Brazos Progressives Announces the Winners of the 8th Annual Red Wasp Film Festival at StageCenter

BRYAN, TX—On Friday and Saturday, October 15 and 16, 2010, Brazos Progressives presented the 8th Annual Film Festival at StageCenter Theater in downtown Bryan. The following awards were presented on Saturday night:

• Red Wasp Best Film Award: A Relative Stranger by Kane Senes.
• Red Wasp Best Screenplay Award: Barrel Roll by Robert Kirschten.
• Red Wasp Audience Favorite Award: Miranda by Kent Sutton.
• Red Wasp One to Watch Award: The Root and the Offspring by Zachary Honea.
• Red Wasp Independent Vision Award: Maso (Red Meat) by Adrian Vásquez de Velasco.
• Red Wasp Social Awareness Award: Claudia by Luis Antonio Rodriguez.
• Red Wasp Progressive Vision Award (18 and Under): Endangered Edgar by Amanda M. Hayes.

This year’s award for best film (Red Wasp Best Film Award) was presented to Kane Senes, the director of A Relative Stranger. Set in West Texas in 1862, A Relative Stranger tells the story of a young farmhand  who soon learns that his uncle is hiding a dangerous secret. Ashley Marcos is the production designer of A Relative Stranger. In addition to the fine acting and interesting plot, the judges noted the impressive cinematography by Juan M.R. Luna, director of photography.

Artist Theodora Saladino Krc created the Red Wasp Best Film trophy, and Village Café and Caffe Capri donated bottles of wine and gift certificates for the other prizes. The festival, which was attended by over 200 people, screened eighteen films that were entered in a competition for festival prizes. The Brazos Valley Raqs Ensemble opened the festival on Friday with two dances. After the awards were presented on Saturday evening, ACLU—Brazos Valley Chapter sponsored a community screening of New Muslim Cool (Specific Pictures, 2009), an award-winning documentary by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor about Muslim rap artist Hamza Pérez.

Carol and Craig Conlee started the Red Wasp Film Festival in 2003 at the 7F Lodge in Wellborn. After battling the red wasps at 7F Lodge, Carol decided to make peace with the insects by naming the independent film festival after them, thus transforming the familiar insect into the festival’s namesake. In 2006, Brazos Progressives began helping the Conlees organize the Red Wasp Film Festival so that the festival could continue after they moved to Mason, TX. That same year, the festival moved to Conlee Auctions in downtown Bryan, where it was held for two years. This is the third year that the festival was held at StageCenter.

The 8^th Annual Red Wasp Film Festival was sponsored by Brazos Natural Foods; Revolution; Third Eye Productions; The Internal Medicine Center, Elizabeth C. Berigan, MD; Web Unlimited; The Creative Space; Madden’s Casual Gourmet; Village Café and Art979 Gallery; Caffe Capri; Jenn Atrkins, CNC LMT, Certified Nutritional Consultant; Renee Bork, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Trager® Practitioner; Stearns Design-Build; Pilgrims in the Park, Texas Film Commission; ACLU—Brazos Valley Chapter; Daniela Weaver Photography; Dennis Grimes, Photographer; Lynn Lamoreux, Photographer; KEOS 89.1FM; and Theodora Saladino Krc.

Brazos Progressives looks forward to future film festivals, as the organization continues to promote art and independent film as an integral part our community. For a complete list of films screened at this year’s Red Wasp Film festival, visit redwasp.org. For more about Brazos Progressives, visit brazosprogressives.org.