Annual Awards Banquet 2026

Regarded as one of the most talented actors & creative filmmakers in independent film, Bryan N. Hadley has always painted his palette of cinema with very firsts or stand alone concepts: A feature length film shot in six days (All Way Bent), a feature length story which took place in the United Kingdom yet filmed entirely in Central Texas (He Be She Be) and another feature in which he turned digital paintings into scene backdrops with musical twists & turns while discussing the scourge of fentanyl (Dans La Ville). Mr. Hadley is a true, artful virtuoso of film performance. He writes the original story following no other previous tales, he produces, directs, lead acts, shoots the film, edits the film, casts, selects the music in its entirety, develops props, picks scene locations, selects costumes and designs the poster art. A former student of top level acting coaches in Austin (Mona Lee Fultz) and Los Angeles (Will Wallace), Hadley values the intellect, commitment, passion and sacrifice that actors, film artists and filmmakers of all backgrounds put forth on a daily basis and all across the globe. Hadley began the streaming service, Fried Talk Films, in 2021 as a home for films of his company, Blossom Tree Communications. His movies have appeared or stream on YouTube, Vimeo On Demand, Fried Talk Films, Movies + Plus & Amazon Prime, and the script for his feature film The Haul Across Aswan is Registered with The Writers Guild of America West (Los Angeles). Mr. Hadley created and founded the Academy of Independent Motion Pictures & The Percy Award for Film. He graduated from the prestigious College of Communications at The University of Texas at Austin in 1994. Mr. Hadley is the very proud father of three children. He is a Member of Austin Film Society. Mr. Hadley has produced over 200 short films and six feature films to date.

Ian Loomer is a native Texan and creative operational executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across film, broadcast, XR, AI, and the virtual production industry. As the founder of Modern Creative Ops, Ian partners with SMBs, enterprise organizations, and creative teams, consulting on workflow automation, XR and innovative storytelling, AI, virtual production, and end-to-end studio design and build. He’s recognized for bridging the gap between creative vision, technical execution, and operational efficiency—developing tailored solutions that help teams bring ambitious ideas to life. Ian also serves as President of the Dallas Producers Association and as Director of Operations for the Texas Media Production Alliance, helping drive the strategic growth and advocacy for the creative industries statewide. Outside the office and studio, Ian enjoys crafting the perfect Old Fashioned, exploring new adventures with his family, and honing his skills in the woodshop—often channeling his inner Ron Swanson.

Katie Schuck is the Dallas Film Commissioner. She comes from the Savannah Regional Film Commission, a division of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, where she most recently served as its Assistant Director. With over 15 years of production experience, Schuck has used her locations expertise to find productions their perfect settings, most recently working with Clint Eastwood's last feature film "Juror #2" and the upcoming Simon West comedy "Bride Hard," starring Rebel Wilson and Justin Hartley. In her former role, Schuck location scouted for many major productions, including “Captain America: Brave New World” (Marvel), "May December" (Netflix) and “Manhunt" (Apple TV+). Schuck earned a Master of Fine Arts in film and television production from Savannah College of Art and Design and a Bachelor of Art in film and television production from DeSales University. As a leader, Schuck spearheaded strategic programs to attract renowned film and television productions to the Savannah region, partnering with prominent studios and streaming services such as Sony, Netflix, Disney, Apple and Amazon.