NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) have teamed up to launch the inaugural CineSpace short film competition, which Academy Award-nominated director, producer and screenwriter Richard Linklater is set to judge.
The CineSpace competition will offer filmmakers from across the globe a chance to share their works inspired by and using actual NASA imagery. Austin-based filmmaker Linklater, a Houston native, will select five contest winners with a total of $26,000 in cash prizes up for grabs.
The CineSpace competition will offer filmmakers from across the globe a chance to share their works inspired by and using actual NASA imagery.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three submissions and the two films that best demonstrate the themes "Benefits of Space to Humanity" and "Future Space Exploration." The finalists and winners will be announced during the Seventh Annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival, taking place November 12-19.
CineSpace is open to all filmmakers, both professional and aspiring, and submissions of all genres will be accepted. Entries, which can run up to 15 minutes, must contain at least 10 percent publicly available NASA imagery and video collected throughout the agency's 50-year history.
Judging criteria includes creativity, innovation and attention to detail. The period for submissions opened June 1 and closes July 31.
"I look forward to seeing what the filmmakers do with the NASA footage," Linklater said in a press release. "As someone who grew up in Houston during the Space Age — a fun, exciting time to be a kid for sure — I've always been fascinated by all things NASA. I've been a big supporter of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival from its beginnings in 2009, and I think this competition is a great new component for it drawing on Houston's Space City identity."
The CineSpace short film competition is being held in conjunction with NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society.
Photo courtesy of Houston Cinema Arts Society NASA
The CineSpace short film competition is being held in conjunction with NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society.
Ballet Austin isn't afraid to add some edge to classic stories.
Whether or not you agree with actor Timothée Chalamet's viral assessment of ballet's popularity, it's practically inescapable on the internet right now. Some onlookers are shrugging their shoulders while others leap (jeté, if you will) to the art form's defense; Ballet Austin is taking this unique opportunity to turn a hot topic into a promotion for its next production.
In conversation with Austin actor Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas at Austin this February, Chalamet said, "I don't want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it's like, 'hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.' All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership."
Chalamet immediately seemed to experience a twinge of regret, awkwardly adding, "But um...damn, I just took shots for no reason." He also sang a note and hid his face behind the cards he was holding.
In response, Ballet Austin posted a clip of the interview March 10 inviting anyone named Timothée, Timothee, or Timothy to claim a free ticket to the world premiere of Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles.
"Timothée… you were in Austin? We were literally down the street," the post says. "Austin has brisket. Austin has music. Austin also has ballet."
If they wanted to be a bit wordier, the company also could have added, "Austin has opera," since Austin Opera is, in fact, another local organization that even performs at the same venue, the Long Center for the Performing Arts.
Even if Chalamet's words were dismissive, he's obviously not wrong about the relative distribution of public interest between the classical arts and major films like Marty Supreme, the late 2025 film he stars in and is busy promoting. The film's commercially successful release set a record for A24, an already renowned studio.
Chalamet brought up ballet and opera in service of a larger point about pacing in movies. He said he exists in a middle ground as a consumer between wanting to be drawn in early and being more patient as a film progresses. Ultimately, he juxtaposed Barbie and Oppenheimer with the classical arts, pointing out that if the masses want to go see a film, they will "be loud and proud about it" organically, without needing performers to advocate for the seriousness of the art form.
Coincidentally, there couldn't be a better counterpoint to this argument than Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles.
As the title suggests, the story follows historical figure Marie Antoinette as she chooses to become a vampire, seeking "power, immortality, and vengeance," according to an earlier press release about the production. It takes a somewhat silly premise and gives it dramatic gravitas, with an original score by Austin composer Graham Reynolds, who is known outside of classical circles and sometimes composes for movie soundtracks.
"For Ballet Austin, the moment is an opportunity to remind audiences that ballet isn’t fading away," says a short press release about the new promotion. "It’s evolving, drawing new audiences and continuing to thrive in creative cities like Austin."
If Chalamet really does fall in the middle of instant and delayed artistic gratification, this sounds like the perfect production to draw him in. And perhaps Ballet Austin should add people named Matthew to their promotion, since McConaughey threw the younger star a bone after his momentary walk-back, saying, "That's not a shot — I hear what you're saying."
All Timothées and folks with similar names will have to do to claim a ticket is send a message to Ballet Austin on social media and show identification. Everyone else who wants to see the supernatural show where "the line between victim and villain blurs" will have to purchase a ticket ($25-$125) at balletaustin.org. The show only runs for three performances from March 27-29.
