Twenty-three contestants from every corner of Texas compete in a beauty pageant for women sixty years and older.

Interview with Director Shelby Hadden

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I made my film for my MFA thesis project at the University of Texas at Austin.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Ms. Texas Senior is a portrait of the Ms. Texas Senior America Pageant that explores the intersections of gender, age, and beauty. There are exciting dance numbers, fierce competition, and women being their most authentic selves.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

When I first heard of the Ms. Texas Senior America Pageant, I panicked and thought, “Will I still be seeking validation about my appearance when I’m in my 60s?” All women have their own unique and complicated relationships with beauty and their appearance. From a young age, we are taught that how we look has a direct correlation to our value and how we fit (or don’t fit) into conventional beauty standards follows us throughout our lives.

What I learned from these ladies is that yes, since my appearance matters to me now, it probably still will as I get older. However, this pageant is about so much more than beauty. It’s about trying new things, finding community, practicing your talents, and finding joy at every age.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

We shot a lot of footage of the women in their homes before and after the competition, but I ultimately decided to keep the entire film at the pageant itself.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

People seem to really enjoy it! These women are smart, complicated, and funny. I think people really have fun when they watch it.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I want more people to watch it on Seed & Spark!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We need buyers, distributors, film festival directors, and journalists.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope that people fall in love with these ladies as much as I have.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Alison is working on a short film called “Sketchbook Mongolia,” that is a brief portrait of Mongolian life told through the drawings of a young girl.

Shelby is producing/directing a short animated film about her experience with pelvic floor dysfunction, called “Tightly Wound.”

Interview: January 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Ms. Texas Senior

Twenty-three contestants from every corner of Texas compete in a beauty pageant for women sixty years and older.

Length: 20 minutes

Director: Shelby Hadden

Producer: Alison Boland

About the writer, director and producer:

Shelby Hadden is a writer, crowdfunding manager, and documentary filmmaker whose work explores issues of gender and identity. Her films have screened at various film festivals including the Nashville Film Festival and Sidewalk Film Festival. Her current film, Tightly Wound, is a short animated film about her personal experience with chronic pelvic pain, based on her essay that was published in BUST Magazine. She is currently a producer at the Austin-based creative agency, Bring Light & Sound, and a lecturer at Texas State University. She has also been an instructor at the University of Texas at Austin where she received her MFA in Film and Media Production.

Key cast: Lillie Madison, Jill Beam, Dr. Syntha West

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): We are looking for sales agents, buyers, distributors, and film festival directors.

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mstexasseniorfilm/

Other: https://www.shelbyhadden.com/ms-texas-senio

Funders: Moody Innovation Grant