25th Anniversary Screening of Donnie Darko Among Notable Independent Events in Waco

      The Waco Independent Film Festival, known as Waco Indie, will kick off with the popular road film Crystal Cross and conclude with the locally filmed Due West, featuring Adrianne Palicki and Henry Thomas. Additionally, there will be a special 25th-anniversary screening of Richard Kelly’s acclaimed Donnie Darko.

      The lineup, revealed on Monday, presents four days filled with screenings, parties, and panels, including a special early showing of the locally produced series The Chosen, with special guest Elizabeth Tabish, who portrays Mary Magdalene. In total, the festival will showcase 148 films, comprising 14 features, 126 shorts, and eight music videos.

      “This year’s Waco Indie demonstrates our commitment to continually innovate and support our filmmakers in every way we can, beyond just highlighting and celebrating their outstanding work on the big screen, also showcasing Waco as a welcoming host for visiting filmmakers and an excellent location for their upcoming projects," stated Waco Indie co-founders and directors Samuel Thomas and Louis Hunter. "We have expanded our venues and potential benefits, and — as we do annually — this year’s festival will illustrate that we are always expanding and nurturing the Waco Indie community.” The in-theater screenings for Waco Indie are set for July 16-19, followed by an online encore from July 19-25. The festival has recently been recognized as one of MovieMaker’s 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee and among the 25 Coolest Film Festivals.

      Crystal Cross, directed by Richie James Follin, follows a Christian singer seeking fame who embarks on a road trip with a grieving father who strikingly resembles Jesus Christ. It received the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival.

      The 25th-anniversary screening of Donnie Darko will feature director of photography Steven Poster, whose previous works include Kelly’s Southland Tales, Randal Kleiser’s Big Top Pee-Wee, Ridley Scott’s Someone to Watch Over Me, and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” music video.

      Screening venues include the Palladium, the historic Hippodrome, the Cambria Hotel, Brotherwell, the Grand Masonic Lodge, the Performing Arts Community Center, Southern Roots, Waco Surf, and, for the first time, the Waco Civic Center and the Waco Welcome Center. Evan Miller’s Due West tells the story of a woman from a small town in West Texas who is compelled to break the law in search of medical assistance. Attendees will include Miller, Palicki, and Waco’s Joey Oglesby.

      For more details about the festival, you can visit the official website.

      Main image: Waco Indie filmmakers Natalie Lynch and Tara Jayn dressed as flight attendants to promote their film In The Event at a previous edition of the festival. Photo by Rachel Neckar / Waco Independent Film Festival.