2014 Houston Cinema Arts Festival Adds Three New Venues

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2014 HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL ADDS THREE NEW VENUES

6TH ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL TO HOST FOUR CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS OF LIVE PERFORMANCES

 HOUSTON – The Houston Cinema Arts Festival (HCAF) continues to spread its wings, adding three new venues in 2014: the world-famous Menil Collection, the Brandon Gallery courtyard at Café Brasil and the historic Eldorado Ballroom at Project Row Houses. The three Houston arts landmarks join HCAF’s stable of venues including Sundance Cinemas Houston, Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), Aurora Picture Show and Rice Cinema. Hotel headquarters for the sixth annual festival (Nov. 12-16) that celebrates films by and about artists will once again be downtown at The Sam Houston Hotel.

HCAF 2014 will use several venues to present the unique “live cinema” performances that highlight each year’s schedule. In advance of its full program release on Oct. 21, the festival is pleased to announce that it has lined up an eclectic slate of live performances for each of the final four nights of the festival from Nov. 13-16.

The first event will be held at the Eldorado Ballroom on Nov. 13, where Project Row Houses and HCAF will host the Digital Diaspora Family Reunion Roadshow (DDFR) beginning at 7:30 p.m. The event is a companion to the acclaimed new feature Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, which will screen at 6:15 that night in the Eldorado. Hosted by filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris and producers Greg Warren and John Perry, the DDFR is an interactive performance in which audience members are encouraged to bring print and digital images that will be copied, projected, discussed and uploaded as a set of Third Ward Stories within the online One World One Family Album.

On Friday, Nov. 14, Aurora Picture Show and HCAF will host avant-garde film pioneer Ken Jacobs for a performance of Time Squared: A Nervous Magic Lantern. The following night, Rice Cinema will co-host Deke Weaver for a live cinema performance of WOLF, the third chapter in his life-long endeavor The Unreliable Bestiary, an ark of stories about animals, our relationships with them and the worlds they inhabit. HCAF 2014’s live performances will conclude Sunday afternoon, Nov. 16, at the MFAH with Revolve on Camera, a special film and dance performance with Revolve Dance Company of Spring, Texas, presented by Los Angeles-based husband-and-wife filmmakers Benjamin and Heather Epps.

“Live cinema events distinguish our film festival, which is interested not only in films that depict the arts, but ones that join forces with them in exciting live collaborations,” HCAF Artistic Director Richard Herskowitz said. “This year, we have theater and photography and film and dance all rolled into a jam-packed four-day slate.”

Returning sponsors for HCAF 2014 include Signature Presenting Partners Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Houston First Corporation, as well as Featured Presenting Partner Levantine Films. In addition to its important overall support of the festival, Levantine hosts the annual Levantine Cinema Arts Award, which was presented to Isabella Rossellini in 2010, Ethan Hawke in 2011, Robert Redford in 2012 and Richard Linklater in 2013.

This year’s full program of films, live performances, installations and special guests will be announced Oct. 21 at The Sam at the Festival launch party for HCAS members and sponsors.

ABOUT HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS)
Houston Cinema Arts Society is a non-profit organization created in 2008. With the support of former Houston Mayor Bill White and the leadership of Franci Crane, HCAS organizes and hosts the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, a groundbreaking and innovative arts festival featuring films and new media by and about artists in the visual, performing and literary arts. The festival celebrates the vitality and diversity of the arts in Houston and enriches the city’s film and arts community. HCAS sponsors include the Crane Foundation, a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Houston First Corporation, Levantine Films, Champion Energy Services, Amegy Bank of Texas, The Brown Foundation, Inc. and others. The project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. The sixth annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival will be held Nov. 12-16, 2014. For more information, please visit www.hcaf14.org

ABOUT ANADARKO PETROLEUM CORPORATION


Anadarko is among the world’s largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, with 2.79 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) in proved reserves at year-end 2013. Our deep and balanced portfolio of assets encompasses premier positions worldwide; and we take seriously our responsibility to deliver necessary energy to the world, by maintaining our core values of integrity and trust, servant leadership and open communication in all of our business activities. For more information, visit www.anadarko.com.

ABOUT HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION
Houston First Corporation operates the city’s finest arts and convention facilities to position Houston as a world-class destination. Houston First manages more than 10 city-owned buildings, plazas and parking facilities. Properties include Miller Outdoor Theatre, Wortham Theater Center, George R. Brown Convention Center, Jones Hall and Hilton Americas-Houston. For more information, visit www.HoustonFirst.com.

ABOUT LEVANTINE FILMS
Levantine Films focuses on financing, developing and producing films that exemplify the power of great storytelling.  Through their commitment to producing high-quality and commercially successful films, Levantine provides a trusted home for great writers and directors as well as a reliable source of quality entertainment for all audiences. Levantine Films is backed by Crest Investments, a diversified investment company based in Houston. For more information, visit www.levantine-films.com.

ABOUT THE SAM HOUSTON HOTEL
Located in heart of downtown Houston at 1117 Prairie St., The Sam Houston Hotel reflects the proud heritage of Texas pioneer Sam Houston, who lived a life full of rich experiences that helped shape the city of Houston. The boutique hotel’s 100 rooms and suites were redesigned in 2013 with comfort and simple style in mind, combining clean décor with contemporary touches. The Sam is surrounded by historic landmarks, the city’s best entertainment destinations, major corporations and several entertainment and shopping venues. The hotel is ideal for meeting and event planners, thanks to more than 3,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces, equipped for comfort and productivity. For more information, visit www.thesamhoustonhotel.com.