The inaugural Lake Travis Film Festival kicked off Thursday amid celebrities, city leaders and just plain folks.
“I am super happy,” founder Kat Albert said of the event that has been two years in the making. “I think the programming has been good. The audience has been very receptive to the movies we selected.”
First up was “Class Act: Dance Hall Divas,” an inspirational documentary about a local dance troupe of women who are mostly in their 80s and 90s. The end of the film was met with applause and tears from the audience.
“We get films out here that this audience would like,” Albert said.
“Writer’s Block,” an intriguing story about a struggling novelist who accepts an unusual offer from a successful writer was shown next, followed by two documentaries: “Cowboys” and “Family in the Bubble.”
Chris Warner, who plays the character Digger Haskell in “Writer’s Block,” attended the showing, proudly claiming his Texas roots.
“I think it kicks ass, to tell you the truth,” he said of the local festival. Although Warner lives in Los Angeles now, he resided in Austin for 11 years after leaving his hometown of Killeen. “I’m very proud of this film. I’m very proud that the writers and the director are Texas guys. They grew up in Texas. They’ve known each other for years. They were high school buddies. I love the fact that it’s kind of a Texas story. I love the fact that everybody who is pretty much a part of it is either from Texas or has been here a long time.”
Budding screenwriter and Austinite David Keenan attended the opening session and is anxiously awaiting the fate of one of his two submissions, a finalist and a semi-finalist in the festival. He said he became involved with the event because it was a great opportunity to show his work.
“It’s tough to get into some of the bigger (film festivals),” he said.
“Dance Hall” director and cinematographer Michael Moss said he saw the “divas” perform at a program and felt compelled to tell their story. Troupe members, who range in age from 72 to 94, have been dancing together for about 15 years, performing to show tunes and oldies music. Many of them were in Austin High School’s 1948 graduating class.
The documentary began filming in 2015 with nine troupe members, but a performer died last year. The film premiered in 2019 at the Dallas Independent Film Festival and has already won four awards, including a German festival centered on aging.
Moss, a full-time moviemaker, said he filmed the group for three years at rehearsals and performances, in between his other projects. Whereas he said their dancing is “awesome,” Moss relishes the individual interviews he had with each member.
“Sitting and just hearing their personal stories, someone who has been around a lot longer than you that has a little perspective, has some stories,” Moss said. “I want (the viewers) to be moved. I want them to be touched and go, ‘Wow, I hope I’m doing that when I’m 93.’”
The festival continues at various Lake Travis venues through Sunday. For more information, go to www.laketravisfilmfestival.com.
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