This will be the ninth annual edition. As a point of full disclosure, I will acknowledge that I served as a screener for the festival during its first edition, where I got to know programmers James Faust and Sarah Harris. They are both still programming films for the festival, albeit with additional responsibilities; Mr. Faust serves as Artistic Director and Ms. Harris is Senior Programmer.
After eight editions of the festival, I can honestly say: I have no idea what they will program. If you ask me again next year before the program is announced, I will say the same thing. Both Mr. Faust and Ms. Harris have developed their instincts as programmers over the years, and both are capable of great surprises, pulling rabbits out of the hat as it were, and occasionally a tiger or a bear. So, filmmakers, feel free to submit, secure in the knowledge that your film will receive a fair viewing from a team of programmers led by two very open minds.
Here is a bit more about the program from an official statement:
The festival welcomes submissions for all categories. Grand Jury Prizes will be presented for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Film, Animated Short Film, Student Short Film and Texas Film Competition presented by Panavision. Audience Awards will be given for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. Additional programming categories include World Cinema, Latino Cinema Showcase, International Spotlight: Germany, Deep Ellum Sounds (music documentaries), Family Films and Midnight Specials.