Through film, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival digs deep into the stories, people and culture of the Bayou City

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Documentaries, features, shorts.

Photography, music and dance.

It's time again for the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, which is currently taking place – in person and virtually.

Today, we explore our local film culture by diving into the 13th annual festival – whose theme is “The Third Coast,” a tribute to the Gulf Coast region and especially Houston, where the term was coined.

How do the films and filmmakers on this year’s festival reflect our city, and the times in which we live?

Whether you’re into documentaries, short films or Houston stories, share your questions about the festival, the local film industry and the indie movies being made today.

Guests:

Jessica Green

Artistic Director, Houston Cinema Arts Festival

Jim Townsend

Executive Director, Houston Cinema Arts Festival

Michael Robinson

Associate Creative Director, Houston Cinema Arts Society
Curator of shorts for Borders No Borders Narratives and Documentaries

Jenny Waldo

Writer, Director and Producer of Acid Test
Encore screening of Acid Tes" on December 7 at Eureka Heights. Tickets will be on sale later this month.

Aaron Sainz

Producer of Bushwick Bill: Geto Boy

Susan and Alan Raymond

Filmmakers of The Third Coast (40th Anniversary)

Dr. Shelah Leader

Organizer/attendee of the 1977 National Women's Conference
1977 National Women's Conference: A Question of Choices
Author of "American Women in the Move: The Inside Story of the National Women’s Conference, 1977 by Shelah Gilbert Leader and Patricia Rusch Hyatt" (Lexington, 2016)

Dr. Leandra Zarnow

1977 Digital Humanities Project with Center for Public History at the University of Houston
1977 National Women's Conference: A Question of Choices

Ronald L. Jones 

Filmmaker of Again, Together 

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Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.