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:

2009:

  • Red Wasp Best Film: The Christmas Conspiracy by Jennifer Clary and Kevin Haberer.
  • Audience Favorite: Forgotten Lives by Jeff Garrison-Tate and Josh Tate.
  • One to Watch: Bad Timing by Keller Davis.
  • Most Entertaining: Do You by Gordon S. Williams.
  • Social Awareness Award: Forgotten Lives by Jeff Garrison-Tate and Josh Tate.
  • Best Screenplay: Hotel School by Robert Kirschten.

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.