GALVESTON ISLAND 

"GALVESTON ISLAND"
2012 Telly Award winner
Premiered October 18, 2010 on Houston PBS
Texas Foundation for the Arts' newest documentary film, "Galveston Island" will premiere on HoustonPBS Ch. 8 on Monday, October 18, 2010 at 9:30 p.m. In production since mid-2008, the 55-minute program delves into the rich history and essence of the island, and the rebuilding and resiliency of the islanders post-Hurricane Ike. KPRC-TV's Frank Billingsley narrated the program, which was edited at Fast Cut Films in Houston.
"When we started the project, our working title was 'What I Like About Galveston,'" said producer Kim Lykins. "We began filming two weeks prior to Hurricane Ike. After Ike hit, we shifted our focus so we could chronicle the herculean
task of rebuilding the island. 'Galveston Island' captures the history of the island as well, back to its native inhabitants, the pirate Jean Lafitte, the gambling, and of course the island's infamous red light district."
Interviews were conducted on the stage of The Grand 1894 Opera House, which survived both the 1900 storm and Hurricane Ike. The program was designed to be a companion piece for a program HoustonPBS has produced on immigration through the Port of Galveston. Both programs will air on Monday evening October 18. "Having grown up in Houston, I was always attracted by the mystique of Galveston Island," said producer Jim Bailey. "I have often felt that people in Houston and other parts of Texas didn't really understand the special character of the Island. Making this film was a great opportunity to capture the heart and soul of Galveston." The Galveston Park Board of Trustees, Moody Foundation, Herzstein Charitable Foundation, George P. Mitchell, BP America, the Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund, and the Dr. Leon Bromberg Charitable Trust funded the program.