During December 2020, Gabriel directed the protagonist (Sandler Moore) and crew about a dialogue scene for his short film, “Ersatz,” which was filmed in the basement of a church that one of the crew members (Kristine Artymowski) lived in. The film was made in partnership with Low Key Arts as a part of the Inception to Projection filmmaking program.

Eighteen-year-old Gabriel Henk makes films. As he comes from a family of creators, it should be no surprise that he too feels the undeniable drive to craft and share the stories he sees, both in the world and his imagination. Undoubtedly, creativity is in his DNA, but Gabriel’s widely acclaimed films reflect a specific artistic vision that is uniquely his.

Gabriel’s foray into filmmaking was not happenstance. “My grandfather, (the late local artist) Charlie Cook, tried getting me into filmmaking from a very young age,” he said. Although he wasn’t toddling with a camcorder as a small child, he dove into the craft headfirst in his early teens. “I would watch the behind-the-scene [footage] of famous films and YouTube videos of filmmaking tips and tricks . . . before testing them out myself,” he recalled.

While at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Premiere held at the Arlington Hotel last October, Gabriel visited with two of his greatest inspirations, Stanley Ray Stevenson (middle) and Jennifer Gerber (far right). While at this event, Stanley met Jennifer for the first time and viewed the documentary Gabriel did on him titled “Big Mama’s Antiques & Restorations.”

When he was 15, Gabriel’s mother (local artist Polly Cook) enabled him to attend a filmmaking course—“an intense filmmaking bookcamp,” he clarified—in Hot Springs: the “Inception to Projection Filmmaking Program,” offered by Low Key Arts, taught by Jennifer Gerber (who “is one of the most passionate, inspiring, and caring filmmakers today,” according to Gabriel). Within the span of weeks, students wrote, directed, and produced their own short films. “I was the youngest student in the class,” he said. “Working alongside adults on film projects was nerve-wracking and was a huge confidence booster for whatever I worked on after.” The program culminated in a film festival, which required Gabriel to speak from a stage, present his work to the public, and answer questions in a Q&A format—an experience that would prove invaluable.

“Had I not taken that class when I was 15, I would most definitely not be the same person that I am today,” Gabriel said. “It was a life-changing experience for me.”

*Gabriel served as the Director of Photography for four short films shot within two days, made in collaboration with the Inception to Projection Filmmaking Program.*

In 2020, during his senior year of high school, Gabriel made two short films: a drama called “Dissimulate” and a horror named “Ersatz.” Both pieces premiered at the AMC theatre in Times Square as part of the All-American High School Film Festival in October 2021. “Dissimulate” won the award for Best Art Direction/Set Design at the Student Television Network Nationals; this is “one of the biggest awards for student filmmakers today and was a personal goal of mine to achieve,” Gabriel explained. Additionally, “Ersatz” was nominated for Best Horror Short at the 2021 Teen Indie Awards.

In the summer of 2021, another Low Key Arts course—this one focused on documentaries—changed Gabriel’s life and career. The 11-minute documentary he made—“Big Mama’s Antiques & Restorations”—premiered at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Documentary. It has also been shown at the Arkansas Short Films Fest, the Berlin International Art Film Festival, and the Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival (where it received honorable mention for Best Documentary). “And I’m hoping to share it with many other festivals coming up,” Gabriel said, “so only time will tell where else it’ll go!”

*During the 2021 Teen Indie Awards at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York, last October, a photographer took Gabriel’s official red carpet photo.*

“Big Mama’s Antiques & Restorations” is a straightforward, heartwarming look at a complex topic: the history of the postbellum American South. Set in Hosston, Louisiana, the film introduces the audience to antique-store owner Stanley Ray Stevenson, who “has a collection that would rival many museums,” Gabriel explained. “[The film] explores the aspects of running an antique shop which showcases various pieces of Afro-American history—[some which reflect] bright progress in Black history and others that are hard to stomach as they are derogatory or tragic. I strongly believe Ray is one of the best people you could ever meet. His passion is unrivaled, and I can’t wait for more people to learn about him and plan a visit to see his shop.”

The documentary clearly conveys Stevenson’s intentionality with regards to the sourcing, displaying, and selling (or not selling) of the sensitive artefacts he carries. Stevenson knows as well as anyone that history lives in the here-and-now, and the ways we contextualize, engage with, and move forward with it are of the utmost importance. In other words, while the foundation is significant, so too is what and how we build upon it.

Gabriel Henk benefits from an exceptional foundation. The grandchild and child of two of Texarkana’s most iconic visual artists, he grew up in a world of possibility, encouragement, and exposure. Through TISD, Low Key Arts, his parents, his own self-study, and now the University of North Texas’ Department of Media Arts, he has experienced and continues to experience excellent film education. Upon this foundation, Gabriel has only just begun to develop his craft and build a career; he’s sure of it.

“I know for a fact that I’ll continue filmmaking after graduation, I know I’m going to make it in the industry, and I know I’m going to make the films that I dream of making,” he said. “I want to make a film in every genre at least once, but I have a sweet spot for horror. My goal is to make feature films that I can say are 100% my vision and show them to audiences in theaters around the world.”

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