Two Rio Grande Valley-based production companies could walk away with one of Texas’ biggest awards for television and film broadcast when the Lone Star Emmys are held Oct. 17.
The University of Texas-Pan American’s student production company and internship program, Reel to Red, was nominated last month for Best Student Production for its documentary The Heart of Experience, and the Hermes Music Foundation’s Project Of Love — Chiapas was nominated for Best Documentary.
This is Reel to Red’s fourth nomination and would be their second win, having won one statue in 2007 for their dramatic film Dead Letter.
For their documentary, the crew followed 38 students as they traveled into Eastern Europe last year as part of the university’s study abroad program. In their category, they are up against five productions from the University of North Texas’ student-run NTTV.
Project of Love – Chiapas, directed by Hermes Music Foundation’s Juan Alvarado, chronicles the group’s trip to impoverished communities in Chiapas, Mexico. There, doctors from the Claypa organization to provide surgery and rehabilitation to children with cleft palates.
The Hermes Music Foundation is an organization formed as the nonprofit arm of Hermes Music, a former music store in McAllen. The store sold its four Valley stores in 2006, but continues to operate its foundation and distribution operations, holding several donation drives and events that benefit children from the United States and Mexico.
More information about the UTPA documentary is available at www.theheartofexperience.org and find out more about Hermes’ nonprofit work at www.fundacionhermesmusic.org. (SG)
