The Southeast Texas Arts Council announced it will fund the Spindletop/Lamar University Film Festival with the largest grant ever awarded to the festival, a film festival spokesman said.

The South East Texas Arts Council granted the 30 percent increase in funding to the festival because of the number of visitors it draws to the area and the resulting economic impact, said Chris Castillo, a founder of the festival.

The festival’s 2004 grant was for $12,800. SETAC will fund the film festival $16,800 for 2005. In 2003, the festival received a $9,000 grant from SETAC.

“The Lamar Spindletop Film Festival epitomizes the spirit of cultural tourism,and SETAC is proud to assist in the continuation and growth of this project,” said Regina Lindsey, director of SETAC. Each year, the Southeast Texas Arts Council administering Hotel Occupancy Tax dollars to groups for the City of Beaumont to organizations, like the film festival, which successfully combine art and tourism, Lindsey said.

The Spindletop/Lamar University Film Festival has set its sights high for 2005, hoping to surpass the excitement of 2004 which included screening three Oscar-nominated films and showcasing filmmakers from New York to Los Angeles.

“We had students travel from as far away as Maryland to attend the festival, and they were not disappointed,” said O’Brien Stanley, film festival contest coordinator and a founder of the event.

The 2005 Spindletop/Lamar University Film Festival is scheduled for April 15 to 17, with the film and video competition deadline set for Feb. 12, 2005. High school, college and professional filmmakers can participate in the annual festival competition.

“We have decided to move the film festival a little later in the year to give more students filmmakers an opportunity to participate in the film and video competition,” Stanley said.

Hundreds of students from around the United States and Canada participate in the film and video competition every year. Cash prizes went to the best of show high school film and to the best college film entries. The top high school student also was offered a $500 scholarship to attend Lamar University. The winning college student took home a free ticket to Austin’s South By Southwest Film Festival, one of the premier film festivals in the U.S.

The 2005 Spindletop Film Festival begins at 7 p.m. April 15, 2005, with an opening party at the Art Studio Inc. Workshops and screenings begin at 8:30 a.m. April 16 at Lamar’s University Theatre, with evening screenings at 7 p.m. Saturday in the theatre. Sunday screenings are tentatively scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Tinseltown. The film festival is funded in part by the City of Beaumont and the Texas Commission on the Arts through the Southeast Texas Arts Council.

The 2004 festival honored Lamar University alumnus J.D. Feigelson, a 1963 Lamar University graduate, for his contribution to film in Texas. Feigelson’s “Red Water” screened on TBS this past summer. He is restoring his civil war epic “One of the Missing,” which was filmed in Southeast Texas and utilized local talent.

Early registration begins December 1, 2004, and ends February 1, 2005. Students pay $25. Non-students who register early pay $55 to attend seminars and screenings. Register at the door and pay $65.

Filmmakers can get their worked noticed by entering the annual film contest. Top winners earn cash and prizes. Overall winning entries will be viewed by industry insiders. Contest entries are due by February 12, 2005. For more information call (409) 880-8038 or (409) 880-7222.