About

When did the Red Wasp Film Festival begin?

The Red Wasp Film Festival began in 2003. Founders Carol and Craig Conlee first held the festival at 7F Lodge in Wellborn, TX.

In 2006, Brazos Progressives partnered with Carol and Craig, and the festival moved to Conlee Auctions in downtown Bryan, TX, and 2008 was the first year that it was held at StageCenter.

Where did the name come from?

Carol Conlee came up with that. When she and her husband Craig started the festival, they owned 7F Lodge (B&B in Wellborn). The first festivals were held out there, and it was in the spring. During the spring, the red wasps would return in droves (annoying some of the guests), so Carol just decided to make the “pesky” wasps part of the festival. It was one of her ways of making peace with her surroundings.

She swears that although the wasps are still present in the environment during the spring they don’t bother her any more.

So apparently the strategy worked :-)

Past winners of the festival:

2008:

  • Red Wasp Best Film: “Dirty Girl” by Jennifer Clary and Kevin Haberer.
  • One to Watch: “Violet” by Bernard Garceau III.
  • Audience Favorite: “4th and Long” by Timothy Vandenberg.
  • Most Entertaining Film: “Mock Date” by Julio Olivera.

2007:

  • Judges’ Favorite: “Lonely Highway” by Dane Hurt, Jeremi Mattern, and Chris Walker
  • One to Watch: “Cyn” by Alex Ferrari
  • Audience Favorite: “The Tragedy of the Fallen Cherub” by Julio Olivera

2006:

  • Red Wasp Best: “Wrong Way Up” by Gabirel Hardman
  • One to Watch: “Hill Country” by Antony Cherian
  • Best Student Film: “A Clockwork Orange Juice” and “Believe” (tie), both by Adrian Vasquez de Velasco
  • Audience Favorite: “Night Conversations” by Hanna Maria Sawka

2005:

  • Best of Show: “The Cost of War” by Patrick Phillips

2004:

  • Best of Show: “Another Time Around” by Brenton McCorkle
  • Audience Choice: “To Ease the Loss” by Haley McLane
  • Best Animation: “Ball” by Ben Columbus
  • Best Cinematography: “Another Time Around” by Brenton McCorkle
  • Best Editing: “The Half-Life of a Memory” by Jef Greilich
  • Most Promising Filmmaker: Haley McLane
  • Best Script: “Richard” by Kelly Williams
  • Best Documentary: “The King and Dick” by Scott Calonico

2003:

  • Best of Show: “My Name is Buttons” by Courtney Davis and John Merriman
  • Best Documentary: “Spit Farther” by Paul Stekuer
  • Best Narrative Feature: “Nora” by Courtney Davis and John Merriman
  • Most Promising Filmmaker: Dan Parsons