The Lake Travis Film Festival’s 3rd edition returns next month (September 15-18) in beautiful Hill Country, just west of Austin. The film festival, whose independent personality and approach to the celebration of independent filmmaking is accentuated by its location in Lakeway and Bee Cave, just outside of the city known for independent film and music. LTFF’s Opening Night selection is Laura Lehmus’ dramedy Sweet Disaster. The Closing Night will offer two selections for filmgoers, including Jordan O’Neal’s fantasy Fabletown and Sophie Miler’s drama Ranch Water.
The four-day in-person film festival will once again present a film lineup showcasing films featuring a wide assortment of genres, styles, and topics from the indie film community, both stateside and international. The festival will screen 92 films (8 Narrative Features, 11 Documentary Features, 45 narrative short films, 6 short documentaries, 9 music videos, and 13 student shorts).
LTFF also will feature a pre-festival masterclass with screenwriter Owen Egerton (Mercy Black, Blood Fest), which requires a separate registration. Special events include a pitch party, live script readings, afterparties and an awards brunch. Additional opportunities for film enthusiasts to meet and interact with the filmmakers will be announced daily. Screenings and events occur at various pop-up locations throughout the cities of Bee Cave and Lakeway, Texas. Some of the venues include Hill Country Galleria, High5, ContraCommon, La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lakeway, Star Hill Ranch, Goga Yoga, and Bee Cave City Hall.
Lake Travis Film Festival Founder and Executive Director, Kat Albert, shares, “The third year brings an opportunity to hone into what we best…curating an overall cinematic experience. We do not sell individual tickets. The suburbs don’t have a traditional downtown, so we’ve worked to make our pop-up style festival work with three walkable hubs. Thursday and Friday are in the Oaks at Lakeway. Saturday is in the Hill Country Galleria and Sunday is Texas Film Industry Day at Star Hill Ranch. The festival is young but garnering a reputation as a unique experience for filmmakers, screenwriters, and the local community.”
The Lake Travis Film Festival will open on Thursday, September 15 with an afternoon screening of Michael Stephen Schwarz’s documentary Forever Majestic. The film looks at the complicated story surrounding a treasured Arkansas tourist destination and all the controversy that it sparks after it was struck by a mysterious fire. Following red carpet enrances for the attending filmmakers and talent, LTFF will present Laura Lehmus’ German dramedy Sweet Disaster. The film follows a woman who upon getting unexpectedly pregnant is promptly left by the father of her child as he re-unites with his ex. While she deals with serious health problems caused by the late pregnancy, she tries to get him back with the help of absurd, exaggerated and sometimes absurdly comic actions.
Two films will be featured as the Lake Travis Film Festival’s Closing Night choices. Austin-based co-writer/director Jordan O’Neal’s Fabletown is inspired by the DC Comics series of “Fables” graphic novels and Telltale Games’ The Wolf Among Us. Set in a New York City that serves as the home for a secret community of exiled folklore and literary characters. O’Neal stars as Sheriff Bigby Wolf, aka the Big Bad Wolf, who teams up with Fabletown Deputy Mayor Snow White on a case involving an exile being victimized by a dark magic that temporarily strips them of the human guise that allows them to move freely around the city. Wolf and Snow White quickly realize they must apprehend the practitioner of this dark magic before they can expose Fabletown to the human world.
Sophie Miller’s Ranch Water follows three sisters in small town Texas as they return to their family’s ranch for one last weekend. The sisters-only weekend quickly expands to a family and friends gathering while each sister tries to make their version of this last hurrah happen. The sisters and their friends flirt with their ideas of adulthood, as well as each other. Just when everyone thinks they’ve outgrown the fights, the gossiping, and the drinking games, they’re all back in the same house they were in as children and revert to their younger, chaotic selves.
Additional highlights among the narrative films, include Austin-based filmmaker Eric Alan Rousseau’s comedy Lucky Doug about a man who decides to turn his moribund life around and come up with a genius moneymaking idea with a new catfood recipe when he finds out his long-time partner is pregnant. However, he finds out the road to success is littered by more than just cat food alone. William F. Reed’s Austin-set comedy The Good Hearts Club has some semi-autobiographical elements interweaved in its story of a group of co-workers and friends who must team up and work together in order to save Escape Room Austin from going under.
