The 2019 Prison
City Film Festival (PCFF) was a four-day event held at the Old Town Theater for
filmmakers to showcase their work and network.
When I
first walked in the theater the audience was very few, but I assumed it was
because it was the last day of the event. I sat in the very front, alone, and by
the end of the first film the lights came on and I turned around to a room full
of people. The screening lasted five hours and was followed by a Q&A
session where the coordinators answered audience questions.
At 6
p.m., a VIP reception was held right around the corner at The Patio with the mayor
of Huntsville, Andy Brauninger. Attendees ate and conversed while awaiting the upcoming
award show. PCFF coordinators chauffeured attendees from the restaurant back to
the theater where they walked the red carpet before entering the building.
I was
able to meet some amazing people who traveled from all over the world and
nation. There were a few Sam Houston State University students and some from
other universities like the University of North Texas and schools in Dallas.
Just about half were there for their first film festival and others on their
4ooth.
I met
many actors and actresses, two of whom stood out to me by the names of Aric
Cushing and Mark Allyn. They both have been acting for years and have a good
streak of projects they’ve been a part of. There were some who were acting for
the first time and some people who just came to watch.
The award
show was somewhat like the Oscars in my opinion. They announced awards that
were named after prison terms such as Correctional Officer Award, Sargent Award
and Warden Vanguard award. Many of the same films won at least two awards and
took home many in different categories.
After the
event was over, they had an encore presentation of some of the films that won
awards that night, and it was wonderful. The turnout for it being the second year
was pretty good; hopefully the numbers will increase in coming years.
Overall, I greatly regret missing the first
three days of the excitement, but I was thankful to make the grand finale of it
all. I highly suggest filmmakers, actors, actresses and anyone interested in
the film industry to make next year’s festival. I promise it will be worth your
time.
Light Accent 6;