AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 2, 2021) – The Hill Country Film Festival (HCFF), presented by the Hill Country Film Society, announced today it will host its 12th annual festival in the heart of historic downtown Fredericksburg with screenings to take place across two new venues – the Great Hall at the Hoffman Haus and the Nimitz Ballroom at the National Museum of the Pacific War. The festival will take place July 29 – August 3, 2021.
Independent filmmakers from around the world are welcome to submit shorts (less than 30 minutes) and features (90-120 minutes). The festival is also accepting student short films (less than 30 minutes) produced through a high school or university program. New for the 2021 season is a short film category with the festival accepting films with a runtime of six minutes or less.
Regular deadline is April 9, 2021. Late deadline is May 7, 2021, with an extended deadline of May 21, 2021. Film selections will be announced June 21, 2021. All films can be submitted here. Submission fees can be found via this link.
“Our want is to host the 12th annual festival in 2021 in-person with the same compelling, diverse programming, engaging expert panel discussions, and variety of exciting hosted events filmmakers and guests have come to expect from the HCFF,” said Chad Mathews, executive director, for HCFF. “However, the safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, and staff will take top priority as we continue to plan for next year’s festival with unknowns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. While hosting the entire festival in-person is our preference, we will be flexible and build in alternative plans in the instance we need to pivot to a hybrid model consisting of both in-person and virtual elements or host festival completely online like the approach we took for our 2020 festival. Regardless, we are excited to receive content from filmmakers worldwide over the next several months as we look to program for 2021, aiming to screen high quality independent films that encourage personal discovery and inspire and engage our guests.”
Cash prizes will be given to winners of the festival’s Cinema Dulce Best of Fest and Best Texas Film awards sponsored by Texas’ premier boutique winery Pedernales Cellars. Pedernales Cellars has a long-standing commitment of supporting the development of regional arts organizations, especially those with a strong educational mission. Through these awards, Pedernales Cellars looks to extend its support to include excellence in independent filmmaking for the benefit of the Texas Hill Country community and beyond.
All access festival badges and day passes will be made available starting in early summer 2021 via the festival’s web site at www.hillcountryff.com. Additional festival news can be found on the HCFF Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HillCountryFilmFestival and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HC_Film_Fest.
About Hill Country Film Festival
Set in Fredericksburg, Texas, the Hill Country Film Festival (HCFF) is the vision of its director Chad Mathews, an actor, screenwriter, producer, and native Texan. Having participated in the film festival circuit, Mathews came to love the camaraderie and shared respect of those who are committed to the art of independent filmmaking. HCFF was created to celebrate and showcase filmmakers from Texas and around the world and is annually presented by the Hill Country Film Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.hillcountryff.com.
About Hill Country Film Society
The Hill Country Film Festival, created in 2010 to celebrate and showcase filmmakers from Texas and around the world, quickly evolved into a non-profit organization with a broader vision. The Hill Country Film Society not only hosts the annual festival, but also provides year-round independent film programming in the Texas Hill Country as well as education in the art of independent film. The society relies on its sponsors and members to help achieve its mission and ensure the future of film as part of a vibrant, creative culture.
