Meet Jason Wiseman | Film Lover

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Wiseman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, what matters most to you?
Diversity.

The driving force behind both The Reel House Foundation and the Fort Worth Film Club is to build a community around a shared love of film and to be able to foster a love of cinema to audiences who otherwise might not have the opportunity or ability to seek out these films. We seek out both underseen films and underserved audiences to hopefully broaden our horizons. By introducing a variety of unique artistic voices and by actively engaging all areas of our community, we hope to foster an understanding and an empathy for our differences while recognizing the commonality of our human experience.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The Reel House Foundation was born out of an idea to share my love of film with a larger audience that what I was able to in my living room. We strive to bring the love of film and the cinematic experience to those that might not otherwise have the opportunity to do so.

I am always nervous when I am introducing a new group of people, young or old, to a new film but to watch a group of people excitedly enter a theater, debate about what candy to choose, and pick out the perfect seat to in which to watch a movie, all of that worry washes away. To be able to discuss film with these audiences, to be able to make sure these audiences feel heard, and to see their eyes light up when they talk about what they liked or disliked about a movie proves to me each time that what the Reel House is trying to accomplish has value. And we are just getting started.

With extensions of the Reel House Foundation like the Fort Worth Film Club, we are looking to grow our reach and visibility of our mission. While the Reel House Foundation focuses on youth and children organizations, the Fort Worth Film Club allows us to partner with differing types of groups and non-profits in the Fort Worth area to create a true presence of film lovers in our city while bringing visibility to the mission of The Reel House.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Fort Worth is such an amazing city and while it is still seen as the little sibling to Dallas, Fort Worth has a ton to offer for those willing to make the trip. So for my week long itinerary, here goes:

Day One: Let’s start the day off right and head for breakfast at Snooze where you have to get a side of their signature bacon (extra crispy of course) before we head over to the number one ranked zoo in the US, the Fort Worth Zoo. The zoo is a full day affair so after a seeing all it has to offer, head back over to the West 7th area and hit up Gloria’s to unwind with some of the best margaritas in town.

Day Two: Today is culture day. We will start off the day by hitting up the first Taqueria we see. There are plenty and they are almost all worthy of becoming your favorite spot for breakfast tacos. The rest of the day will be spent taking in world famous art at the Kimball and the Modern in Fort Worth. The day is finished off with a trip to the finest French eatery in town Saint-Emilion.

Day Three: We shop. We can start the day over at the upscale Shops at Clearfork for custom clothiers and a stroll through Nieman’s. Souffles for lunch over at Rise. Once done there, we can head over to Doc’s Records to search through hundreds of albums and booths full of vintage clothing. In the evening, we can hit the Fort Worth Stockyards to pick up some authentic Western wear before we finish the day at Fort Worth’s most famous Mexican food place, Joe T. Garcia’s.

Day Four: Take in brunch at Little Red Wasp in downtown Fort Worth. Walk over to the Fort Worth Water Gardens for some relaxation and meditation. Head back to the hotel to dress up. Take in some hand pulled noodles over at Il Modo before heading over to the Bass Hall for a Broadway show.

Day Five: Stockyards day. Start your day with breakfast at Esperanza’s and then head over Stockyards to catch the daily cattle drive. Once done there, pop into historic theater, the Downtown Cowtown at the Isis to have a cocktail and catch a reparatory film. Head over to H3 for a steak dinner and then pop into the world famous Billy Bob’s to two-step the night away.

Day Six: Being movie lovers, day 6 would be visiting the best the area has to offer in cinema. Requiring a trip to Dallas, trying to hit movies at an Alamo Drafthouse, the Inwood, the Angelika, and the Texas Theatre is a day long challenge worthy of any movie lover.

Day Seven: A day of rest.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife Catherine.

Catherine was the one who encouraged me to pursue to dream of The Reel House Foundation and has been a driving force in enthusiastically supporting it’s mission of introduction at-risk and disadvantaged young people to the world of film.

Website: www.reelhousefoundation.org

Instagram: @reelhousefoundation and @fortworthfilm

Facebook: @reelhousefoundation and @fortworthfilm