Having lived in Texas most of my whole life, despite trips to Los Angeles and New York here and there, it’s always seemed like any career in film and video is possible, but its ceilings might be more limited than those working in the traditional industry hotbeds.
And while that might still be the sentiment for many, it’s becoming less clear-cut than before. The industry is changing in a million ways at once, which is the scary side of the good news. The more uplifting side is that filmmakers are emerging all across the globe and building their communities along with their own success.
That’s certainly the biggest lesson I gleaned from attending the 2026 Texas Film Awards, amongst several other highlights and observations.
Honoring Filmmaking Outsiders
Hosted by the Austin Film Society, a non-profit organization founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, the AFS has a mission that mirrors its founder’s outsider approach to filmmaking. Linklater first came to prominence with his indie slacker film, Slacker, and found greater success channeling his Texas high school experiences into Dazed and Confused.
Linklater, of course, has gone on to make films both inside and outside of Hollywood, but like other honorees and hosts of the 2026 Texas Film Awards, the night was about honoring auteurs and actors who blazed their own paths regardless of what inside or outside opportunities were presented to them.
2026 Texas Film Awards
Set up in a former airplane hangar-turned-studio on the lot of Robert Rodriguez’s Trouble Maker Studios, the 2026 Texas Film Awards honored filmmakers like Julian Schnabel and Rodriguez, as well as esteemed and up-and-coming actors like Sonny Carl Davis and Sydney Chandler, along with those responsible for the original Spy Kids film.
Founded back in 2001, the Texas Film Hall of Fame is a nice example of how galas and awards shows don’t only have to happen in Los Angeles and New York. Those might get the biggest stars and television deals, but you could also argue that they’re not really as much about honoring and supporting filmmakers as they once were.
Credit: Austin Film Society
Building Your Own Legacy
If you live in a major filmmaking hub, you’ll always have an advantage at least in terms of the support and ceiling for your success, but if you’re in more minor hubs like Austin, Atlanta, or whatever state currently has the best incentives, or even if you’re in what feels like the middle of nowhere, it’s important to remember that it only feels like there’s nothing for you until you build it yourself.
That was one of the main messages from Robert Rodriguez’s final speeches of the evening, speaking as part of a group featuring his producing partner Elizabeth Avellán, and the actors from the original Spy Kids film, Daryl Sabara, and Alexa PenaVega.
All it takes is a person with a movie camera (or an iPhone or computer, these days) and some creative collaborators and friends, and not only can a film be made, but legacies can be built—and eventually celebrated with fancy galas and awards.
- A Massive List of Spring 2026 Grants, Labs & Fellowships ›
- Here Are All of the Exemplary Winners of This Year’s Austin Film Festival Script and Film Competitions ›
- How Changes to the Nicholl Fellowship Submissions Will Affect You ›
- 2026 BAFTA Award Winners ›
- Why the Austin Film Festival Is #1 for Screenwriters (and Could Texas Be #1 for Film Production?) ›
