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ROUND ABOUT ROUND TOP (Continued) M o v e o v e r, Te l l u r i d e , H a m p t o n s , a n d Napa. Round Top Film Festival opens Thursday through Sunday, November 7 through 10, at an iconic Round Top spot: Festival Hill. The founders are mother and daughter, Shanna Schanen and Skylar Schanen, whose familial ties to the Round Top area go back generations. Shanna's great-grandparents were Czech and German settlers to this region, and she was raised in La Grange. Relocating in her 20s, she and her husband, Rob Schanen, raised their family in Houston, then Austin, while acquiring a Round Top property in 2007 as a weekend retreat. Daughter Skylar is a filmmaker, who at the age of 17 produced her first screenplay Space Case, which was made into a film. Now 23, she's been on both sides of many cinematic sets; written, directed, and starred in indie films, garnering awards along the way. ROUND TOP FILM FESTIVAL SCREENS Round Top Film Festival co-founders Shanna Schanen and Skylar Schanen ALICE LOAYZA I n the spring, veteran antiques and art collectors Chris Erck and Will Wick opened the doors to Round Top Auction, on North Washington Street in the space formerly occupied by Big Daddy's Antiques. The first auction took place during the Round Top Spring 2024 Antiques & Design Show and included internationally sourced antiques, selections from the founders' personal collections, and items consigned by local and visiting dealers, including many of Big Daddy's showroom pieces. Round Top Auction will host both live and online auctions three to four times per year to coincide with the seasonal antiques shows, with all Round Top Auction events managed by head of auctions Christine Barreras. "Once the show is over, dealers can consign unsold inventory to us to auction, rather than freight it home," says Erck, who's been a regular dealer in Round Top for three decades. "Everybody wins." Round Top Auction, 606 N. Washington St., roundtopauction.com. Candice Cowin RAISING THE GAVEL IN ROUND TOP "Some films never see past the final edit," says Skylar. "Film festivals offer a vital platform for artists to create and exhibit their work, potentially launching careers in an industry hungry for fresh voices. We want to welcome the film community to the best little town in Texas, and are eager to cultivate opportunities for networking, and celebrate the beauty of storytelling." Come November, expect screenings alongside workshops, panels, and other cinematic events that highlight the uniqueness of Round Top. Festival submissions are open now until August 20 in five categories: Audience Award for Best Feature Film; and Jury Awards for Best Live Action Short, Best Comedy Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Music Video. Read our exclusive Q&A with Shanna Schanen and Skylar Schanen on roundtop.com. roundtopfilmfest.org. Catherine D. Anspon Round Top treasures 12