Inaugural Family and Faith Film Festival Brings Hollywood to Waco, Baylor Communities

February 3, 2020
Media Contact: Eric M. Eckert, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1964
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by Cacey Vigil, student news writer

WACO, Texas (Feb. 3, 2020) – Organizers of the inaugural two-day Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival are rolling out the red carpet – Hollywood style! – for members of the Waco, Baylor and Central Texas communities.

The Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival is a family-friendly event for all ages that will bring more than 70 national and international films to the city Feb. 6-8. The festival is designed to leverage the power of storytelling to open hearts and minds and have a positive impact on the film industry by presenting more diverse voices, said founder and lead producer Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of marketing at Baylor University.

“It was just a natural fit to celebrate family and faith in Waco,” Lindsey-Warren said. “Storytelling and imagery through movies truly matter in our society, especially when it comes to positively changing the perspectives and behaviors of how we all view each other as fellow human beings on this planet.”

Screenings and associated events, including workshops, live music performances, community gatherings and “film and faith soul sessions,” will be hosted at venues throughout the city and on Baylor’s campus. A majority of the films – including the Waco premiere of “Miracle in East Texas” – will be screened at the Waco Hippodrome. A full schedule of events and locations is available on the Waco Family and Faith Film Festival website.

Lindsey-Warren said the initial response to the festival was overwhelming but inspiring since the organization received many high-quality submissions, both short- and feature-length. She said she is excited to feature Waco filmmakers, including Baylor alumna Tori Ewing, MA ’19, whose short film “The Topaz Troop” will be featured on Saturday, Feb. 8. 

What separates this event from other film festivals is the incorporation of faith and film soul sessions following the films, Lindsey-Warren said. These sessions are designed to bring community celebration to life by using the screenings as an entry point to discuss the themes of faith depicted in the films.

The soul sessions, which will be hosted in local churches, will focus on themes ranging from letting your light shine and everlasting love to climbing mountains and overcoming fear and doubt.

Live music and performances will accompany films shown at the Hippodrome. Performers include Baylor University violinist Marion Dubose, flutist Melinda Adams and Baylor University opera singers Preston Hart and David Estrada.

Lindsey-Warren said storytelling is a powerful tool that can bring people from different backgrounds together and allow them to create a dialogue based on shared experiences.

“There’s a lot of love in this. There’s a hope to empower everybody who comes to watch these films,” Lindsey-Warren said.

Festival tickets are on sale at https://www.wacofamilyandfaithfilmfestival.com/.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.