Get Ready for the Red Carpet: Waco Indie Announces Kick Off Event at The Palladium

If you love movies, an independent film festival is the place you need to be beginning July 16th in Waco.

Waco Indie Unveils Star-Studded Lineup and New Venues

The Waco Independent Film Festival, affectionately known as Waco Indie, has officially revealed its film lineup and events schedule for this year’s event. The announcement follows the festival’s recent recognition by MovieMaker Magazine, which added Waco Indie to its prestigious list of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. " This year's four-day cinematic celebration will feature in-theater screenings from July 16 to July 19, giving way to an online encore presentation running from July 19 through July 25.

Expanding the Festival's Footprint

Co-founders and directors Samuel Thomas and Louis Hunter say that this year’s festival represents a major leap forward. According to Fox 44, Thomas and Hunter plan to continue their support of independent filmmakers while highlighting the city of Waco as a great location for future film productions. Waco Indie is expanding its presence across the city.

Venues

The festivities will begin with a Red-Carpet Opening event at The Palladium, followed by screenings at the historic Hippodrome and an official afterparty hosted by the Cambria Hotel. Other returning and newly added venues include Brotherwell Brewing, the Grand Masonic Lodge, the Performing Arts Community Center, Southern Roots, Waco Surf, the Waco Civic Center, and the Waco Welcome Center.

A Diverse Selection of Global and Local Cinema

Moviegoers will have access to a catalog of 148 films, which breaks down into 14 feature-length projects (eleven narratives and four documentaries), 126 short films (114 narratives and twelve documentaries), and eight music videos. Additionally, the festival's annual screenplay competition has narrowed its field down to 17 finalists, consisting of four features and 13 short scripts.

A New Grand Prize

To further encourage emerging talent, the festival is introducing a brand-new Short Film Grand Prize designed to support a film's theatrical run and help it achieve Oscar-qualification status. This joins the returning Waco Indie Screenplay Grant, which offers up to $2,500 in production rebates alongside camera and lighting packages for projects filmed locally.

Marquee Screenings

The festival officially kicks off on Thursday, July 16, with an opening night screening of Richie James Follin’s Crystal Cross. A winner of the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival, this dark romantic comedy follows a fame-seeking Christian singer who hitches a ride with a grieving father intent on ending his life.

Donnie Darko

On Friday, cult cinema takes center stage with a 25th anniversary screening of Richard Kelly’s 2001 classic Donnie Darko. Legendary Director of Photography Steven Poster, whose expansive career includes work on Southland Tales and Madonna’s iconic "Like a Prayer" music video, will be in attendance for a live discussion.

Due West

Saturday features an expanded lineup headlined by Due West, a West Texas-set drama filmed locally in Waco. Directed by Evan Miller and starring Adrianne Palicki and Henry Thomas, the award-winning film explores the legal and personal hurdles a small-town woman faces while seeking medical care. Miller, Palicki, and local actor Joey Oglesby will participate in a post-screening Q&A.

The Chosen

Television fans will be treated to a special Saturday presentation of a Season 5 episode from the hit, locally produced series The Chosen. Actress Elizabeth Tabish, who portrays Mary Magdalene, will be on hand for a Q&A session to discuss her role, her career in independent film, and her advocacy for female-driven storytelling.

Educational Panels

In addition to film screenings, attendees can participate in educational industry panels. Topics for this year's panels will cover crucial cinematic themes, including how to manage an Oscar campaign, navigating a director's first feature film, the evolving future of color grading, and workshops dedicated to screenplay adaptation and festival direction.