Among the impressive slate of documentaries is Jordan Orsak’s Delivering Hope which chronicles the audacious attempt by ultra-runner Kevin Kline to become the first person in history to run the northernmost 300 miles of Alaska’s dangerous Dalton Highway to raise money for children suffering from cancer, However, Kline’s body shuts down with 100 miles to go, and everything – his life included, is thrown into jeopardy. Chris Hite and Dennis Ford’s award-winning Firestorm ’77 The True Story of the Honda Canyon Fire recounts the fire fought by a thousand people consisting of professional firemen and military personnel which resulted in four fatalities, sixty-five injuries close to ten thousand acres burned and significant damage to the military installation located there. The Air Force declared it a victory, a battle won by its brave Airmen. However, those who were there will tell you a different story. As part of the screening presentation, Travis County Fire Chief Robert Abbott will lead the post screening conversation about the film. Jim Bernfield’s festival hit, Me To Play takes us backstage and onstage as two professional actors with Parkinson’s disease put up an Off-Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame.” Mike Markwardt’s The Birth & History of Western Swing offers a comprehensive and entertaining look at Western Swing’s origins in Ft. Worth and legacy in the music landscape.
To purchase festival passes or to find more information about the Lake Travis Film Festival, please go to: www.laketravisfilmfestival.com.
2022 Lake Travis Film Festival Official Selections
OPENING NIGHT FEATURE SELECTION
Sweet Disaster
Director: Laura Lehmus
Country: Germany; Running Time: 90 min
When a 40-year-old art therapist finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, the father of her child, breaks up with her to reunite with his ex.
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTIONS
Fabletown
Director: Jordan O’Neal
Country: United States; Running Time: 82 min
A community of fairy tale characters live in hiding from the mundane, human world in New York City. But when one Fable’s true identity is exposed, a long-lost ally must return to face the community’s greatest threat, or their way of life will be forever lost.
Ranch Water
Director: Sophie Miller
Country: United States; Running Time: 80 min
Before their family ranch in Texas is sold, the Sterling sisters reunite with their once close-knit group of friends for a weekend where long simmering conflicts come to a head.
ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES
Lucky Doug
Director: Eric Alan Rousseau
Country: United States; Running Time: 82 min
Doug finds out his long-time partner is pregnant, so he sets out to get rich, but quickly learns it’s not so easy to come up with a million-dollar idea.
Never Alone
Director: Paul Francis Bunch, Albert Soratorio
Country: United States; Running Time: 83 min
A high school romance is cut short by COVID and a new teacher uses music to lift their spirits.
Route One North
Director: Isabelle R Farrell
Country: United States; Running Time: 72 min
After their mother refuses to give 16-year-old Bee permission to marry, Bee and her sister set off to track down their long-absent father.
The Good Hearts Club
Director: William F. Reed
Country: United States; Running Time: 101 min
A tight-knit group of misfits, weirdos, and gamers, unite to hatch a plan to save Escape Room Austin from a corporate demise.
The Ugly Truth
Director: Krishna Ashu Bhati
Country: Germany; Running Time: 96 min
When an attractive 18-year-old comes to visit a seemingly idyllic family, profound problems are revealed, ultimately resulting in the tragic unraveling of this small family.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Delivering Hope
Director: Jordan Orsak
Country: United States; Running Time: 89 min
Eight days before his 50th birthday, ultra-runner Kevin Kline sets out to become the first person in history to run the northernmost 300 miles of Alaska’s dangerous Dalton Highway, in winter, to raise awareness for children battling pediatric cancer. When Kline’s body shuts down after 200 miles, the crew is faced with a life-changing dilemma.
Exit
Director: Alison Jayne Wilson
Country: Spain; Running Time: 67 min
In pursuit of a life above the poverty line, three women find themselves in the depths of human trafficking networks. EXIT examines what it takes to regain one’s dignity in the face of unthinkable trauma.
