Bullock Museum announces return of Texas Focus Film Series with a 50th anniversary screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Event celebrates the landmark Texas film with a sold-out special screening and live Q&A

OCTOBER 15, 2024 (AUSTIN, TX) — The Bullock Museum’s Texas Focus Film Series will return on October 18 at 6 p.m. with a sold-out screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Following the screening, the film’s co-writer, Kim Henkel, composer, Wayne Bell, and star, actress Teri McMinn, will join for a Q&A.

“Texas Focus celebrates the vibrant legacy of cinema in our state, and what better way to kick off the series’ return than with the 50th anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” said Jessica Hanshaw, Public Programs Manager at the Bullock Museum. “This groundbreaking film put Texas on the horror map and continues to captivate audiences to this day. We’re thrilled to bring it back to the big screen for a new generation of fans and long-time devotees alike.”

The Bullock Museum first introduced the Texas Focus Film Series in 2015 to highlight stories by, for and about Texans. Each event in the celebrated series included a film screening followed by a Q&A session with scholars, filmmakers, and actors, examining the film’s relevance to the modern world. When the Museum briefly closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Focus continued as a digital series where guests could stream films at home and join virtual discussions. Now the series is back in the Texas Spirit Theater to continue exploring the richness and diversity of Texas-related cinema. The Bullock plans to screen four films per year in partnership with the Texas Film Commission.

The 2024-2025 series will continue with A Way of Life: East Texas Cowboys screening and panel discussion in January. This observational documentary follows a group of daywork cowboys and their dogs, a family of horse trainers, and the controlled chaos of an auction house located in the heart of Texas cow-calf country. Following the film, audience members are invited to stay for a discussion and Q&A with filmmaker Curtis Craven and cowboys Carroll Langham and Klay Currie.

In March, the Texas Focus series will bring back For the Love of Meat in a special 10th anniversary screening and event. The documentary film contains interviews and insights with some of Texas' best-known pitmasters, including Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Tootsie Tomanetz of Snow’s BBQ. In the film, these pitmasters explain their philosophies and how they make some of the world's best barbecue.

For more details on future Texas Focus films, visit TheStoryofTexas.com/visit/see-films/texas-focus.

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Promotional Support by Texas Film Commission.

The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.

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​​The Bullock Texas State History Museum, a division of the State Preservation Board and an accredited institution of the American Alliance of Museums, creates experiences that educate, engage, and encourage a deeper understanding of Texas. With dynamic, award-winning exhibitions that illuminate Texas history, people, and culture, educational programming for all ages, and an IMAX® theater with a screen the size of Texas, the Museum collaborates with more than 700 museums, libraries, archives, organizations, and individuals across the world to bring the Story of Texas to life. For more information, visit www.TheStoryofTexas.com or call (866)369-7108.

exterior of the Bullock Museum with a large bronze Lone Star in the front

This press release is part of the Bullock Texas State History Museum Media Kit

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is the state's official history museum and features three floors of exhibition galleries, the IMAX Theatre, Texas Spirit Theater, The Star Cafe, and Bullock Museum Store. View Media Kit