The full, formal title for J. Hunter Todd’s annual indie movie extravaganza is WorldFest/Houston International Film Festival — aptly indicating a smorgasbord of cinematic offerings from throughout the world. But Todd is ever ready to emphasize that he always includes some homegrown products on the menu.

And, sure enough, the lineup For WorldFest 2011 — which will be reeling through April 17 at the AMC Studio 30 — includes five flicks with ties to H-Town, and two more set elsewhere in the Lone Star State:

Open Gate – In East Texas, a young rodeo clown stumbles into a deadly serious drug-smuggling operation. First-time feature filmmaker Dan Jackson is credited as writer and director of this indie thriller, which showcases veteran character actor William Sadler (Die Hard 2, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) in a supporting role. (9 p.m. Saturday)

Project Aether – From Houston filmmaker and Planet Funk dance master Shawn Welling (The Messenger: 360 Days of Bolivar), a haunted house drama with a difference: This particular haunted house and its unfortunate residents are under surveillance by the FBI. The advertising tagline — “Leave the dead alone!” — indicates audiences may be in for a supernatural smackdown between ghosts and G-Men. (7 p.m. Sunday and April 17)

Into the Wind II – Houston-based documentarian Chris Page takes audiences for another international adventure with those daredevils who enjoy powered paragliding in this sequel to his 2006 film Into the Wind. (7 p.m. Sunday)

Sugar Baby – Filmed on location in Houston and Calcutta, this Bollywood-style concoction is a musical-comedy-drama about three street singers whose lives change when they are asked to care for an orphaned infant. Chief among the supporting players: The esteemed Soumitra Chatterjee, a veteran of several films by the late, great Satyajit Ray (The World of Apu, The Lonely Wife). (9 p.m. Sunday and April 12)

Reach for the Sky – Well look here, buckaroos! It’s an old-fashioned Western, filmed on location in the Texas towns of Glen Rose and Nemo, complete with a distressed damsel, a land-grabbing villain — and a pair of do-gooding, straight-shooting Texas Rangers. Visual effects whiz Alan Chan (Alice in Wonderland, G-Force) makes his directorial debut with this sagebrush saga. (7 p.m. April 12)

Playing House – After studying at the University of Houston with such greats as Edward Albee and Jose Quintero, Tom Vaughan graduated to writing scripts for TV dramas and indie movies. Now he makes his debut as a feature film director with a made-in-Houston erotic thriller that showcases several UH alumni in its cast.

The steamy plot deals with a femme fatale (H-Town native Mayra Leal, recently on full view in Robert Rodriguez’s Machete) who really, really enjoys being the house guest of a newlywed couple, and works her considerable wiles to become a permanent resident. (7 p.m. April 14)

Renfield: The Undead – Scary stuff, kids! In what’s billed as “The world’s first comic book Dracula movie,” the former slave of the infamous vampire starts a killing spree right here in Bayou City. Houston producer Phil Nichols promises a bloody good time for one and all. (11 p.m. April 15)