Tyler Film Festival 2025 Captivates Audiences with Stories from Around the Globe

By ELLIE VALLERY/Copy Editor and KARLEIGH YANCY/Editor-In-Chief

Last weekend, the Tyler Film Festival was held in the Liberty Hall Theater in Downtown Tyler.  This was a two-day event featuring 22 films across the globe. It included nine award categories.

Free popcorn, drinks and the historic charm of Liberty Hall created the perfect backdrop for the screenings. The festival kicked off with “Cats”, a black-and-white film from Serbia which set the tone for a lineup of local, student and international films.

One of the biggest wins of the weekend went to brothers Aaron and Asher Goldenberg, who co-wrote and directed “Champions”. The film earned the Best of Fest Award.

“I like films that spark debate. If I walk to the car after a showing and can’t get in because I’m too busy discussing the movie, that’s how you know it’s a good movie,” Goldenberg said.

The actors cast play an important role in films.

“The actors trained a couple of months before we shot the film. It’s very taxing to go through take after take.”

Goldenberg was inspired by the performance of athletes.

“Physical movement and motion are fascinating. Capturing athletes is an art. I believe the closest thing we have to superheroes in real life are athletes,” Goldenberg said.

UT Austin student Sawyer Goolsby wrote and directed “Wormwood” winning Best Student Film.

“In high school, I was scared that I wasn’t going to experience everything I wanted to experience so that manifested itself into an end-of-the-world story,” Goolsby said. 

Goolsby encapsulated the small-town Texas life inspired by his roots and woven into an apocalyptic film.

Michael King, a Tyler native, shows a documentary-style film titled “Birds of a Feather.”  While attending the University of North Texas for his undergrad in journalism, King made his first film for a class assignment.

Birds of a feather displayed the research being done by UNT students on hawks across the Texas plains.

“I had an 8-10 minute film assignment for a class. I thought about how I like to take photos of birds. They just sit all over the place. Very easy to find.” King said.

When asked what inspired the documentary film. He explained how he clicks with non-fiction.

The Tyler Film Festival was a resounding success.

The Liberty Theater is home to the Tyler Film Fest, a hub for international and local filmmakers.

A volunteer greets guests with a smile as she hands out free popcorn.

An attendee of the film festival waits for the proceedings to begin, and studies the schedule for the first night.

A collection of memorabilia and themed decorations sit on tables in the lobby of the Liberty Theater.

Local film enthusiasts listen as Stewart Smith, the emcee for the event, presents the drama category. Photo by Karleigh Yancy.

Local film enthusiasts watch a collection of varied short films.

Michael King, director of Birds of a Feather, talks about his film.

A local cinephile watches as directors answer questions about their movies.

Nwoah Tayem, who directed “Cyd”, poses in front of a banner in the lobby of Liberty Hall.

Local film enthusiasts vote for their favorite picks on night one.

Emma Seagroves, a local high schooler, discusses her submission to the festival in the lobby of the Liberty Theater.

Stewart Smith, emcee of the event, presents the films on night two.

Local cinephiles watch one of the films presented on night two of the film festival.

Local cinephiles watch one of the films presented on night two of the film festival.

A crowd flows out of the Liberty Theater, chatting about the evenings showings while a committee tallies up the votes for crowd favorite.

Erik Anderson, an actor in El Lloron, discusses his experience filming the movie during a Q&A session after night two.

Gabriel Henk, Sawyer Goolsby, and Aaron Goldenberg discuss their short films during a Q&A session on night two. They directed Replay Requiem, Wormwood, and Champions, in that respective order.

Mokhtar Behrooz, an actor from Iran, virtually accepts his award for best young actor. He won for his performance in “Monkey”.

Aaron Goldenberg, who directed “Champions” with his brother Asher, accepts the award for Best in Festival.

Erik Anderson, an actor in El Lloron, accepts the award for audience favorite.

Directors and actors pose in front of a banner inside the Liberty Theater lobby.