Lockney, Texas, native Andy Stapp brought the Marfa lights to the big screen earlier this year in his independent science-fiction film, “Destination Marfa”—and has continued to rack up some festival awards with it.
The film will be shown at the Palace Theater in Spur on Oct. 23. Tickets are $5, and concessions will open at 6:30 p.m. Stapp will speak to the audience about the film afterward. He will also be taking questions.
Since local and nearby markets have reported sold out of the DVD, this may be the first opportunity for many in the area to see the movie.
Stapp, a veteran of reality TV resulting from his longtime carcustomization business, first visited Marfa after hearing about the Far West Texas “ghost lights” in 2011. He thought the legend would be ideal for a story. Stapp wrote and went on to produce a movie that was selected to premier in the Manhattan Film Festival in June. It has been collecting awards at independent film festivals like Shockfest over the summer and earned recognition for “exceptional merit” in Delaware’s So You Think You Can Direct/Act Competition 2021.
The film was shot on location in Marfa and other West Texas towns, such as Plainview.
“It’s about Marfa, but I wanted to spend our money locally and use a lot the local backdrops and local people, and get their businesses involved because maybe it will help them,” Stapp told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Stapp graduated from high school in Lockney in 1993, then returned to his hometown to help out with his family’s auto body shop after serving in the U.S. Marines. His skill in airbrushing led to him into the entertainment industry. He appeared on the reality TV show “Car Warriors,” followed by a role on “Search and Restore” and two appearances Jay Leno’s show.
In several interviews, Stapp has detailed the struggles and victories he and the crew experienced and thanked Plainview for being hospitable during the filming process. He described the project as a learning experience.
While the film has not yet been rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, a glance at the trailer indicates it’s geared toward teens and up.
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