Typically when Cinapse reports on a film festival, it’s one that requires a large amount of endurance. The onslaught of content and festivities that come with Fantastic Fest or SXSW requires a certain hardiness to fully commit to. Next month, however, we’re relieved to report that just on Austin’s doorstep is a festival that offers a welcome change of pace.
The 8th annual HCFF takes place in Fredericksburg, Texas on April 27–30. The fest is hosted at the local Fritztown Cinema with Fredericksburg itself being home to good wine, great German food, and numerous historical sites. It’s a relaxed destination to enjoy the programmed features. Last year HCFF screened over 85 independent films, both short and feature length, narrative and documentary, with a focus on Texas filmmakers. Attendees were also treated to filmmaker Q&A/interviews, discussion panels, a badge-holder’s lounge, and festival parties (yep, there’s still plenty opportunity for indulgence; check out some images of last year’s fest below). This year promises much of the same, with a lineup that includes SXSW favorites La Barracuda and Dealt, check out the full 2017 lineup below along with details on tickets and badges!
2017 Official Selections — Narrative Feature Films:
Almost Paris | USA | Comedy | Domenica Cameron-Scorsese
Friday, April 28 | 12:00 pm
As Far As The Eye Can See | USA | Drama | David Franklin
Thursday, April 27 | 7:00 pm
Camino | USA | Comedy | Justin Herring
Friday, April 28 | 8:15 pm
La Barracuda | USA | Drama | Jason Cortlund & Julia Halperin
Saturday, April 29 | 7:15 pm
No Retreat | USA | Dramedy | Nicholas Zafonte
Saturday, April 29 | 11:45 am
The Big Spoon | USA | Dramedy | Carlyn Hudson
Friday, April 28 | 2:15 pm
Therapy | Germany | Drama | Felix Charin
Thursday, April 27 | 7:15 pm
Victor | USA | Drama | Brandon Dickerson
Friday, April 28 | 6:30 pm
What Children Do | USA | Dramedy | Dean Peterson
Friday, April 28 | 4:15pm
2017 Official Selections — Documentary Feature Films:
A Force in Nature: Jóhann Eyfells | USA | Hayden de Maisoneuve Yates
Saturday, April 29 | 11:00 am
Dealt | USA | Luke Korem
Saturday, April 29 | 4:00 pm
Floating Horses: The Life of Casey Tibbs | USA | Justin Koehler
Saturday, April 29 | 1:45 pm
Gabe | USA | Luke Terrell
Friday, April 27 | 12:15 pm
Walk With Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith | USA | Jesse Nesser
Friday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
2017 Official Selection — Narrative Short Films
#WhoWeKill | Russian Federation | Thriller | Pavel Ivanov
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
1 to 10 | USA | Dramedy | Robert G. Putka
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Audible Static | USA | Drama | Sai Selvarajan
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
Backstory | Germany | Drama | Joschka Laukeninks
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
Bella Donna | USA | Drama | Christopher Basile
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
Boat People | Austria | Drama | Paul Meschùh
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
Bolos | USA | Drama | Peche Roberts
Saturday, April 29 | 1:45 pm
Bruce | UK | Dramedy | Adam Etheridge
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
Chasing Grace | USA | Drama | Julia Barnett
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
Checking Out | USA | Comedy | Joseph Wright Sulek
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Chika, The Dog in the Ghetto | Germany | Animation | Sandra Schießl
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Coming to Terms | USA | Drama | David Bertran
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Crossing the Threshold | Spain | Drama | Sergio Hernández
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Cul-De-Sac | USA | Drama | Damon Russell
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
EggsChange | USA | Animation | Hee Won Ahn
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Fate of Revenge | USA | Drama | Elias Moreno
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
Guidance | USA | Comedy | Josh Wolff
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
Here Boy | USA | Comedy | Richard C. Jones
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
Hurricane | USA | Dramedy | Christiano Dias
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Illegal Move | USA | Animation | Kyle Lopez and Sana Srinivasan
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
Imaginary Friends | USA | Comedy | Jason C. Brown
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
Invisible | USA | Animation | Michael Trikosko and Andrew Wilson
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
Jack and Jill | USA | Drama | Nikhil Melnechuk
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
Jerry Don | USA | Comedy | Paden Fallis
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
Killed In Action | USA | Dama | Christine Weatherup
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
Last Night in Rozzie | USA | Drama | Sean Gannet
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
Mamá! | USA | Comedy | Leslie Langee
