Posted on 04/13/2004 10:30:02 PM PDT by Susan Zahn
San Antonio disc jockey Helen “Wheels” Gibson left the comfort zone of her control room back in 1995 at the studios of KTFM 102.7 to head for Hollywood. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d be back in Texas to accept her first award at the Houston Film Festival, the prestigious international WorldFest-Houston that is, starting this April 24th.
Many critics agree, “Forget Sundance! WorldFest-Houston is one of the best places on earth for independent filmmakers to catch a break and achieve silver screen success.” This is the festival that gave first honors and awards to Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, The Coen Brothers, Robert Rodriguez and many others. Helen exclaimed, “It’s a privilege to be selected to win an award here and my first festival too. It’s especially nice being able to come back to Texas, my second home!”
Helen incorporated her production company Pulling Gs in San Antonio after being inspired by her husband a fighter pilot who was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base. Whether flying the F-16 or T-38 jet trainers, Helen was motivated by how her husband and the other pilots pulled against the gravitational forces to fly fast and hard.
Helen states, “That’s what Pulling Gs means, to go against the forces that would hold you down. I learned a great deal from hanging out with these military pilots.” Their tactics for battle will serve her well in the competitive world of Hollywood filmmaking.
Like Chuck Yeager once said, “nose position is everything!” With a Silver Remi Award and a powerful first feature film about Karla Faye Tucker, the first woman executed in the Lone Star State in the last 100 years, it looks like Helen will be pulling Gs in Hollywood for some time to come.
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