The Round Top Film Festival: Warm Days and Starry Evenings

      Shanna and Skylar Schanen, the mother-daughter team behind the Round Top Film Festival, readily share what makes Round Top, Texas, unique compared to anywhere else globally.

      “It’s genuinely a boutique destination festival located between Houston and Austin (with Dallas not far) — a space for film enthusiasts to gather, enjoy music, and celebrate the craft of filmmaking,” states Shanna Schanen, the mother and film producer.

      “It’s such a getaway that if someone dropped you in the middle of Round Top from a plane, you wouldn’t even realize a city is just an hour away,” adds Skylar, the daughter, who is an actor, director, and screenwriter and often retreats to Round Top to work on her screenplays.

      “The starry nights are mesmerizing,” Shanna notes. “They’re stunning and extremely calming.”

      With a population of under 100 when the festival is not taking place, Round Top is celebrated for its shopping, music, culture, and a famous antique show known for its eclectic, unique finds. Despite its small size, it serves as a cultural center, having recently been a filming location for the new movie Family Movie, co-directed and starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.

      The creative atmosphere intensifies with the arrival of the festival. This year’s event is scheduled for November 6-9, and project submissions via Film Freeway are open until August 25.

      A scene from a Round Top Film Festival screening. Courtesy of the Round Top Film Festival.

      Shanna Schanen grew up in La Grange, Texas, about 15 miles from Round Top, while Skylar was raised in Houston.

      “When Skylar was in first grade and we lived in Houston, everything was concrete,” Shanna remembers. “I felt that our child needed to experience what I had. Round Top became the place that reconnected me to my roots…. It was a family destination where we could unwind and enjoy a slower pace of life.”

      Round Top inspired Skylar’s creativity: “I’ve always had a vivid imagination and have been writing for as long as I can remember,” she shares. “I even recall writing before I knew how to spell correctly. It was a way for me to express my imagination and alleviate my anxieties.”

      Skylar attended Chapman University’s esteemed Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and lived in New York and Los Angeles as an actor and filmmaker. However, she frequently returned to Round Top to write, saying, “there’s something enchanting about that place.”

      “Two years ago, my mom and I discussed how this town is starting to flourish, with many artists surrounding us. We thought, ‘How is there not a film festival here?’ — and that sparked a significant dream,” Skylar adds. “With a bit of luck and chance meetings, we encountered incredible people who helped us realize it.”

      Their team features programming director Mickey Duzdevich, a veteran from the renowned Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and artistic director Blair Hunt, who has experience with the cherished Napa Valley Film Festival. Their expertise, combined with the Schanens' filmmaking backgrounds, quickly established respect for Round Top.

      Round Top Film Festival Highlights

      Vondie Curtis-Hall and Virginia Madsen discuss Sheepdog at the Round Top Film Festival. Courtesy of the Round Top Film Festival.

      The festival’s debut edition last year welcomed attendees from places as distant as the United Kingdom and Denmark. Notable actors Vondie Curtis-Hall and Virginia Madsen attended to support their film Sheepdog, directed by and featuring Steven Grayhm.

      Christian Wallace, co-creator of Landman with Taylor Sheridan, also participated, presenting a special screening of the Billy Bob Thornton-led series just days before its premiere on Paramount+.

      In contrast to other festivals known for exclusivity, guests were able to freely mingle with one another.

      “It created a very warm, welcoming atmosphere – small, charming, and relaxing,” Shanna observes.

      Thanks in part to the popularity of the antiques festival, Round Top offers an abundance of hotel rooms and Airbnbs. The town lacks Uber services, so the festival arranged shuttles for guests, along with Porsche-sponsored vehicles to transport talent between venues. (Porsche will be returning this year as well.)

      A Porsche that assisted in transporting guests at the Round Top Film Festival. Courtesy of Round Top Film Festival.

      One of the festival's objectives is to provide film education to young aspiring students in the rural areas surrounding Round Top — especially those passionate about creativity, like Skylar was from an early age.

      To facilitate this, she and filmmaker Giovanni M. Porta conducted a screenwriting program earlier this year, and the festival plans to broaden its offerings to include acting, directing, and other disciplines.

      Additionally, the festival aims to achieve Academy-qualifying status within the next seven years. Currently, its biggest challenge is a fortunate one: sifting through the numerous film submissions for its second year. “We only have 40