Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival: A Film Festival for All!
“Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change – It can not only move us, it makes us move!”
— Ossie Davis, Award-winning Actor of TV, Stage, and Film
By Dr. Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren, Festival Founder + Producer
The inaugural Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival, taking place at the Waco Hippodrome Theater and other venues February 7-8, 2020, will leverage the power of film and storytelling to bring the Waco community together to celebrate our shared humanity. There are over 60 films being presented by talented filmmakers from all over the world. Be it comedy, drama, or animation, the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival has a film for you because it is truly a film festival for the entire family!
The team for the 2020 Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival is a dedicated group comprised of handpicked creatives, community leaders, educators, and business professionals that believe in equitable storytelling that represents all of us. The festival team has been brought together by a shared passion for the power of film and the arts to open hearts and minds, a love for the creative process, innovation, and excellence. That is why the mission for the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival is that it is “dedicated to EMPOWERING the creative spirit, SERVING with heart, and CELEBRATING all!”
Specifically, the two day event will celebrate the Waco community and feature live performances by local musical artists, film screenings at a total of 11 venues in Waco, including five churches where our “Film & Faith Soul Sessions” will take place. These specially designed screenings will use film as the entry point to discuss faith-based themes. Plus, we will end our festival with a fun Closing Night/Pre-Oscar Awards Party at Z’s at the Curry on Saturday, February 8, 2020.
In addition, the 2020 Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival will commence the start of its inaugural class of “Champions Award” recipients. This honor is dedicated to recognizing individuals and organizations who are exemplars of innovation as well as disruption in the film and entertainment industry. The 2020 “Champions Award” recipients will be Kevin Sorbo, known as “Mr. Hercules,” and also the Director of the festival’s Opening Night film, “Miracle in East Texas;” Sam Sorbo, Kevin’s wife and an acclaimed actress, model and author. Sam produced the film, “Miracle in East Texas.” Gina Neely, Star of The Food Network and New York Times Best-Selling Author, and David Littlewood, President and CEO of TFNB Bank: Your Bank for Life
The sponsors for the 2020 Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival include the festival’s Founding Partner, TFNB Bank: Your Bank for Life. The Gold Star Sponsors are
Creative Waco and Z’s at the Curry. The Awards Sponsor is the Magnolia Foundation. The festival’s Community Sponsors are Pruit Memorial Symposium at Baylor University, Cameron Park Zoological & Botanical Society, Delta Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Tru Jamaica, and Ken-Ko. The Media Partners are KWTX-TV/Ch. 10 and M&M Broadcasters, LTD.
Tickets are $5.00 to only the movie screenings at the Waco Hippodrome Theater. The rest of the screenings at the other 10 participating venues are FREE!
Ultimately, we hope to be able to make a global impact and change the face of storytelling and the storytellers in the film and entertainment industry. We also hope with this festival, we can bring people together from all walks of life and serve them with narratives, community performances, educational workshops, and more, that provoke thought, empower continued dialogue, and feed the soul.
Dr. Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. At Baylor, Dr. Lindsey-Warren teaches Advertising, Digital Marketing and is the Founder of the Baylor Business Advertising Summit. She is also the Founder and Producer of the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival. In her spare time, Dr. Lindsey-Warren sings jazz professionally and has opened for GRAMMY award-winning jazz musicians. Dr. Lindsey-Warren is married to Sidney Warren, a successful entrepreneur.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email a[email protected]for more information.