Mission Statement
Houston Cinema Arts Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and illuminating the vitality and diversity of the City of Houston by presenting a festival of innovative cinema, mixed-media performances, new media, and installations to promote Houston's economic development, enrich the film and arts environment, and foster cross-cultural understanding.
Description
Founded in 2008, the Houston Cinema Arts Society illustrates how Houston’s cultural entrepreneurship is taking off along with our diverse population and economy.
HCAS received 501(c)(3) status in September 2008 and presented a weekend Film Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and Rice University. HCAS launched its inaugural five-day film festival in 2009. In addition to its now-annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival (HCAF), held in November, HCAS presents a variety of initiatives and programs including a growing schedule of year-round screenings, events, performances, and guest lectures.
HCAS is proud to collaborate on many of its programs with a number of Houston’s finest arts, cultural, and other nonprofit organizations. Partners have included The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum, Inprint, Blaffer Art Gallery, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, Houston PBS, Houston Ballet, HGOco-Houston Grand Opera, Aurora Picture Show, Southwest Alternate Media Project, Texas Children’s Hospital, and others. Current initiatives in progress include expansion of educational outreach with HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL ON THE ROAD to take films about the arts to Houston area high schools and internship programs with the University of Houston Valenti School of Communications and Houston Community College Film Department.
