Director, Documentarian and an Actor Honored in Texas Film Hall of Fame

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By Becky FogelNovember 16, 2016 10:56 am

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

Former President George W. Bush had some advice for President-Elect Donald Trump when he spoke in Dallas Tuesday. Bush cautioned not to let anger drive policy, especially when it comes to trade:

“The job of a president is to recognize that trade encourages growth and fair trade is important for the workers.”

While speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Bush added that he doesn’t think it’s helpful for a former president to criticize his successors.




The Austin Film Society has announced their 2017 honorees for the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

Getting the nod are actor Tye Sheridan and directors Hector Galan and Jeff Nichols.

Film Society CEO Rebecca Campbell: “Three huge Texas talents with the caveat that Jeff lives in Austin and has for 12 years, but is originally from Arkansas, but that’s okay, he got here as fast as he could.”

You might know Jeff Nichols for his work on “Mud”, “Midnight Special”, or his new movie “Loving”.

Campbell explains why they decided to induct Nichols.

“Jeff is a true auteur who has an international reputation,” she says. “He is making some of the most celebrated new American narrative films and living right here in Austin.”

Hector Galan’s award was a first for the Austin Film Society.

“He’s the first documentary filmmaker to be inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame,” Campbell says.

The San Angelo native has been making documentary films for the last 40 years, including the four-part series “Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement.”

“Hector has captured the Latino experience in a way that has been unmatched,” Campbell says. “It’s important that truthful stories be told about real experiences of diverse Americans and Hector is a poster child for a storyteller of that type.”

Rounding out the list of inductees is Tye Sheridan – who will be honored as a Rising Star.

At the age of 20, he’s already been in movies like “The Tree of Life” and is slated to star in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “Ready Player One”.

“What’s fascinating about Tye is that he’s already making choices to be in these commercial hits, but also working with a lot of Texas directors,” Campbell says. “He’s doing artistically ambitious and edgy work.”

These three Texans will be honored at the Texas Film Awards in March.




The Texas Tribune reports that the U.S. Geological Survey made its biggest discovery of crude of all time, and it’s under parts of West Texas.

Inspectors say some 20 billion barrels of oil are in the Midland-area Wolfcamp Shale.