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
Manners of Dying | USA | Drama | Bo-You Niou
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
MISSIO: Can I Exist | USA | Music Video | Jeff Ray
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Native | USA | Drama | Travis Champagne & Stephen Kinigopolous
Friday, April 28 | 4:30 pm
One Man | Canada | Drama | Philippe Grégoire
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Oracle | USA | Drama | Mayo Whaley
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Outside | UK | Drama | David Javid Zaidov
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
PhoneHead | USA | Comedy | Matt Ryan
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
Postcards | Spain | Drama | Ines Pintor Sierra & Pablo Santidrián
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
Prelude | USA | Drama | Isaiah Stratton
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Pretty Bad Shape | USA | Comedy | Drake Howard
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
Risky Game | Germany | Thriller | Christine Kabisch and Stefan Plepp
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
Rupee Run | USA | Animation | Tarun Lakshminarayanan
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell | USA | Drama | Andrew Librizzi
Friday, April 28 | 6:15 pm
Tándem | Spain | Drama | Leandro Alastuey
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
That Day | USA | Drama | Stephanie Ard
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
The Bathtub | Germany | Dramedy | Tim Ellrich
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
The Bookworm | USA | Animation | Richard Wiley
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
The Controller | USA | Animation | Kang Yung Ho, Ian Ie and Bob Yong
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
The Debt | USA | Drama | Chris Dickerson
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
The History of Magic: Ensueño | USA | Animation | Josè Luis Gonzàlez & Dano Johnson
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
The Importance of Sex Education | USA | Comedy | L. Elizabeth Powers
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
The King | UK | Drama | Fred Casella
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
The Muse Will Find You Working | USA | Drama | Wade Koch
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
The Opera Singer | USA | Drama | Steve Kahn
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
The Perfect Day | Spain | Comedy | Ignacio Redondo Gutiérrez
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
The Ravens | Australia | Drama | Jennifer Perrott
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
The Sled | Italy | Drama | Emanuela Ponzano
Thursday, April 27 | 3:00 pm
The Visitant | Australia | Drama | Nic Barker
Friday, April 28 | 10:00 am
The Wishgranter | USA | Animation | Kal Athannassov, John Mc Donald, Echo Wu
Thursday, April 27 | 1:00 pm
Umbra | USA | Drama | Brett Bentman
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Ya Albi | USA | Drama | Christine Chen
Saturday, April 29 | 3:45 pm
2017 Official Selections — Documentary Short Films
219 | USA | Documentary | Ed Hancox
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
4 Quarters of Silence | USA | Documentary | Cody Broadway
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
American Moderate | USA | Documentary | Jared Callahan
Thursday, April 27 | 2:00 pm
Dribbling Dreams | India | Documentary | Varun Tandon
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
Midnight Oil: The Making of a Mural | USA | Documentary | Larry Ray Causey II
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
Texas Germans | USA | Documentary | Michael Brims
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
The Cycle | USA | Documentary | Audrey Billups
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
The Enchanted Rock | USA | Documentary | Bud Force
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
UNKNOWN | USA | Documentary | Gregg Baethge
Saturday, April 29 | 2:00 pm
2017 Official Showcase Feature Film (out-of-competition):
Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket | USA | Family Mystery | Paul Serafini
Thursday, April 27 | 4:45 pm
2017 Official Showcase Short Films (out-of-competition):
Anchor Point | USA | Documentary
Friday, April 29 | 2:15 pm
Chasing Light | USA | Documentary
Friday, April 28 | 12:15 pm
Hard To Believe | USA | Documentary | Ken Stone
Friday, April 28 | 10:15 am
Well Aware World | USA | Documentary | Brad Feeser
Friday, April 28 | 10:15 am
Feature Screenplay Finalists:
Speechless written by Tom Helberg
The Mortality Game written by Ed Vela
The Void written by Jakob Christensen
Union of the Snake written by Jason Harris
Vale written by Jona Bloss
Short Screenplay Finalists:
Going Back written by Rebecca Semik
Sweet Therapy written by Laura Koons
The Time Before Him written by Kevin Thrasher
Trace written by Mohsen Bagheri Dastgerdi
Traffick Jam written by Joseph Leinweber
For more details, including ticket sales, check out http://www.hillcountryff.com/
Follow HCFF on Twitter at @HC_Film_Fest