The annual Lone Star Film Festival Gala is set to hit Fort Worth with Hollywood icons on Friday, Nov. 10, at the Hotel Drover. In collaboration with Lone Star, the Fort Worth Film Commission, operating under Visit Fort Worth, is co-producing the 2023 gala and festival.
Dallas-native Luke Wilson is set to receive the esteemed Bill Paxton Achievement in Film Award, an honor named after Bill Paxton, a co-founder of the Lone Star Film Festival and a beloved native actor from Fort Worth. Past honorees include Taylor Sheridan, Ethan Hawke, Paul Schrader, Jeff Nichols and more.
Wilson is best known for his recurring roles in Wes Anderson’s cult classics such as Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums.
The actor is currently working on You Gotta Believe, a Fort Worth-based story about the 2002 Westside Little League team. Dedicating their season to the ailing father of one of their players, the team advanced to the semifinals of the Little League World Series, only to lose the game. Wilson portrays the role of the dying father, taking on the character of assistant coach Bobby Ratliff. A few months after the World Series journey, Ratliff succumbed to terminal cancer, leaving a lasting impact. The Westside All-Stars served as pallbearers at his funeral.
But Wilson is not the only honoree with Texas connections.
The Pioneer Award will be given to 101 Studios CEO David Glasser for his contributions in bringing numerous successful film projects to Fort Worth. Collaborating with Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone, Glasser played a pivotal role in bringing several groundbreaking productions, some of which were filmed in and around Fort Worth in recent years. Notable among these are 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story and the upcoming premiere of Lawman: Bass Reeves on Nov. 5, 2023.
Singer/songwriter Charley Crockett will also be honored during the gala, receiving the Stephen Bruton Award. Crockett hails from San Benito, the South Texas hometown of icon Freddy Fender. Past award recipients include Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, Willie Nelson, Betty Buckley, Waylon Payne and more.
Marty Bowen, a television and film producer, will be honored with The Visionary Award at the Lone Star Film Festival Gala. Bowen’s company, Temple Hill Entertainment, is behind films such as the Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars, Fatherhood and more.
Single seats for The Lone Star Film Festival gala are priced at $750 each, while tables begin at $12,500. The proceeds from all ticket sales will be directed towards the Johnny Langdon Film Education Initiative. Tickets can be purchased here.
