HICO, Texas — The Billy the Kid Film Festival is saddling up for its eighth year with a lineup that celebrates outlaws, Western heritage, independent filmmaking and Texas storytelling.
The Hico-based festival announced this week that its 2026 edition will take place Nov. 7-9, bringing 45 films, filmmaker workshops, celebrity appearances and community events to the small Central Texas town long associated with the legend of Billy the Kid.
Festival founder Luci DiGiorgio believes this year may be the strongest yet.
“The eighth year is going to be even better than before,” DiGiorgio said. “We are so proud of this lineup, our wonderful returning filmmakers and new Texas filmmakers getting a spotlight in our Hico-based fest.”
Music and Texas Culture Open the Festival
The festival will kick off with a free public opening-night presentation at Green Canoe, featuring two productions rooted in music and Texas culture.
Audiences will see Natalie Aramendia’s Under the Western Skies, a ranch-themed musical that blends romance, tradition and modern challenges. The evening will also feature an episode of the PBS series Texas Dance Halls: Still Swingin’, directed and hosted by festival alumnus Jay Pennington.
Film and television veteran Barry Corbin, a longtime supporter of the festival, is expected to join the event.
Barry Corbin Returns to Hico
Corbin’s appearance has become a tradition at the festival and remains one of its most anticipated attractions.
Known for his decades-long career in film and television, Corbin lends his name to the festival’s Barry Corbin Award and regularly shares stories from an acting career that has spanned Westerns, dramas and television classics.
Festival organizers said Corbin will meet with audiences and filmmakers during Saturday’s activities.
Films with an Outlaw Spirit
The Billy the Kid Film Festival has built its identity around projects that embrace an outlaw mentality, whether through Western themes, unconventional characters or independent voices.
This year’s lineup includes seven feature-length films, two documentaries and 38 short films and music videos.
Among the most notable entries are:
- Dawn at Dominion, director Carl Bailey’s homage to classic B-Westerns. The film follows a former U.S. Marshal turned bounty hunter searching for a kidnapped woman while grappling with themes of justice and redemption.
- The Last Outlaw, Theodore C. Flood’s story centered on Buffalo Bill Cody and a Wild West show audition in Electra, Texas.
- According to Kate, which revisits the life of Big Nose Kate and her complicated relationship with legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday.
- The Blue Moon Rising, a thriller about a former Navy SEAL confronting a cult believed to be sacrificing young girls during every Blue Moon.
The festival will conclude with a Western-themed double feature of Dawn at Dominion and The Last Outlaw before the annual Red Carpet Filmmaker Awards celebration and VIP party at the Wide Saddle Saloon.
Spotlight on Texas Filmmakers
Texas filmmakers remain a central focus of the festival’s mission.
Saturday programming includes Texas Shorts and Western Shorts blocks featuring films such as:
- Coyote, directed by Sara Gaston, about three women seeking medical care while being pursued by unknown adversaries.
- Garden Valley, Manuel Navarro’s drama inspired by the 1988 Mann family murders and set amid the chaos of South San Antonio’s trailer-park culture.
- Rebel Heart, Rebeca Duran’s period story of Paulita Maxwell navigating life during the Lincoln County Wars.
Additional Texas-centered projects highlight music, history, culture and small-town life throughout the festival’s three-day run.
More Than Entertainment
Festival organizers also hope to provide practical education for emerging filmmakers.
This year’s industry workshop, titled “Cut the Crap, Film Festival Reality Versus Fantasy,” will be presented by veteran publicist John Wildman and filmmaker-author Bart Weiss.
Wildman, a former American Film Institute public relations executive and longtime film festival publicist, joins Weiss, a respected Dallas filmmaker and educator, to provide attendees with guidance on navigating the festival circuit, building an audience and advancing professional careers.
Rather than focusing solely on how to gain festival acceptance, the workshop will explore how filmmakers can maximize opportunities after their work reaches the screen.
Sunday Features Diverse Stories
Sunday’s highlights extend beyond Western themes while maintaining the festival’s focus on compelling storytelling.
Among the featured documentaries is Shine, directed by Tracey Satterwhite. The film profiles Mike Straughter, owner of Houston’s Chase Shoe Shine Parlor, whose Third Ward business has evolved into a gathering place known for community service and connection.
The festival’s final screening will be The Blue Moon Rising, bringing audiences an action-thriller infused with mystery, danger and supernatural intrigue.
A Festival with Deep Roots
Since launching in 2019, the Billy the Kid Film Festival has grown from a regional film event into a destination for independent filmmakers while maintaining its commitment to local artists and Texas culture.
Hosted in Hico, a community famous for its connection to “Brushy Bill” Roberts, who claimed to be Billy the Kid, the festival blends cinematic creativity with the town’s enduring Western identity.
Sponsors include the City of Hico, FilmsGoneWild.com, Green Canoe, the Hico Chamber of Commerce, Tarleton State University, Event-O-Matic and the Bosque Film Society.
Festival passes and tickets are now on sale. More information is available at BillyTheKidFilmFestival.com.