Firestorm ’77 The True Story of the Honda Canyon Fire
Director: Chris Hite, Dennis Ford
Country: United States; Running Time: 54 min
Military commanders, fearful of the Base’s cold war secrets being compromised, attempted to control the protocols and procedures of the civilian fire fighters called upon to battle the1977 Honda Canyon Fire on Vandenberg Air Force Base. They intead offered up their own untrained personnel to fight a conflagration that, for all intents and purposes, should have never been fought and couldn’t be beaten.
Forever Majestic
Director: Michael Stephen Schwarz
Country: United States; Running Time: 86 min
Two activists race to save a once-bustling historic landmark struck by a mysterious fire.
Katia and Rimma
Director: Gulya Mirzoeva
Country: France; Running Time: 90 min
Rimma and her granddaughter Katia of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, are waiting for the scheduled demolition of their home and their subsequent rehousing. French-Tajik filmmaker Gulya Mirzoeva follows their intimate journey towards a new life.
Me To Play
Director: Jim Bernfield
Country: United States; Running Time: 72 min
Two professional actors with Parkinson’s disease put up an Off-Broadway production of Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame,” a play he wrote after his mother succumbed to Parkinson’s as a metaphor for living with the disease.
Never Had a Bad Day
Director: Matt Richmond
Country: United States; Running Time: 66 min
Inventor, entrepreneur and engineer Bernie Karl runs Chena Hot Springs Resort in Alaska year-round on 100% geothermal power. The film follows him as he prepares for his annual energy fair.
The Birth & History of Western Swing
Director: Mike Markwardt
Country: United States; Running Time: 74 min
This landmark film traces Western Swing’s origins, development, and legacy utilizing original and contemporary voices.
The Graduates
Director: Dusan Gajic
Country: Serbia; Running Time: 86 min
Thirty years after graduating, a group of Serbians embark on an introspective journey to examine their lives and the history of Serbia.
The Innocents
Director: Wojciech Lorenc
Country: United States; Running Time: 80 min
Using a variety of found objects composers, Allen Otte and John Late explore the issues surrounding wrongful imprisonment and exoneration in the American criminal justice system.
NARRATIVE SHORTS
A Day Will Come
Director: Nicolas Cazalé
Country: France; Running Time: 29 min
A Feast That Never Comes
Director: Maria Juranic
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 min
Amaranth
Director: Robert Lloyd Moore
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 min
Ang Motel
Director: Jon Matthews
Country: United States; Running Time: 10 min
Au79
Director: Rafael Hovhannisyan
Country: Armenia; Running Time: 7 min
Valery, a retiree working as a night watchman in a newly built building, inherited gold from his
Between The Trees
Director: Kelli Horan
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 min
Between Two Worlds
Director: Jax
Country: Not Specified; Running Time: 8 min
Brother Troll
Director: Gudmund Helmsdal
Country: Faroe Islands; Running Time: 30 min
Collision
Director: Ann Marie Martin
Country: United States, Running Time: 5 min
Composure
Director: Eric DePriester
Counytry: United States, Running Time: 11:40 min
Cookaphony
Director: Joe Chvala
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 min
Crude Massacre
Director: Ven Scott
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 min
Curiosity
Director: James Sunshine
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 min
Cutter
Director: Dan Repp, Lindsay Young
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 min
Divertimento
Director: Keyvan Sheikhalishahi
Country: France; Running Time: 30 min
Dog Gone
Director: Ronald Short
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 min
El Rey
Director: Jonathan D London
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 min
Enjoy Your Stay
Director: Tara Dickerson
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 min
Fig Jam (Film)
Director: Frank J. Avella
Country: United States; Running Time: 22 min
First Day
Director: Suzanne Weinert, Julia Barnett
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min
Full Tilt
Director: Isaac Jeffrey Scego
Country: United States; Running Time: 40 min
Good Neighbors
Director: Lennon Sullivan
Country: United States; Running Time: 14 min
I Hate You
Director: Taylor Olson, Koumbie
Country: Canada; Running Time: 9 min
Jimmy Arcurio Presents: Rebel Without A Beer
Director: Mattias Marasigan
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 min
Karate Belt
Director: Stephen Huff
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 min
Lifecell
Director: Tyler Mann
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 min
Loose Ends
Director: Shrader Thomas
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 min
Man Seeking Man
Director: Travis White
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 min
Millennial Tiny House USA!
