El Paso Film Festival 2025

Chicano Hollywood - Creatives Empowering Communities and Innovating in Media

Moderated by Abel Rodriguez Date: Friday, September 26, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: El Paso Visitors Center (Ocotillo Room)

Description:

This dynamic panel brought to us by Chicano Hollywood, brings together Chicano actors, filmmakers, and digital storytellers to explore how creative expression can serve as a powerful tool for social impact. Through personal stories, professional insights, and community-driven initiatives, panelists will discuss how Chicano creatives are uniquely positioned to uplift communities—particularly youth—by fostering representation, cultural pride, and access to opportunity.

The conversation will also delve into the future of media and storytelling, highlighting how Chicanos are pioneering new formats such as vertical dramas and short-form content on platforms like ReelShort. These emerging media forms offer fresh avenues for cultural storytelling, activism, and audience engagement, especially among younger, mobile-first generations.

Panelists: Kenneth Castillo, Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, Buddy Calvo

This free community event is organized by the El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission at Visit El Paso, and is supported by the El Paso Film Festival.

Scoring the Future: How Regional Music Creatives Break Into Film, TV, and Gaming

Moderated by TBD Date: Friday, September 26th, 2025 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM Location: El Paso Visitors Center (Ocutillo Room)

Description:

This insightful panel explores how music producers, composers, and independent musicians—especially those working outside major entertainment hubs—can successfully place their music in film, television, and video games. With the rise of remote collaboration, digital licensing platforms, and indie content creation, the barriers to entry are shifting. Panelists will share strategies for navigating the sync licensing world, building industry relationships, and crafting music that resonates with visual media.

Whether you're in a small town or a regional market, this discussion will offer practical advice on how to get noticed, pitch your work, and align your sound with the needs of directors, game developers, and music supervisors.

Panelists: Hunter George

This free community event is organized by the El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission at Visit El Paso, and is supported by the El Paso Film Festival.

Our **Documentary Shorts** programs offer compelling real-life stories from across cultures, communities, and continents — from deeply personal journeys to explorations of history, identity, and resilience.

Documentary Shorts Program 1

• A City That Cares – A heartfelt portrait of a community coming together to lift its most vulnerable members.
• Building a Champion – Inside the grit, discipline, and heart it takes to rise to the top.
• Lessons Learned in Cotulla – One small Texas town reveals big lessons about education, culture, and change.
• The Wild Girl of Brushvalley Township – An untold story of freedom, survival, and the mysteries of rural life.
• Bailando Culture – Dance as a living expression of heritage, joy, and community spirit.

67 BOMBS TO ENID is an intimate, character-driven documentary about survivors of nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands who relocated to rural America. The film presents intimate access to characters with first-hand accounts of bomb blasts and their descendants who speak to the generational impact these perverse weapons of war have had on humans.

DIY Buzz: Marketing Your Indie Film with New Media, Art, and Innovation

Moderated by Drew Mayer-Oakes Date: Friday September 27, 2025 @ 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Location: El Paso Visitors Center (Ocotillo Room)

Description:

In today’s saturated media landscape, creating hype around your independent short or feature film doesn’t require a blockbuster budget—it requires creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of your audience. This panel brings together filmmakers, digital marketers, and visual artists to explore how to build momentum for your project using new media tools and grassroots techniques.

From crafting compelling teasers and lookbooks to leveraging social media, vertical content, and eye-catching artwork, panelists will share actionable insights on how to generate buzz, attract collaborators, and engage audiences before your film even premieres. Whether you're working solo or with a small team, this discussion will empower you to market your film with impact and authenticity.

Panelists: Alecs Román, Rafael Prieto, Elliott Hinojos

This free community event is organized by the El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission at Visit El Paso, and is supported by the El Paso Film Festival.

Writing Beyond Hollywood: Thriving as a Screenwriter in Regional Markets

Moderated by Carlos De La Torre Date: Friday, September 26, 2025 @ 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Location: El Paso Visitors Center (Ocotillo Room)

Description: This panel explores what it takes to build a successful screenwriting career outside of major entertainment hubs like Los Angeles or New York. Featuring working and emerging screenwriters, the discussion will offer practical advice on how to make a living, stay motivated, and grow your craft in regional markets.

Topics will include whether agents are necessary, how to find paid opportunities, and the importance of writing consistently. Panelists will also share insights on how participating in local and national film festivals, screenwriting competitions, and writing groups can open doors and build community. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your career, this conversation will provide inspiration and actionable strategies for screenwriters working outside the mainstream.

Panelists: Richard Dane Scott, Ya'Ke Smith, April Sánchez, Christian Moldes

This free community event is organized by the El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission at Visit El Paso, and is supported by the El Paso Film Festival.

Crafting Award-Winning Short Films

Moderated by Charles Horak Date: Friday, September 26, 2025 @ 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Location: El Paso Visitors Center (Ocotillo Room)

Description: This panel explores how filmmakers in regional markets can produce short films that compete—and win—on the national and international stage. Featuring directors, producers, actors and festival veterans, the discussion will highlight how to elevate your work through meaningful storytelling, high-quality casting, skilled crew collaboration, and strategic planning.

Panelists will share insights on how to attract top-tier talent locally, manage tight budgets without sacrificing production value, and build a festival strategy that gets your film noticed. Whether you're working in a small town or a mid-sized city, this conversation will empower you to create impactful, professional-level films with the resources you have.

