20th Annual Lone Star Film Festival Day 5

Short Films Block 8
3:15–4:45 pm
Various short films

What the Hell Happened
5:30–7 pm
In 1992, five college friends were filmed with a borrowed VHS camera, each voicing their dreams for the future: an artist, a young mother, a dropout, a math graduate stuck in fast food, and another grappling with mental health issues. Over the next three decades, their lives unfolded in unexpected directions as they scattered across the country. The visuals evolve along with them, shifting from VHS to Hi-8, Super 8, HD, and eventually 4K footage. Anchored by a haunting image of the Mississippi River in flood, which serves as a reminder of change that cannot be contained, the film becomes an intimate chronicle and meditation on endurance. Part documentary, part time capsule, part reckoning, What the Hell Happened is a road map for anyone trying to make sense of how we become who we are. By compressing decades into moments, it reveals how small choices become major turning points—and the resilience it takes to navigate the twists and surprises that shape a life.

Rehearsals for a Revolution
7:45–9:30 pm
Through five portraits of relatives and mentors, five expressions of resistance, Pegah Ahangarani sketches her life story. Drawing from personal archives, home videos, street protests footage, newspapers, and recorded voices, she retraces more than 40 years of Iran’s history. From the early days of 1979, until the war that began in 2026, she pieces together intimate and collective memories, forming the portrait of a country shaped by political repression and in constant hope for a revolution.

See the full schedule, all film details, and buy tickets in-person or online here. In-person tickets are available at the festival booth in the Modern's lobby. Please note that cash is not accepted.

Modern members get 25% off individual film tickets. Members can visit the Modern's information desk in-person or call the desk at 817.738.9215 to receive the discount code.

The 20th annual Lone Star Film Festival is November 4–10, 2026. See the full schedule and all film details here.

Since its founding nineteen years ago by local film advocate Johnny Langdon, and legendary actor and Fort Worth native Bill Paxton, the Lone Star Film Society has provided film education programs for hundreds of students interested in filmmaking in the Fort Worth area. The society accomplishes this mission through year-round screenings, film education workshops, and community collaboration that includes the annual Lone Star Film Festival. The Lone Star Film Festival has grown into a premier destination for filmmakers, producers, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts, with the honor of being ranked as a “Top 50 Film Festival” by MovieMaker Magazine.