Film Prize 2025 is almost here. Meet a Shreveport family with two competing films

An ancestral love for filmmaking has carried a Shreveport family through the indie film scene in northwest Louisiana.

Meet the Kirtons

Patrick and Susan Kirton always inspired their children to embrace the arts, even if that meant a little sibling competition. The Kirtons’ children, Haley and Eric, will be competing against each other in Film Prize 2025.

“We are astonished that both got accepted and are very proud,” Susan said. “We are just so happy to be able to do this as a family.”

This is not the first time the Kirton family has been featured in Film Prize. In 2022, the family worked as a team to create “Credit,” which was selected as one of the top 5 films of that year’s festival.

“You know, we never thought we could make a film,” Susan said.

But with the help of the film community in Shreveport, the Kirtons were able to tell their story.

“We all wore different hats,” Susan said. “The experience of making the film was so joyous as a family, having older kids who could be a part of it in a really meaningful way.”

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Susan wrote the film and co-directed alongside Patrick. Haley had a role and Eric starred in it.

“We made it a family project,” Susan said, “We would all sit in front of the fireplace and just flesh out ideas.”

“Eric came into it with a background in acting,” Patrick said. “He had acted in quite a few films. Haley came to it as a writer.”

Haley co-wrote a film called “Ghosted” with Blaine Weaver in 2019.

This year, Haley and Eric decided to embark on their own journeys to create a short film.

“Susie and I helped produce and get some of the details together,” Patrick said. “But, you know, they just came together and did this on their own with the help of a great film community. They are both going into this with great attitudes. They are just so happy to be in Film Prize.”

“It’s really exciting,” Haley said. “This is my first time getting into Film Prize with my first film as a director and a writer. It’s really rewarding that I get to show it off like this, and then I get to compete with my brother.”

Eric said: “I love her (Haley) to death, and I’m so happy and proud of her for getting in. Her film’s really good, and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Haley wrote and directed “Ramón Makes a Movie,” a short film about a neurotic director who becomes obsessed with creating the perfect autobiographical masterpiece.

“We both have very different films,” Haley said. “So, it doesn’t really feel like we are competing, more like we are supporting each other.”

Eric wrote and directed “Disorder,” a pseudo-biographical story about a boy and his family trying to navigate getting accommodations for ADHD. Eric said that this short film was based on actual events he faced in middle school.

Film Prize begins with online screenings at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15. In-person screenings begin Friday, Oct. 17, in theaters. Festivalgoers can cast their votes for best film and best performance until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18.

The grand prize winner will be selected through a unique combination of audience voting and evaluations from a panel of film industry veterans, tastemakers, and celebrities. The winner has a chance to win $25,000 or  $50,000 if shot in Caddo Parish.

To learn more about how to see this year’s films, visit www.prizefest.com.

More: Check out the Top 20 films and filmmakers for Louisiana Film Prize 2025

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Film Prize 2025 features Shreveport family with two films competing