Cyan Shreve’s award-winning film Sincerely, Jonah is an experimental underdog story that explores how 30 year old Jonah navigates this reality in the midst of fatherhood & marriage. |
| Attrition | Silas Tibbs | 00:18:00 / USA | In an Orwellian-style, sci-fi dystopian future, a disillusioned Black war veteran and his wife undergo a final interview for a potentially life-changing opportunity. |
| Willows | Alicia Raymond | 00:20:34 / USA | It’s the fall of 1954 and Dorothy is returning home after seven years; an absence that her younger sister, Katherine, resents. They each must find a way to let go of feelings of anger, hurt, and betrayal that all began with a traumatic event many years ago. |
| Always | Fredericka Meek | 00:19:00 / USA | Loving Daughter pays tribute to her amazing Father. |
| Between the Pages | Nicole L. Thompson | 00:02:20 / USA | Shawn Houston, an adventurous young boy, is forced to move to LA and stay at his grandparent’s house for the summer. He tries to convince his mom to let him leave, but she must travel for work. Left in a new city, with no friends and no Wifi, he begins to explore the house and discovers his grandfather’s magical book which sucks him in on an adventure traveling the world, through space and time. |
| Hidden Scars | Morgan Hardman and Courtney Parker | 8-10 Minutes / USA | Follows the life of Reality TV Star, Morgan Hardman |
The best thing about it? Seven filmmakers will be attending the festival events and offering their insights on the filmmaking process.
Other events of the festival include:
- 5th Annual Champions Award Gala, where Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis will be awarded the prize, as well as Broadway star Alton Fitzgerald White, authors Donna Grant and Virginia DeBerry, and others.
- The Celebrity Golf Classic. Participants include actor Kevin Sorbo, former NFL stars Ickey Woods, Joe Kelly, and Santana Dotson, former MLB star Eric Davis, Baylor University Athletic Director Mack Rhoades and Baylor University Women’s Golf team, among others.
- The Business of Hollywood: Filmmaker Educational Workshops. Attendees will be able to participate in events revolving around the industry, that will provide insights into production, pitching and media subjects.
- A concert from Ozomatli at the Pavilion at the Carleen Bright Arboretum. Ozomatli is a Grammy Award-nominated and Latin Grammy Award-winning six-piece band based in Los Angeles. Their latest album, Marching On, was released in 2020 to critical acclaim. It’s their return after last year’s presentation had to be postponed due to weather conditions.
As per Festival Founder and Executive Director Dr. Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren:
“Movies truly matter in our society. Now more than ever, we need the power of storytelling to open hearts and minds. It is important for film festivals to make a positive impact in the communities they serve. We’re making an economic impact locally, with filmmakers moving to Waco or producing their films here to support our budding film and TV community.”
For additional information, including ticketing options, visit www.wacofamilyandfaithfilmfestival.com.
Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.
