What a month!

Everyone who has celebrated La Reunion month was amazed by something. It's been our most ambitious programming effort, but also most representative of all that La Reunion TX is and will continue to be. Truly something for everyone. And we're not finished! Today you can learn about the history of the original La Reunion colonists who were so influential on Texas and Dallas in general and Oak Cliff in particular at the DMA. Tomorrow local architecture students will present their semester final projects – ideas for studios and artist housing at our site. Also tomorrow we find out if we've received funds from the Dallas Women's Foundation for Art Chicas Unidas.

Our first birthday celebration last night was far and away the most inclusive event we've hosted - from the ages of those in attendance (newborn infants through retirees) to the type of arts we featured – salsa performance and dance instruction; culinary; improv; breakdancing; and do-it-yourself shrinky-dinks. The historic Sons of Hermann Hall was once again our venue thanks to its lovely president Jo Nicodemus. A wonderful time was had by all because of help from outstanding volunteers – event coordinator Michael Hogenmiller; doormen Paul Semrad, Alvaro Garza, and Vance Wingate; door prize wrangler Leah Shafer; shrinky-dink activity leader Jessica Stewart; photographer Dominick Mastrangelo; set up aide Brad Ford Smith; and midnight tour guide Susan Cuellar (aka my mom)! Thanks again to sponsors Viking, Petropolitan, MAKE, From The Ends of the Earth, Green Living, Pandemonium, Crosby Catering and Coffee, and the Ballen family (founders of the LaFonda Hotel in Santa Fe, NM).

Extra special love to everyone who attended our events all month long, and we look forward to continuing our growth and positive impact on Dallas for years to come!

Free workshop helps fund films

Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund Workshop: Dallas Filmmaker Grants
Wednesday April 25, 2007
7PM to 8:30 PM
Magnolia Lounge
1121 First Ave
Dallas, Texas 75226
(in Fair Park next to the African Museum and the Music Hall)
Workshop is FREE!
Call 214 428 8700 for more info.

The Austin Film Society's Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund (TFPF) has a ten-year history of supporting Texas filmmakers with cash, goods and services - $675,000 for 222 film and video projects at last count. TFPF recipients have shown their films at festivals like Sundance, Cannes and Toronto and have been nominated for Independent Spirit Awards. This year, TFPF will award $150,000 to Texas filmmakers working in all genres of film and video.

The Austin Film Society's Director of Artist Services Bryan Poyser will be joined by Dallas filmmaker David Lowery (whose short film THE OUTLAW SON received a TFPF grant in 2005), to take you through the application process step-by-step.

Presented in partnership with the Video Association of Dallas.

For more information about TFPF, please visit
www.austinfilm.org/for_filmmakers/texas-filmmakers-production-fund