Festival Program

Night One – Sept. 18, 2026

Category: Changing Landscapes
The Voice of Old, directed by Adesh Vinod Dhage – Set in a remote village, the film follows a young tribal boy who struggles to memorize an English poem for his school assignment — a poem that ironically speaks about the disappearance of old voices and languages. On his way home, he wanders through nature, rivers, forests, and hills reciting the poem in a lyrical rhythm. When he reaches home, his grandmother sings him a century-old tribal song. Moved by its beauty, he unknowingly carries it within him. The next day, as he is punished outside the classroom, the echoes of the grandmother’s song rise again — symbolizing the fading yet resilient voice of a forgotten culture.

James Magee and the Hill, directed by Quin Mathews – Artist James Magee spent over forty years building an installation in the West Texas desert, El Paso. Often working alone or with one assistant, Magee constructed four stone buildings, in the shape of an equidistant cross, containing his large steel-and-glass sculptures.

Guardian of the Well, directed by Bentley Brown and Tahir Ben Mahamat Zene – Amid a historic drought in the southern reaches of Chad’s Sahara Desert, a well-goer recalls his lost cattle and contemplates his plans for a change in livelihood.

Sunday Mornings at the Beach, directed by Tim Reid and Aaron Hosé – When heading to the oceanside, one might expect to see surfers, joggers, and sunbathers—but not this. Each Sunday, a quiet yet powerful ritual unfolds as worshippers in Tijuana and San Diego gather on opposite sides of the border wall. Through song, prayer, and fellowship shared across rusty steel bars, an unexpected act of unity, faith, and resistance comes to life.

Category: Family Ties
Talk of the Country, directed by Riley Cusick – Mary Bockhorn inherits her family’s promising wool sock business after the sudden loss of her parents. While living in isolation at her family’s East Texas cabin and trying to make sense of her newfound responsibility, her troubles are compounded by a home invasion.

Where the Flowers Bloom, directed by Kaden Wittig and Aldair Gutierrez – In a run-down Oklahoma motel, Lily, a young girl, lives with her deaf grandmother, Delilah. Their daily life is filled with warm moments, friendship, and childhood wonder, but Lily is constantly surrounded by the tension of the harsh environment around her. When her best friend Violet’s home life begins to fall apart, Lily is forced to grow up and face a difficult situation head-on.

Love You Well, directed by Drew David Koch – Dakota shares his story of surviving abuse and the journey he went on to connect with his father.

Beaks Bloody, directed by Austin Snetksy – When the children of a deceased, world-renowned biologist learn that their inheritance hinges on assembling his skeleton, the youngest child, Sadie, guides them through a twisted puzzle, unearthing dark family secrets and confronting her own perilous role.

Category: Twisted Tales
Growth, directed by Ryan Polanco – After forgetting his anniversary, a detached husband brings home mysterious seeds in a last-ditch attempt to fix his marriage, only to grow something far more dangerous than either of them expected.

Mr. Mittens, directed by Glenn Maxwell – Mr. Mittens lived with a loving family until one day they decided to neuter him, leaving him with no choice but to get revenge on every person involved in the removal of his testicles.

Night Two – Sept. 19, 2026

Category: Unwritten Rules
Showtime, directed by Lam Can-zhao – In a remote mining village plagued by nightly blackouts, Tia, a teenage girl, expresses herself through Michael Jackson’s dance moves on TikTok—her only outlet in a world defined by restriction. When Wynne, a city woman, becomes her stepmother, their lives begin to intertwine in unexpected and fragile ways.

From a Distance, directed by Kaden Wittig – Two college students, once high school sweethearts, now fight to keep their love alive as long-distance and the demands of everyday life keep them apart.

Beach Bagels, directed by Marek Alexander Elikan – A man finds himself in a line with a bunch of strangers stretching down a nearly endless hallway. His only companion is a woman in line behind him asking seemingly random questions, but these may be exactly what he needs to escape this nightmare.

Wish You Were Here!, directed by Liam Alexander – It’s 2006, and Darren can’t drive a stick shift… Darren’s Sisyphean struggle is with a stick-shift car, but really, he’s facing off with the performance of masculinity and the expectations of other men.

Category: Made Here
The Chat, directed by Robert Bryce Neel – A man’s attempt at cooking dinner with the assistance of an A.I. chatbot takes a dark turn. This film was the winner of our first 48-Hour Film Festival earlier this year.

Redbird, directed by Michael King – What do we leave behind when we die? Redbird follows the story and legacy of Dale Purdy through the lens of the people he left behind. Through the use of interviews, archival photos and VHS tapes, filmmaker Michael King paints a picture of what it means to have people remember you.

Bruised, directed by Kevin Jabo – Frank is a quiet young man carrying pain from a troubled home. After a violent argument in the house leaves him shaken, he walks alone through the evening, using music, silence, and a gas station stop as his escape. For a moment, the outside world gives him space to breathe, but can he begin to break the cycle of hurt from his troubled home and within himself?

Gun Show, directed by Calep Lopez and Caleb Lorance – In a misguided attempt to reclaim his masculinity, a man seeks out buying a gun from a questionable dealer.

Redefining Resilience, directed by Jeremiah Hernandez and Diya Patel – Tragedy can come unexpectedly in the flash of a moment. Hannah Evans is a young lady with an unlimited future ahead of her. However, in 2023, her life, in the space of one moment, was tragically altered. This is her story—one of overwhelming obstacles and unbelievable resilience and grit.

Wonderful World, directed by Michael Dean Marbach – A man whose body is being taken from him by one of the most unforgiving diseases known — and yet whose spirit refuses to follow. From the shock of diagnosis to the daily reality of living with ALS, Clint’s story is carried by the people around him: family and friends who show up, again and again, in ways that matter.

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Dino Double Feature

The Tyler Film Festival is bringing movie night back outside for another summer screening under the stars.

On Friday, June 12, the Tyler Film Festival will host a free outdoor Dino Double Feature in partnership with True Vine Brewing Co. and the East Texas Film Society. The event begins at 8 p.m. at True Vine Brewing Co., located at 2453 Earl Campbell Parkway.

This unique outdoor screening will feature live commentary and movie riffing from local film enthusiasts Zachary Santschi, Trevor Hicks, and Skylar Flores, turning the double feature’s campy, prehistoric charm into an interactive night of laughs.

The evening will include two dinosaur-themed films:

• Tammy and the T-Rex: An evil scientist implants the brain of murdered high-school student Michael into a Tyrannosaurus. He escapes, wreaks vengeance on his high-school tormentors, and reunites with his sweetheart Tammy.

• The VelociPastor: After losing his parents, a priest travels to China, where he inherits a mysterious ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur.

This is the second year the Tyler Film Festival has partnered on a summer movie event at True Vine. Last year, the festival hosted an outdoor screening of Troll 2, bringing local film fans together for a casual night of community and conversation.