Let your inner film buff roam free with 10 days of 170 film screenings, seminars, award ceremonies, and more at the 51st annual WorldFest-Houston, taking place at Cinemark 18 in Memorial City from Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 29, 2018.
Since 1961, WorldFest-Houston has celebrated creative excellence in the emerging cinema of independent filmmakers from around the world. Now embarking on their 51st year, the festival showcases the talents of countless individuals while offering seminars to future filmmakers.
For 2018, WorldFest-Houston is shifting to a new location, showing all films at the recently renovated Cinemark 18 at Memorial City Mall.
More than 1,000 International filmmakers from 74 countries are expected to attend the film festival’s 10 days of festivities.
Click here for a complete list of ticket options, showtimes, and dates.
Rising Talents Past & Present
Over the course of its rich 51-year history, WorldFest has awarded top honors to many industry greats before they were famous, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, the Coen Brothers, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Gavin Hood, John Lee Hancock, Michael Cimino, Brian de Palma, Oliver Stone, Ang Lee, Atom Egoyan, David Lynch, and more.
To open the 51st WorldFest-Houston, Ethan Hawke will attend and personally introduce Blaze, the 2018 film he co-wrote and directed. Hawke will also be attending the post-screening champagne afterparty.
This year also features the thirteenth annual Italian Panorama, highlighting new and emerging films from Italy, as well as the fourth annual Panorama China which surveys modern Chinese cinema from independent and major studio films.
WorldFest-Houston also continues its annual Short Film Showcase, with a review of 108 award-winning short films from around the world.
In addition, eight of the feature films premiering during WorldFest-Houston will feature the directors conducting a post-screening Q&A session. These films range from a Greek biographical film and Italian experimental cinema to American thrillers and Indian drama.
Screenings & Event Locations
Cinemark Memorial City, the new location welcoming WorldFest, provides a luxurious experience to festival goers with leather lounge seating, 4K projections, and enhanced sound systems meant to translate exactly how these emerging filmmakers intended their films to be viewed.
As for other festivities, the Houston Marriott Westchase Hotel serves as the venue for the April 28 awards dinner, as well as nine film industry seminars.
The Houston Yacht Club will host a regatta and barbecue to close the festival on April 29. All screening and festival events are open to the general public.
Ticket Options
Tickets to the Opening Night Premiere are $25 for the film only or $50 for the premiere and admission to the champagne after party.
Ticket prices start at $7.50 for matinee screenings (1pm and 3pm); $12.50 for all evening screenings; $100 for a VIP Film Buff Pass which is good for any 11 admissions (not including Opening Night); $200 for a VIP Silver Screen Pass which includes all screenings (and Opening Night); $500 for a VIP Gold Pass to all shows and the nine Master Class seminars, and $1000 for a VIP Platinum Pass which includes every single event throughout the festival calendar.
Click here for a complete list of ticket options, showtimes, and dates.
51st Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival
- Dates: Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 29, 2018
- Times: Times vary daily for events and individual movies. Click here for a complete list of events, show times and dates.
- Location: Screenings at Cinemark Memorial City, 310 Memorial City Way, Houston, TX 77024; all other festival events at Houston Marriott Westchase, 2900 Briarpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042
- Parking: Free lot parking is available in the surrounding area
- Admission: Tickets to the Opening Night Premiere are $25; tickets to the premiere and post-film champagne after party at $50; VIP Platinum Passes are $1000. Tickets to individual movies, Film Buff passes; week-long passes or tickets to other special events may be purchased online or in person at the Cinemark Memorial City Theatre. Click here to order tickets or for more information.
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