Lone Star Film Festival to screen Fort Worth native’s new movie with Oscar buzz
Coming off an Oscar nomination for his last film that screened at the Lone Star Film Festival, a Fort Worth-born filmmaker is returning to Cowtown with his latest project.
Greg Kwedar’s new movie “Train Dreams” is among more than 80 films that will be screened at the 19th annual festival in Fort Worth from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5. Last year’s festival lineup included “Sing Sing,” which Kwedar directed and co-wrote. The prison drama went on to earn three Academy Award nominations for lead actor, original song and adapted screenplay.
The Lone Star Film Festival began in 2007 when Fort Worth film advocate Johnny Langdon and actor Bill Paxton wanted to celebrate the artform and showcase the city.
While the screening location for the 2025 festival has not been announced yet, the Modern Art Museum served as the main hub last year.
Fort Worth native’s new film to screen at 2025 Lone Star Film Festival
“Train Dreams” is based on Denis Johnson’s novella of the same name.
The film follows Robert Grainier, “a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th Century.” The film stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr. and William H. Macy.
Kwedar co-wrote and executive produced the film, while his creative partner Clint Bentley directed and co-wrote the project. The duo flip-flop directing duties on each project, but they co-write every film together.
“Train Dreams” premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and was quickly purchased for distribution by Netflix. The streamer will release the film in select theaters on Nov. 7 and on its streaming service a couple weeks later on Nov. 21.
While the Oscars are still months away, both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter predict “Train Dreams” will be nominated for at least one or two awards.
Kwedar was born and raised in Fort Worth, graduating from Trinity Valley School in 2003. After high school, he pursued an accounting degree at Texas A&M but abandoned his studies to go into filmmaking. Kwedar is now based in Austin.
Feature films premiering at 2025 Lone Star Film Festival
In addition to “Train Dreams,” here’s a look at the other feature films premiering at the festival.
“Battersea”
- Description: Estranged siblings reconvene at their childhood home, where they spend a precarious weekend drinking and talking — uncovering the narratives and secrets that have shaped their lives.
- Director: John Anthony, T.J. Sandella
- Cast: Nancy Kimball, Jesse Howland, Fernando Blanco
“Do No Harm”
- Description: When a simple mistake turns into a fatal error, a burned out nurse is trapped by the system, crushing expectations, and the lies we tell to survive.
- Director: Chris Hartwell
- Cast: Harry Shum Jr., Rosaline Elbay, Jimmy Gonzáles
“Due West”
- Description: A small-town woman in need of medical care in West Texas is forced to break the law.
- Director: Evan Miller
- Cast: Adrianne Palicki, Henry Thomas, Ciara Bravo
“Left Behind”
- Description: The gripping new feature documentary “Left Behind” tells the story of five tenacious mothers determined to establish the first public school in New York City for children with dyslexia.
- Director: Anna Wild Toomey
“The Long Run”
- Description: When two oddball strangers leave their lives behind to chase their Hollywood dreams, they discover that what they lack in talent, they make up for with determination and a shared delusion, leading to an unexpected friendship that will make them question the realities of chasing a dream.
- Director: Mylissa Fitzsimmons
“A Rare Grand Alignment”
- Description: In the winter of 1982 three American boys found themselves stranded in a cable car with a dead body, midair in the mountains of Norway, during a rare celestial event.
- Director: Cinqué Lee
- Cast: Roman Griffin Davis, Felix Jamieson, Charlie Price
“Recovering the Stories: Exploring the History & Resilience of the Dallas Film Community”
- Description: “Recovering the Stories” chronicles different neighborhoods and significant events from across Dallas, tracing the impacts on BIPOC communities from the past to present. From Fair Park to Little Mexico and neighborhoods in between, this video series is a closer look at how subjects like police brutality and gentrification have disproportionately affected BIPOC communities in Dallas.
“Sell Out”
- Description: A neurotic novelist can’t tell if his biggest problem is the blank page, his Southern family —or his best friend’s off the rails political campaign.
- Director: Nick Ashy Holden, Josh Ashy Holden
- Cast: Stephanie Hunt, Temple Baker, Olivia Grace Applegate
“Soul Searchin’”
- Description: A feature-length documentary that delves into the passionate world of rare soul music record collectors. It highlights how these enthusiasts transform obscure tracks into cultural treasures, preserving the legacies of forgotten artists within the Mexican American (Chicano) community and beyond.
- Director: Jesus Cruz
Short films premiering at 2025 LSFF
Over 70 short films will screen at the festival.
- “All Beauty Queens Have Broken Bones”
- “The Bad Crow”
- “Bailando Culture”
- “Becoming Harry”
- “Before Morning”
- “Birdie”
- “Bot”
- “Butch & Mandalin: The Search for the Golden Morral”
- “The Carrot”
- “Charles & Slim”
- “Classic”
- “Cockroach”
- “Come Back”
- “Contracting the Cooties”
- “Counterfeit”
- “Dave is Indecisive”
- “The Day We Flew”
- “Don’t Feed the Unicorn”
- “El Lloren”
- “Elvira”
- “An Excess Baggage”
- “The Fruter And The Husband”
- “George”
- “The Greatest Guy You Never Met”
- “Hide”
- “Holo”
- “How It Should Be”
- “How Very, Very Nice to Meet You!”
- “I Guess this is Goodbye”
- “I’m Not Sure”
- “It’s Hard Not to be Romantic About Time Travel”
- “Keep Watch”
- “Kitty Bravo in Freefall Failure”
- “La Artesana”
- “Light Sleep”
- “The Long-Reigning King of Rollercastle Skateland”
- “Madawa”
- “The Man That I Wave At”
- “Motos”
- “The Mourning Of”
- “Neches”
- “On Hold”
- “Operation: Break Up”
- “Paper Boat”
- “Patina”
- “The Pearl Comb”
- “The Plan”
- “Planet Fitness”
- “Prime”
- “The Roditi Rule”
- “Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles”
- “She Said So”
- “Sienna and the Sit”
- “Slush”
- “Snow Bear”
- “Something Blue”
- “Somewhere You Feel Free”
- “Starlight Cantina”
- “Storage Fees”
- “Supercritical”
- “They Call Me the Tattoo Witch”
- “Tiny Tree Concert”
- “Tranquility Rings Transcendence Series”
- “Trash Gun”
- “Until Daylight Comes”
- “A Very Crowded Room”
- “The Vote”
- “What if We Could Say”
- “The Wingman”
- “The Writer”
- “Yer Smackin”
- “Yolk”
When do 2025 Lone Star Film Festival tickets go on sale?
Festival passes are on sale now.
The all-access pass includes access to all films, afternoon talks with filmmakers, entry to evening parties/social events and complimentary beverages at parties/happy hours. The pass if $275 until Oct. 1, when it will increase to $300.
For those looking to only watch films, the movies-only pass includes access to all screenings for $175.
Individual tickets for each screening will go on sale on Oct. 2. The full festival schedule will also be revealed on the same day.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 2:50 PM.
