ANNOUNCING 2026 “THE JOCELYN” AWARD HONOREE FOR PRODUCING-BARBARA MORGAN

WIFT TEXAS ANNOUNCES BARBARA MORGAN AS ITS 2026 “THE JOCELYN” AWARD HONOREE

Barbara Morgan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of The Austin Film Festival​​ will be Honored at The Celestial Awards™ Show on January 17th with “The Jocelyn” Award for Excellence in Producing, Named in Honor of Joceyln “Joci” Straus on January 17th at The World-Class Tobin Center in Downtown San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, December 22, 2025 – Today, Women in Film & Television Texas (WIFT Texas) is proud to announce Barbara Morgan, filmmaker, executive producer, festival architect, co-founder and CEO of the Austin Film Festival as the 2026 recipient of “The Jocelyn” Award for Excellence in Producing, named in honor of Jocelyn “Joci” Straus, a legendary global visionary, philanthropist, and champion of arts and culture in Texas.

The Celestial Awards™ honor trailblazing women of achievement in the media and entertainment industry, recognizing excellence across all verticals. The awards show will take place on Saturday, January 17th, 2026, at The Tobin Center’s world-class H-E-B Performance Hall in downtown San Antonio, following the Texas Media+Entertainment Summit™ on January 15th and 16th at the Gunter Hotel. Actress and producer Renae Treviño will host the high-profile, entertainment-filled awards show.

“I’m inspired by the work that WIFT Texas does, and honored by their recognition of my work. At Austin Film Festival, our goal is to champion emerging storytellers and empower them to make meaningful and lasting cultural contributions. We are deeply committed to supporting future generations of female writers and filmmakers, and look forward to celebrating women in the industry for years to come,” said Barbara Morgan, CEO and co-founder, Austin Film Festival.

Barbara Morgan is a founder and producer who transformed a festival into a global institution. When Morgan co-founded the Austin Film Festival (AFF) in 1993, she envisioned something that did not yet exist: a festival dedicated not only to filmmakers but also to writers, creators, and storytellers who are the foundation of every great film and television project. Known as the prominent festival that champions screenwriters and media creators, AFF boasts over two dozen internationally acclaimed film and screenplay competitions, diverse youth education programs, and a sprawling calendar of year-round events.

Under Morgan’s three decades of leadership, AFF has grown from a weekend gathering into an eight-day global celebration of narrative craft, recognized worldwide for its prestigious screenwriting competitions, deep industry connections, and commitment to nurturing new creative voices.

“Barbara Morgan has shaped the creative landscape of Texas in ways that will be felt for generations. As the co-founder of the Austin Film Festival, she built and produces one of the world’s most respected platforms for screenwriters and filmmakers. Her commitment to elevating writers, the architects of storytelling, has transformed careers and strengthened the creative economy of our state. Honoring her with ‘The Jocelyn’ award celebrates her visionary leadership and her profound contributions to the global storytelling community,”said Ceslie Armstrong, WIFT Texas CEO & Executive Producer of the Texas Media+Entertainment Summit™ and The Celestial Awards™.

Leveraging the vast amount of footage recorded at these events since its inception, Morgan created the festival’s On Story Project in 2009 and serves as the project’s executive producer. A conglomerate of mainly digital resources, On Story includes a television show (available on PBS affiliated stations nationwide), radio show (distributed by PRI and NPR affiliated stations), podcast series, a three-part book series (published in partnership with UT press), and extensive public archive, making the Festival experience free and open to the public at large. She has received two Lone Star Emmys for On Story episodes, “Breaking Bad: A Conversation with Vince Gilligan” and for the Season 8 episode “Script to Screen: Arrival” in 2018.

“Barbara Morgan built Austin Film Festival into a powerhouse for writers — a place where craft is valued, stories are celebrated, and artists are given space to grow. Her commitment to storytelling reflects the very spirit of Joci Straus: championing talent, cultivating community, and believing in what is possible. Barbara’s work reminds us that when we invest in artists, we invest in the future — and we are proud to honor her with The Jocelyn Award for Excellence in Producing,” said Jaselyn Blanchard, Executive Director of The Majestic Empire Foundation and inaugural honoree of ‘The Jocelyn’ Award in 2024 at The Celestial Awards™.

Barbara Morgan is an independent film producer whose films have included “Natural Selection, Antone’s: Home of the Blues,” “Portrait of Wally,” “Spring Eddy,” and “I’ll Be There.” She serves on several boards, including Dell Children’s Blood and Cancer Center and The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. She lives in Austin, Texas with her daughter, Hannah, and four dogs.

“Barbara’s work embodies the spirit of producing at its highest level: championing talent, nurturing stories, and creating opportunities that ripple outward into the cultural ecosystem. Her dedication to screenwriters has shaped the creative identity of Texas and inspired thousands of emerging voices. ‘The Jocelyn’ award honors her remarkable achievements and her unwavering support of storytellers everywhere,” said Eileen Kret, VP of Women in Film & Television Texas, Executive Producer of the Texas Media+Entertainment Summit™ and The Celestial Awards™.

Barbara Morgan’s leadership embodies the impact-driven creativity of the award’s namesake, Joci Straus, whose support of the arts transformed cultural life across Texas.