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Dallas has become a hub to celebrate the achievements of its local filmmakers, but in an industry that is actively growing, there is significant importance in providing a boost to the next generation of storytellers.
Few opportunities for young filmmakers are more revered than the Pegasus Film Festival, now celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The festival is intended to celebrate high school students’ work within the short-form medium. Founded in 2015 on the notion that up-and-coming filmmakers deserve “a fair stage to roll out their endless creations,” the Pegasus Media Project allows its staff of students to develop programming that appeals to their generation. The nonprofit organization holds activities and workshops throughout the year that empower media arts studies, but the June festival allows young auteurs to screen their work to a crowd.
“It’s really important to us to lift the veil on how hard it is to get into the industry,” says Madeleine Beck, staff lead of the 2025 Pegasus Festival. “Right now, I think it’s imperative that we teach people that there’s a formula to do it, and that it’s not as complicated to get involved with as you may think. The barrier of entry is not nearly as thick – we’ve carved out a really cool community here in Dallas.”
Given the advancements made in filmmaking software and the unparalleled enthusiasm of this generation, there’s nothing about student shorts that should inherently be deemed sophomoric. In order to give these filmmakers a sign of respect and a “taste of Hollywood,” the Pegasus Film Festival includes screenings from June 20-21 at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas, a renowned theater that remains the cornerstone of DFW’s independent film community.
“For these young students, who maybe don’t feel like their voices have been heard enough, to be screened in a place like the Angelika and at the Majestic is nothing short of life-changing,” says Beck. “I’m hoping that it will serve as the launching point for any of their careers that are so well-deserved. There are so many of them that are just so talented and so intelligent.”
The festival will conclude on June 22 with a special awards ceremony at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, which includes a presentation of the inaugural Pegasus Inspiration Award to groundbreaking director Cierra Glaudé. The filmmaker has proven to be a trailblazing artist by paving the path for Black and queer storytelling with eclectic directing credits on acclaimed shows such as The Chi, Riverdale, Queen Sugar and Suits LA.
Glaudé’s recognition will come only days after Juneteenth, which is not lost on the festival’s organizers. The impact of having diverse artists at the forefront of cinema goes beyond the power of entertainment – by telling stories that reflect their own experiences, filmmakers like Glaudé have the ability to shape cultural consciousness. Although her individual achievements may be the crux of the panel’s focus, Pegasus’ intention is to celebrate the legacy of Black storytellers.
Glaudé’s appearance is also representative of Pegasus’ most valuable asset to aspiring filmmakers: advice. Hollywood can often be a close-knit community that builds barriers against outsiders, but this year’s festival includes several panels, discussions and networking opportunities for student artists.
This year, in addition to the traditional categories of drama, comedy, and horror, the festival has introduced new prizes for genres like futuristic, fantasy and “mash-ups.” The competition has also expanded to include projects that don’t fit within the standard parameters of “English-language narrative features,” as it will also include documentary, animation, international and experimental prizes.
Festivals like Sundance, Cannes and Tribeca have become increasingly exclusive for those outside the industry, as rising prices have made attendance a financial impossibility for many outside of the coastal regions. However, Pegasus has offered less restrictive pricing options, with general all-access passes for the weekend running at $50, or $25 with a student discount.
Those in attendance will certainly need to plan their schedule in advance, as the festival’s lineup includes 64 short films from students throughout the DFW area. Programming such a vast array of content is an art form in itself, but Pegasus has divided its screening blocks into thematic subdivisions, including “Light and Loss,” “Between the Lines,” “Growing Pains,” “You Had To Be There,” and “Late Night.”
The “Between the Lines” section includes several works focused on underrepresented groups. Burgers and Butter Chicken by Syrus Gupta and Aria Kutty explores the cultural dualism of an Indian-American teenager, while Vishwajit Yogaraj’s experimental film Stuck opens up conversations about mental health. Morgan Vaught’s Hands offers guidance about providing a welcoming environment to the deaf community.
Similar to the Toronto International Film Festival’s “Midnight Madness” series, which highlights “genre films” (such as action, horror and science fiction), Pegasus’ “Late Night” section includes some wild films that push the boundaries of imagination. Between Alex Marczewski’s zombie comedy, Brains, and Charles Denechaud’s existentialist short titled Stamping Scars, “Late Night” is intended to encourage audiences to step outside their comfort zones.
Although the short film format can be far more versatile than some audiences might imagine, there are budgetary and logistical barriers that make it a challenge for some artists to achieve their vision in that medium. Thankfully, Pegasus has also offered a stage to showcase more radical ideas with its screenwriting seminar, which includes the live reading of several “spec scripts.”
This decade has spawned many challenges that have impeded the work of aspiring filmmakers, including the shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, and the narrowing of the theatrical market. And while there’s no way to predict exactly what will change the industry in the years ahead, Pegasus Film Festival has offered a platform to prepare young artists as they carry the torch for the next generation of cinematic creativity.
