The Texas Film Commission (TFC) and the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) today announced the launch of a new interactive exhibit “Meet Me in San Antonio: HemisFair '68 on Film.” Drawing from home movies, television news coverage, promotional films, and more, the exhibit explores the planning and execution of the 1968 San Antonio event.

HemisFair ‘68 was a sixth-month event celebrating the ethnic groups of the western hemisphere as well as San Antonio's 250th birthday. The theme “Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas” was seen through performances, demonstrations, and the architecture of HemisFair Park, constructed specifically for the event in downtown San Antonio.

"The work that TAMI does to highlight Texas history through the preservation of film and media is vital,” said TFC Director Stephanie Whallon. "To experience the HemisFair ’68 event and San Antonio through the home movies from those who attended is very exciting. We are proud to partner with TAMI to continue their great work preserving experiences and stories that are uniquely Texan."

"You can see a video of the Tower of the Americas being built in the exhibit," said TAMI Managing Director Elizabeth Hansen. "Today, it's hard to imagine San Antonio without many of the iconic buildings created for the fair. Through home movies and other film documents, this exhibit lets you see how the park and downtown San Antonio came to life during this monumental event." 

The exhibit can be viewed online at: TexasArchive.org/meet-me-in-san-antonio

Many of the archival films featured in the exhibit were digitized as a part of the Texas Film Round-Up, a statewide media preservation program presented by TAMI and TFC. Since 2008, thousands of residents, businesses, and cultural institutions have participated in Film Round-Up events hosted in locations across Texas. The Texas Film Round-Up has resulted in the digitization of more than 50,000 films and videotapes. A curated collection of more than 5,000 videos is available to watch at texasarchive.org.

The Texas Film Commission in the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Office helps to grow local jobs and local economies by promoting the Lone Star State as the premier destination for film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, video games, and extended reality (XR) production. More information is available at gov.texas.gov/film

The Texas Archive of the Moving Image is an independent non-profit organization founded in 2002 to discover, preserve, make accessible, and serve community interest in Texas’ moving image heritage. To learn more, visit texasarchive.org.