Close Menu
The Baylor Lariat
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    Trending
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects
    • Baylor graduate charged after killing cats with pellet gun, hanging bodies over utility lines
    • Baylor Football’s Alex Foster dies at 18
    • Board of Regents confirms budget, renovations, new leadership in May meeting
    • How facilities responds to storms, flooding in campus buildings
    • Welcome Week leaders now paid in hopes of increasing numbers
    • 5 Baylor sports storylines to look forward to in 2025-26
    • About us
      • Spring 2025 Staff Page
      • Copyright Information
    • Contact
      • Contact Information
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Subscribe to The Morning Buzz
      • Department of Student Media
    • Employment
    • PDF Archives
    • RSS Feeds
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    The Baylor LariatThe Baylor Lariat
    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz
    Saturday, July 5
    • News
      • State and National News
        • State
        • National
      • Politics
        • 2025 Inauguration Page
        • Election Page
      • Homecoming Page
      • Baylor News
      • Waco Updates
      • Campus and Waco Crime
    • Arts & Life
      • Wedding Edition 2025
      • What to Do in Waco
      • Campus Culture
      • Indy and Belle
      • Sing 2025
      • Leisure and Travel
        • Leisure
        • Travel
          • Baylor in Ireland
      • Student Spotlight
      • Local Scene
        • Small Businesses
        • Social Media
      • Arts and Entertainment
        • Art
        • Fashion
        • Food
        • Literature
        • Music
        • Film and Television
    • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Points of View
      • Lariat Letters
    • Sports
      • March Madness 2025
      • Football
      • Basketball
        • Men’s Basketball
        • Women’s Basketball
      • Soccer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      • Equestrian
      • Cross Country and Track & Field
      • Acrobatics & Tumbling
      • Tennis
      • Golf
      • Pro Sports
      • Sports Takes
      • Club Sports
    • Lariat TV News
    • Multimedia
      • Video Features
      • Podcasts
        • Don’t Feed the Bears
      • Slideshows
    • Advertising
    The Baylor Lariat
    Home»Arts and Life

    Waco festival merges film, family, faith

    Andie ChilsonBy Andie ChilsonFebruary 6, 2020 Arts and Life No Comments3 Mins Read
    Rewon Shimray | Opinion Editor
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Andie Chilson | Reporter

    The Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival provides a platform for films and artists who are working to integrate faith and spirituality into the contemporary film industry.

    The inaugural festival began on Thursday and will run until Saturday in locations across Baylor’s campus, in churches around the Waco community as well as the Waco Hippodrome Theatre.

    The festival is working to achieve its mission of “empowering the creative spirit, serving with heart & celebrating all,” according to its website, by inviting a diverse group of artists and directors from across the country to screen their films at the festival.

    One such director, Los Angeles resident Nicole Thompson, has two films featured in the festival: “Blackbird” and “Harlem Blues.”

    “I’m so excited to have a venue to share my work,” Thompson said.

    The festival showcases films rooted in family and faith while also hosting a breadth of ideas and diverse backgrounds.

    Thompson said both of her films draw from personal experience in some capacity, but her film “Blackbird” is unique.

    “Blackbird is really important to me because it honors my grandmother,” Thompson said. “I wanted to make a film that showcases the everyday people … that also have a dream.”

    There will be a question-and-answer session with Thompson after the screening of each of her films during which she will have the chance to share the personal nature of her work.

    Founder and lead producer of the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival, Tyhra M. Lindsey-Warren is a personal mentor of Thompson’s and she encouraged Thompson to submit her work to the festival.

    “I was very lucky to have my film selected to screen, I know that there were a lot of phenomenal films that were submitted,” Thompson said.

    Los Angeles resident Katie Mae Peters is another director whose work will be featured at the festival. Peters’ film “In Utero” is a sci-fi drama that tells the story of three sisters who are faced with the end of the world.

    “Our film is all about trying to increase diversity,” Peters said. “[The writers and actors] are all black, so we were trying to focus heavily on that community, which is awesome, because it’s not something you see enough of.”

    In addition to screening over 70 national and international films, the festival also offers a series of workshops and performances by artists such as flutist Melinda Adams and DJ Augie.

    The Waco Faith & Family International Film Festival distinguishes itself from other film festivals in its emphasis on faith.

    Faith and film soul sessions will be held at churches around Waco following the screenings that will give audience members a chance to discuss the themes of faith and spirituality in the films. Topics discussed during these sessions include overcoming fear and doubt as well as the concept of eternal love.

    For more information about the Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival, visit its website www.wacofamilyandfaithfilmfestival.com or follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram @wacofamilyandfaithfilmfestival and Twitter @WacoFilmFest.

    Andie Chilson

    Keep Reading

    What to Do in Waco: Summer Edition

    Fields of joy: Western Belle Farm’s Sunflower Festival returns this May

    Review: ‘Until Dawn’ starts strong, gets lost in the fog

    A&L Tunesday: May 6

    Waco roots to recognition: Texas short film gains national traction

    25th annual Black Glasses highlights best of Baylor filmmakers

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recent Posts
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown June 27, 2025
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects June 26, 2025
    About

    The award-winning student newspaper of Baylor University since 1900.

    Articles, photos, and other works by staff of The Baylor Lariat are Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.

    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz

    Get the latest Lariat News by just Clicking Subscribe!

    Follow the Live Coverage
    Tweets by @bulariat

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    • Featured
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Arts and Life
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.