Director: Joshua Koszewski
Country: United States; Running Time: 13 min
Neon
Director: Ehson Rad
Country: United States; Running Time: 10 min
Oh Deer
Director: Richard C. Jones
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 min
Saving Salvador
Director: Luisa Maria González
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 min
Scout
Director: Allen Robertson, Damon Brown
Country: United States; Running Time: 45 min
Second Wedding
Director: Taylor Olson
Country: Canada; Running Time: 9 min
Sons of Toledo
Director: Monty Cole
Country: United States; Running Time: 20 min
Terminator: Bad Judgment Day
Director: Lisa Belcher
Country: United States; Running Time: 6 min
The Perfect Fit
Director: Anya Swanson
Country: United States; Running Time: 16 min
The Puppeteer
Director: Paul Greenamyer
Country: Not Specified; Running Time: 8 min
The Terrible Old Woman
Director: Troy Wayne Fortenberry
Country: United States; Running Time: 19 min
The West Virginian Starfish
Director: Katherine Davidson, Hyten Davidson
Country: United States; Running Time: 15 min
The Witch’s Bargain
Director: Corey J. Trahan
Country: United States; Running Time: 30 min
Wasted Seed
Director: Nino Mancuso
Country: United States; Running Time: 18 min
Yester-Year
Director: Andrew Kallimani
Country: United States; Running Time: 7 min
Zabut
Director: Giuseppe Schillaci
Country: Italy; Running Time: 21 min
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Jedi Training – Equality Begins at the First Bolt
Director: Drew J Hayes
Country: United States; Running Time: 28 min
Rector
Director: Lester Platt
Country: United States; Running Time: 22 min
Sunset at Dry Creek
Director: Budro Partida
Country: United States; Running Time: 30 min
The Art of The Headshot
Director: Keaton Davis
Country: United States; Running Time: 11 min
Three Seconds Later
Director: Justin Sweidel, Christopher Shepherd
Country: United States; Running Time: 12 min
Waterproof
Director: Ross Kauffman
Country: United States; Running Time: 31 min
MUSIC VIDEOS
AZXO – Idle Mind
Director: Joey Martinez, Zhipeng Xing
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min
Baker Hotel
Director: Billy Cano
Country: United States; Running Time: 8 min
Brandon Callies Band “Gone Cold”
Director: Brandon Norman Callies, Paco Estrada
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min
Kady Rain – Got Away
Director: Jackie Pardue Scripps
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min
Reverie
Director: Caitlin Gray
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min
Shining Light
Director: Taylor Fredricks
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min
Small One
Director: Micah Nelson, Alexandra Dascalu
Country: United States; Running Time: 4 min
Smoky Cold Pint Glass
Director: Taylor Fredricks, ImaGene Loop
Country: United States; Running Time: 4 min
Super Penguin
Director: Matthew Gilchrest
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min
STUDENT SHORTS
Dead Keys
Director: Allegra Pizzolatto
Country: United States; Running Time: 2 min
Earthbound
Director: Hendrix Crockard
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min
First Days
Director: Parker Benningfield
Country: United States; Running Time: 2 min
Gone
Director: Kyle Ward
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min
I’m Here
Director: Grace Eitrheim
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min
It’s Getting Bad Again
Director: Sarah Reyes
Country: United States; Running Time: 4 min
Saving Santino
Director: Jonathan Campos, Hans Sellers
Country: United States; Running Time: 9 min
Summer Days
Director: Ava Nicole Wilson
Country: United States; Running Time: 3 min
Sunny Side Up
Director: Lucy Kimber
Country: USA; Running Time: 2 min
The Face Off
Director: Jose Miguel Martinez-McIntosh
Country: United States; Running Time: 5 min
The Final Thought
Director: Tadji Ulrich
Country: Australia; Running Time: 10 min
The Suit
Director: Cassy Steuerwald
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 min
