Houston Cinema Arts Festival

HCAF 2024 will feature a wide variety of curated feature films with a focus on the diverse cultural community of Houston, Texas.

HCAF 2024 will also see the tenth Anniversary of CineSpace, our annual short film competition with NASA, as well as the fifth annual regional short film competition Borders - No Borders.

Our full festival lineup has been announced. Check out the schedule to discover the incredible films, performances, and special guests we have in store!

Schedule of Events:

7:30 pm: The Spook Who Sat by the Door (4k)

Houston Cinema Arts Festival is honored to present the film alongside a discussion with Natiki Pressley and Nomathandé Dixon, daughters of Sam Greenlee and Ivan Dixon, and moderated by Gordon S. Williams of Lamar University.

The Spook Who Sat by the Door

A revolution committed to celluloid, THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR is an incendiary adaptation of the novel by Sam Greenlee, a fictionalized telling of the first Black CIA agent brought to the screen by director Ivan Dixon. Angry about not having the black vote, a senator pressures the CIA into integrating. Dan Freeman (Lawrence Cook) is the sole man to complete the rigorous training, learning the ins and outs of guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and unarmed combat, only to see the CIA put his newly-acquired skills to use by putting him on desk duty - by the front door, so the public can see him. Little do they know, Mr. Freeman has plans of his own for his skills - and they don't include quietly letting them go to waste. So compelling was its message that the film was pulled from theaters a mere week after its release for fears it would incite audiences to follow its lead.

Director: Ivan Dixon
Runtime: 102 minutes