New Independent Film Initiative Presented 65 Films From Filmmakers Around the World And Recognizes the Top 6
The Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival hosted its 2nd annual event in the Central Texas town during the weekend of February 4-6, 2021. With its mission of being “dedicated to EMPOWERING the creative spirit, SERVING with heart, and CELEBRATING all,” the film festival illuminated every aspect of its mission with an all-encompassing event that featured an international competition of 65 films that were screened at four pop-up drive-in movie experiences throughout Waco in church parking lots and online, a first-ever celebrity golf classic and tennis mixer, and online professional education workshops throughout the town of Waco. This year, the festival also launched the debut of the Waco Family & Faith Theater Festival.
“This year, we are ecstatic with the tremendous support we have received from the Waco community and our filmmakers,” states Dr. Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren, Founder of the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival. “With the backdrop of Covid-19, this year we presented an extremely responsible and socially distance festival that we hoped would be a fun event for everyone of all ages. We definitely achieved this goal to bring the Waco community together and leverage the power of storytelling in film to open hearts and minds.”
During the Toyota Tennis Mixer sponsored by Jeff Hunter Toyota on Saturday, February 6, 2021, the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival announced its second annual cinematic award winners, which included-
- Grand Jury Prize for Best Animation Film (USA and International)
- “Undone” (South Africa) / Directed by Sara Laubscher and Saira George
- “Strike” (United Kingdom) / Directed by Trevor Hardy
- Grand Jury Prize for Best Student Film (USA)
- “Jericho” (USA) / Directed by Tiffany Joy Taylor
- Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film (USA)
- “Tree #3” (USA) / Directed by Omer Ben-Shachar
- Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film (USA/International)
- “My Little Sister” (Russian Federation) / Directed by Aleksandr Galibin
- “Miracle In The Valley” (USA) / Directed by Don Schroeder
The 2021 Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival also honored its second class of “Champions Award” recipients. This honor is dedicated to recognizing individuals and organizations who are exemplars of innovation as well as disruption in the film, TV, performing arts, and entertainment industry. The 2021 “Champions Awards” recipients were-
- Courtney Parker, Founder & CEO, LostNThought Productions
- Eric Shepard, Executive Director, Waco Civic Theatre
- Malcolm Goodwin, Acclaimed Actor and Film Director, Co-Founder, Vision Vehicle Productions
- Victor Hawks, Film/TV Writer, Co-Founder, Vision Vehicle Productions
The sponsors for the 2021 Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival included the festival’s Founding Partner, TFNB Bank Your Bank for Life. The Awards Sponsor was the Magnolia Foundation. The 1st Annual Celebrity Golf Classic sponsor was Greg May Honda. The Tennis Mixer sponsor was Jeff Hunter Toyota. The Gold Sponsors were Creative Waco and Z’s at the Curry. The Silver Sponsors were Pruit Memorial Symposium at Baylor University and Hat Creek Burger Co. The Bronze Star sponsors were Extraco Banks, Brazos Masonry, AARP Texas, Tru Jamaica, Marie’s, and the Hilton Waco. The Media Partners were M&M Broadcasters, LTD. and KWTX-TV Ch10, CW12, and Telemundo.
Sponsors for the debut of the Waco Family & Faith Theater Festival that presented the Off- Broadway play, “An Adam Experiment,” included TFNB Your Bank for Life and Creative Waco by way of their AMP Grant. The Waco Family & Faith Theater Festival was also being presented in collaboration with Waco Civic Theatre.
The 2022 dates for the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival will be February
3-5, 2022. For more information on the festival, visit WacoFilmFest.org.