An eye on indie film

14th Hill Country Film Festival set June 1-4

By KEN ESTEN COOKE

The Hill Country Film Festival (HCFF), presented by the Hill Country Film Society, will host its 14th annual festival in downtown Fredericksburg with screenings to take place across two venues — the Great Hall at the Hoffman Haus and the Nimitz Ballroom at the National Museum of the Pacific War. 

This year’s festival will take place June 1-4, and the full festival line-up can be found at www.hillcountryff.com.

This year’s fest will have a decidedly Hill Country connection with the addition of a local documentary about a matron of Texas politics and wildflowers.

“The Lady Bird Diaries,” from award-winning documentarian Dawn Porter as its opening night film which will screen on Thursday, June 1. 

Produced by ABC News and Hulu, “The Lady Bird Diaries” takes audio recordings made by Lady Bird Johnson during her time in the White House and pairs them with rarely seen archival footage to create an inside look at a pivotal time in American history through the eyes of its First Lady.

“We take pride in finding and showcasing high quality independent filmmaking in all areas, but one of the hallmarks of HCFF is enabling movie lovers throughout the Texas Hill Country and beyond to see the best and brightest of area filmmakers creatively capturing what makes the place we call home so unique,” said Chad Mathews, HCFF executive director.

The 14th annual festival will screen independent films from Texas and around the world as well as host filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, festival parties, community screenings, and more.

Festival Badges and Film Venues

All access festival badges are available online via the festival’s website at www.hillcountryff.com. 

Screenings will take place across two venues — the Great Hall at the Hoffman Haus and the historic Nimitz Ballroom at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Additional festival news can be found on the HCFF social media pages. 

Hill Country Film Festival

Set in Fredericksburg, HCFF is the vision of its director Chad Mathews, an actor, screenwriter, producer, and native Texan. Having participated in the film festival circuit, Mathews came to love the camaraderie and shared respect of those who are committed to the art of independent filmmaking. HCFF was created to celebrate and showcase filmmakers from Texas and around the world and is annually presented by the Hill Country Film Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.hillcountryff.com.

Hill Country Film Society

The Hill Country Film Festival, created in 2010 to celebrate and showcase filmmakers from Texas and around the world, quickly evolved into a non-profit organization with a broader vision. The Hill Country Film Society not only hosts the annual festival, but also provides year-round independent film programming in the Texas Hill Country as well as education in the art of independent film. The society relies on its sponsors and members to help achieve its mission and ensure the future of film as part of a vibrant, creative culture. For more information, visit www.hillcountryff.com/film-society.