Howdy and welcome to the 16th annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival!

If you’re new to HCAF, thank you so much for spending your time with us—we’re excited to have you join our community. And for our returning friends, I cannot express enough gratitude for all the years of support you’ve shown. Your presence and engagement make going to the movies special, and we look forward to sharing many cinematic experiences with you this year.

With my deep and heartfelt thanks to our collaborators, I am so pleased to share the 2024 Festival Lineup. This year’s Festival theme, “For the Rebels,” is exactly what Houston means to me. We’re scrappy, stubborn swamp creatures. We love to do things our own way and blaze our own trails, ignoring the paths and systems that have been laid out in other cities because they don’t understand Houston. That’s what makes the theme of rebellion so perfect for the largest International and Independent Film Festival in our city. From groundbreaking documentarians to emerging experimental filmmakers to iconic musical performances, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival has something for everyone to celebrate what makes Houston the great city it is.

At Houston Cinema Arts Society, our mission is to uplift the importance of film as an accessible storytelling tool while building a sustainable film culture in Houston. We focus on empowering regional and underrepresented filmmakers and showcasing Houston stories through programs that highlight how film intersects with art and global issues. Houston is a hub for creativity, technology, and innovation, and we’ve been underrepresented in the mainstream for too long. Together, we can change that.

2024 has been a pivotal year for us at HCAS. We’ve re-evaluated what it means to be a center for film culture in America’s most diverse city and experimented with new programming, venues, and partnerships. Houston needs a pipeline for its many voices. That means building a foundation for emerging filmmakers and content creators to shape, publish, and witness a wider breadth of Houston experiences.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our stakeholders, we’ve broken new ground. After years of collaboration, we’ve successfully installed state-of-the-art Digital Cinema Projection equipment at the historic Fifth Ward DeLUXE Theater, establishing it as a serious film venue in our community. In partnership with passionate community champions, we had the opportunity to support an advocacy network that built the foundation for the renovation of River Oaks Theatre, a beacon for independent film since the 1940s, proving that independent film still has a home in Houston. In collaboration with Southwest Alternate Media Project, we created a powerful new hub of resources and knowledge for Texas filmmakers. The result? The second annual Houston Media Conference was a resounding success.

As a Houston native, I once felt I had to leave my hometown to pursue a career in the arts. Today, with each step, we build an infrastructure that supports Houston filmmakers and film lovers, helping them discover, connect, and engage. I’m honored to be part of a movement where future Texan artists won’t feel the same way I did.

With your continued support, we shape the future of Houston’s film culture. Thanks to all our partners, sponsors, and especially you for being part of this journey. I look forward to watching some incredible films with y’all.

Sincerely,
Katie Leigh Creeggan-Ríos
Executive Director
Houston Cinema Arts Society