Dear Hill Country Film Festival,
I was so busy this spring that I fell behind on my correspondence! I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thanks for such a great time at the film festival in Fredericksburg last month. I can hardly believe you’ve already hosted your fourth annual event! Who would have guessed that someone like Chad Mathews, a TCU alum who worked as a filmmaker in LA for fifteen years, would return to small-town Texas and create a film festival?
And speaking of small-town Texas, please give my compliments to the city of Fredericksburg. Everyone is always so welcoming; of course, the fact that the town is packed with art galleries, German restaurants, and boutique vineyards is another plus.:) It’s also lucky that Main Street is such a pedestrian-friendly area; having all those bakeries nearby was good motivation for my morning jogs! All kidding aside, it really is amazing to see a city so involved with the event. After the festival’s final screening, I had a chat with actress Meg Cionni of Waking and Buck Wild. She summed the weekend up perfectly: “A lot of love was put into this festival, and that is just palpable.”
I’m always excited for the nightly after-parties at local restaurants, especially the closing night awards party at the Hangar Hotel—the surprise performance by Shakey Graves didn’t hurt, either. By the way, if you run into the crew from Buck Wild, be sure to give them my congratulations on winning the Cinema Dulce/Best of Fest award. Ditto if you see Jonny Mars; I’ve been waiting all spring to see Black Metal and his Best Actor win is totally deserved.
Having been a guest at past festivals, I love to see you growing stronger every year. I’m also loving all the new twists! My friends were completely jealous when I told them about the send-off reception and encore screening of Somm that happened inside the wine cellar at Becker Vineyards. Fair warning: if this type of on-location screening becomes an HCFF tradition, a few of my buddies might be crashing the party. I couldn’t help quizzing Festival Director Amy Miskovsky about what surprise locations might be in store for next year. Don’t worry; she didn’t spill your trade secrets, but she did tell me that the festival is looking to “incorporate all the great elements that Fredericksburg has to offer. All the local elements.” Well, if I may throw in my two cents, I couldn’t help noticing the local artisan chocolate shop that’s so conveniently located on Main Street. Just a thought.;)
Anyway, thank you again for the warm welcome and terrific weekend. I think of HCFF as a film festival spa experience—lovely city, wonderful film, and kind friends. I’m already excited to return for your fifth anniversary next year. Have a great summer and I hope to see you soon!
Hugs to you,
