CineSpace: The Next Frontier By Nick Scurfield
Following an out-ofthis-world debut at last year’s Houston Cinema Arts Festival, the CineSpace short film competition returns in 2016.
On June 3, 1965, Astronaut Ed White became the first American to step into outer space.
Five winners were announced that day, including Houston’s own Mary Magsamen and Stephen Hillerbrand, who took home first-place honors and a $10,000 cash prize for their short film Higher
NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of that
Ground. Other winners and finalists – many who
momentous Gemini 4 mission in 2015. The same
attended the sold out awards ceremony at MFAH’s
year also marked the 40th anniversary of NASA’s
Brown Auditorium Theater – included filmmakers
Apollo
near-tragedy-turned
from Bogotá, Colombia; Quebec; Israel; Holland;
triumph immortalized in the Ron Howard film
New York; Los Angeles; Iowa; and, closer to home,
of the same name, highlighted by Tom Hanks’
Amarillo and League City.
13
mission,
the
indelible (if not entirely historically accurate) line, On the heels of that otherworldly success,
“Houston, we have a problem.”
CineSpace will return for a second year in 2016. NASA
The submission period opens June 1 and closes
partnered with Houston Cinema Arts Society in
July 31. Finalists and winners will once again be
2015 to launch a new short-film competition –
announced during the Houston Cinema Arts
CineSpace – that offered filmmakers around the
Festival (Nov. 10-17), with $26,000 in prizes up for
globe a chance to bring space to the big screen
grabs and Linklater returning in his role as judge.
Coinciding
with
those
milestones,
using actual NASA-captured imagery and video collected from 50 years of space exploration.
The competition is open to all filmmakers, both professional and aspiring. Submissions up to 10
The inaugural competition drew 194 entries from
minutes running time in all genres will be accepted.
22 countries and 32 U.S. states. Filmmakers
Entries must use at least 10 percent publicly
brought new visions to life using archival footage
available NASA imagery and will be judged on the
from NASA telescopes, robotic spacecraft and
same creativity, innovation and attention to detail
the International Space Station. Houston native
that are the hallmarks of spaceflight. Finalists and
Richard Linklater – a Bellaire High School graduate,
winners will have a chance to be screened at film
NASA enthusiast and Academy Award-nominated
festivals across the country, as well as on NASA
director (Boyhood, Dazed and Confused) – judged
TV and even the International Space Station –
the entries. Sixteen finalists were selected and
bringing the intrepid explorations and discoveries
premiered at Houston Cinema Arts Festival’s sold
of NASA to audiences both on and off the Earth.
out “CineSpace Day” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), in November.