© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Neighborhood Film Project Winners Get Theatrical Reception

San Antonio Film Commission

It’s a project that challenges filmmakers to show what they love about their San Antonio neighborhoods. It’s called the Neighborhood Film Project, and for months they’ve been gathering 3-7 minute local films. The films about the neighborhoods inside loop 410 have been judged and now it’s all come to a head.

“Our screening for the finalists and award winners is next Thursday, June 26 at the Woodlawn Theater,” said Drew Mayer-Oakes of the San Antonio Film Commission.

Mayer-Oakes said the film project winners will have many reasons to celebrate. Finalists and winners films will be shown on the big screen, and then there’s this: "$250 for a third place finish, $750 for a second place finish, $1,500 for a first place finish and we also have a best of show, so that’s $1,500."

There’s also a payoff for the city that this kind of contest helps spawn: Filmmakers and producers of the caliber that draws more film and production work here.

“We’re growing and building those from within," Mayer-Oakes said. "Most people in those industries are well paid."

But there’s another metric that makes this worth doing.

“Some of the filmmakers simply choose to document kind of a day in the life of that community, where they follow multiple people throughout the day, and you really get an idea for what it’s like to live in that part of town,” Mayer-Oakes said.

And what better a way to help a city develop a self concept?

“The neighborhood film project matters because if we didn’t do it, nobody else would,” Mayer-Oakes said.

Watch the winning project from 2012: "Believe"

Jack Morgan can be reached at jack@tpr.org and on Twitter at @JackMorganii