The 51st WorldFest opened with Blaze

USA                    Showing: Friday, 4/20 at 8:00pm, Saturday, 4/21 at 3pm

BLAZE  -                                                                                 

Drama, Music

127 minutes

Color, English

DIRECTOR: Ethan Hawke

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Louis Black, Gurpreet Chandhoke, Stephen Shea

PRODUCER: Ethan Hawke, Ryan Hawke, Jake Seal, John Sloss 

WRITER: Ethan Hawke, Sybil Rosen, based on her memoir “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley” 



CAST: Benjamin Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton, Wyatt Russell, Jenn Lyon, Kris Kristofferson, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Richard Linklater

CONTACT: Ryan Hawke, Under the Influence Productions

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @BLAZEmovie

SYNOPSIS:

BLAZE is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact his songs and death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The braided storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze's profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.

Content advisory: Brief gun violence, profanity, non-explicit nudity, 13+



Ethan Hawke is an Academy Award nominated actor and writer whose career as a novelist, actor, director, and screenwriter spans more than three decades. BLAZE is his most recent foray into directing, which he also co-wrote and produced. His other directing credits include CHELSEA WALLS, THE HOTTEST STATE, and the documentary SEYMOUR: AN INTRODUCTION.

Ethan Hawke’s first directorial effort, a short film called STRAIGHT TO ONE, received a Bronze Remi Award from WorldFest-Houston in 1993.

Ten Great Days in April! From the 20th through the 29th, more than 200 New Indie Films from 54 Countries, including 28 Premieres in our new Panorama China! Our new Website, designed by the brilliant creative team at Lopez Negrete Communications is now live! We have posted Film Titles, Trailer Links and Showtimes! You can purchase single tickets and VIP Series Passes Online. The Opening Night Premiere is "BLAZE", Directed by Ethan Hawke, who will attend the Premiere on April 20th at 8pm, in person to accept his Remi Career Achievement Award for his remarkable 3 decades of brilliant films! The Opening Night World Premiere of Panorama China is NINE TO NIRVANA, Directed By Evan Lu, Beijing, China!

There is a special Encore Screening of THE DIVIDE, a modern day Western, with Perry King - The Director, on hand for its Premiere. There is also a special screening of the 25th Anniversary Edition of JURASSIC PARK! And almost 200 film premieres for all kinds of Film Buffs!

We are closing with DISOBEDIENCE, directed by Sebastian Lelio at 7pm on Sunday, April the 29th! The Panorama China Official Closing Night Film is LORD OF SHANGHAI, directed by Sherwood Hu. There are 9 Master Classes in many aspects of film/video production, including the use of Drones in filmmaking, Investing in Feature Films, how to obtain amazing free stock footage from NASA and many more important subjects! All Master Classes are held at the HQ Marriott Westchase Hotel with very special rates for Filmmakers and Filmbuffs.

The Festival Club is located in the HQ Marriott Westchase Hotel for great networking with more than 1,000 Intl filmmakers attending over the ten-day festival. All Premieres at the HQ Memorial City Cinemark Theatres! WorldFest is the only film festival in the Whole Wide World with a VIP Tour of NASA, a Texas BBQ, Longhorn Steer Photo Ops and the annual WorldFest Consular Regatta at the classic Houston Yacht Club on Closing Day!  Lots more great premiere info at https://worldfest.org

WorldFest gave 1st Honors to Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee, the Coen Brothers, Ethan Hawke, John Lee Hancock, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Francis Ford Coppola, Randal Kleiser and hundreds more filmmakers! This years Remi Winners will be the Ang Lees and Spielbergs of Tomorrow!