Five years ago, filmmakers Louis Hunter and Samuel Thomas were working to get their own films on the festival circuit. One day, the pair drove past the Waco Hippodrome Theatre in Waco, and Louis turned to Samuel with an idea.
"He was pointing it out and saying, I think this is a great place as a town and as a theater, and let's start talking about a film festival here."
After a great deal of planning and preparation, the film school friends founded the Deep in the Heart Film Festival, which is now internationally recognized and draws filmmakers from around Texas, the U.S., and the world to Waco.
Jordan Ochel, a Baylor University employee and student whose film "Dinner with the Wolffs" is set to screen at this year's festival, was elated when he heard of his film's selection at Deep in the Heart this Summer. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic grew across the nation, festivals everywhere began to change tune, and Jordan realized that the festival might not go as originally planned.
"When they realized it wasn't going to get much better by the fall in terms of the pandemic, they'd asked everybody kind of what their comfort level was. And, you know, I said, I'm not comfortable, but I'll go, because it's my first in-person fest that I'll be able to attend for my film. So it kind of became clear the week after that, and they made the decision to move it all online. And they were going to push the dates back, but that they were going to have some awesome stuff in store. And having seen what they've come up with, I'm really stoked about their solution."
This solution includes a shift to video on demand format, virtual q&a's with the filmmakers, live readings of selected scripts by members of the Brazos Theater, and even gift bags for filmmakers designed to provide some sense of what the city of Waco has to offer. Ochel says that despite all the changes in the festival format, he's been impressed by the festival's quick response and care for the filmmakers involved.
"It's just an inventive way to do film festivals in such a short turnaround, short notice, you know, in these circumstances. So you know, I'm excited about it. Yeah, I'm sad that it's not in person. But I wouldn't want it to be at this point, given the safety concerns."
According to Chris Hansen, another local filmmaker and film professor at Baylor University whose feature "Seven Short Films About (Our) Marriage" is also screening at this year's festival, the changes this year have made it difficult for independent filmmakers to get the vital connections and recognition that festivals typically provide.
"The experience really has been a kind of a great big bummer. Because filmmakers, especially independent filmmakers who make the kinds of films that I make, we want to go to festivals, we want to meet the festival programmers and meet other filmmakers and meet the audiences. And the festivals have been great about facilitating online meetups for filmmakers, and even doing q&a's, whether doing them live or prerecording them so that the festival goer would still get the whole festival experience. All of that I think is great. But it's a substitution, not the real thing."
Despite these challenges, he applauded Deep in the Heart's dedication to making the festival happen, and bringing a sense of the Waco community to filmmakers.
"All the folks who run Deep in the Heart are really committed to the filmmakers and to the festival experience. So I know they were heartbroken that they couldn't have an in-person experience. And I think it was not just for them. They love doing it, even though it's a lot of work, because they love bringing filmmakers to Waco and bringing great films to waco and showcasing the films for the people of Waco, and also showcasing to filmmakers what a great city we've got."
The shift to a fully online format has come with additional challenges. Chief among them: filmmakers being unable to participate due to distribution concerns. This is a challenge that festival programmer Maverick Moore has first-hand experience with as a director with his own film on the festival circuit.
"When you have an in-person festival, you select a film, they say yes, they participate, and it's in the festival. But when things transitioned to virtual, we did have a handful of films have to actually pull out and not be able to participate because of, you know, deals they had in regards to distribution. That was typically the case with features, where they had other arrangements lined up that screening virtually would compromise. And with shorts, it was kind of the same thing."
Despite these challenges, Moore said that the festival is still filled with quality films, and that filmmakers who couldn't participate will still be eligible for awards.
Tickets and information about the festival can be found online at deepintheheartff.com.
With KWBU News in Waco, I'm Sam Cedar.