Panelists: Carlos De La Torre, Ya'Ke Smith, Ulises Cordova, Ellar Coltrane

This free community event is organized by the El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission at Visit El Paso, and is supported by the El Paso Film Festival.

Our Student Shorts program shines a spotlight on the next generation of filmmakers, showcasing fresh perspectives, daring ideas, and bold storytelling from emerging voices.

Student Shorts Program

• Healing Hands – A moving exploration of compassion, care, and the quiet strength of human connection.
• A Woman is Many Things – A poetic and powerful portrayal of womanhood in all its complexity.
• Tornado – A tense and emotional story set against the chaos of a looming storm.
• Experts in a Dying Field – A poignant look at love, memory, and what remains when everything else fades.
• The Truck – An intimate journey sparked by an unexpected roadside encounter.
• Division – A sharp, timely reflection on lines drawn — between people, places, and beliefs.
• Star Crossed – A heartfelt tale of connection and fate under a shared night sky.
• Fear and Tremble – A gripping study of inner conflict and the courage to face the unknown.

TMIIIP on the Road | Presented by the Texas Film Commission

Moderated by Robert Rodriguez Date: Friday, September 26, 2025 @ 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Location: El Paso Visitors Center (Ocotillo Room)

Description: Your roadmap to the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, this presentation provides an overview of the Texas Film Commission’s many resources and a guide to the exciting recent changes to the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. (That’s a Texas-sized mouthful, so we call it TMIIIP, y’all!) Q & A to follow the presentation.

The information in these sessions are targeted towards professionals working in Texas’ film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, video game and digital media industries. 

A Marine brotherhood faces trauma and loss in Afghanistan, with Corporal JV Villarreal's first-person video diary serving as a haunting glimpse into their past and a testament to unbreakable bonds.

ASCO: Without Permission is a genre-defying film that profiles the extraordinary, Los Angeles based, Chicano art group of the 70's-80's, ASCO, who merged activism and art as they challenged representation in the art world, Hollywood and the news media.

Producing Power: Women Leading Film Production in Texas

Moderated by Stephanie Valle Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025 @ 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Location: Philanthropy Theater

Description: This inspiring panel highlights the work of women producers who are shaping the independent film landscape in Texas. From powerful documentary to gritty horror, heartfelt romance and powerful drama, these creatives are proving that regional filmmaking can be bold, diverse, and commercially viable. The discussion will explore how women producers navigate the challenges of independent production, build strong creative teams, and successfully bring their films to market.

Panelists will share insights on developing genre-specific projects, working with local talent and crews, and crafting strategies for distribution and festival success. Whether you're a filmmaker, aspiring producer, or film enthusiast, this conversation will offer valuable lessons on leadership, resilience, and innovation in regional cinema.

Panelists: Elizabeth Avellan, Mindy Raymond, Julia Barnett and Jennifer Kuczaj, Jeni Robins

Our annual comedy block, The Good, The Bad, The Indie, brings together hilarious, offbeat, and heartwarming short films from a mix of first-time and veteran filmmakers. Expect unexpected twists, sharp wit, and plenty of laughs.

The Good, The Bad, The Indie

• To Write the Ending – A clever, self-aware romp about rewriting the story — literally.
• Clowning Around – Chaos and comedy collide in this outrageous look at life under the big top.
• Waiting for Aphrodite – A quirky tale of love, destiny, and the gods’ questionable timing.
• Pool Toys – Summer fun takes a bizarre turn when the toys start to steal the show.
• Two Headed Calf – Absurdist humor meets poetic reflection in this unique short.
• The Eclipse – Comedy and cosmic events mix in a brilliantly timed chain of mishaps.
• Frank & Beans – A zany culinary comedy with a surprising dash of heart.
• Ashes to Dust – Morbid humor and family drama stir together in a hilariously awkward send-off.
• Donor – A sharp and snappy satire about giving, taking, and everything in between.
• SHE – A playful, surreal exploration of identity, relationships, and unexpected turns.

Our **Documentary Shorts** programs offer compelling real-life stories from across cultures, communities, and continents — from deeply personal journeys to explorations of history, identity, and resilience.

Documentary Shorts Program 2

• Teddy – A tender and moving look at love, family, and perseverance.
• Rock & Roll Film History – A rocking ride through the untold stories where music and movies collide.
• Running to Stand Still – The struggle to move forward when life keeps pulling you back.
• Simple Machine – A poetic meditation on mechanics, invention, and the beauty of simplicity.
• My Tia During an Eclipse – A moving family story set against the magic and mystery of a rare celestial event.

Acting from Anywhere: Building a Screen Career Beyond Hollywood

Moderated by Drew Mayer-Oakes Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025 @ 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Location: Philanthropy Theater

Description: This empowering panel explores how actors can build successful careers in mainstream television and film while living outside major production hubs like Los Angeles or New York. Featuring working actors, casting directors, and talent managers, the discussion will offer practical advice on breaking into the industry, securing representation, and staying competitive from a regional base.

Panelists will share insights on how to get started, build a strong reel, audition remotely, and connect with agents and managers. The conversation will also highlight the importance of training, networking, and staying active in local film communities and festivals. Whether you're just beginning or looking to expand your reach, this panel will provide actionable strategies for thriving in today’s decentralized entertainment landscape.

Panelists: Jeni Robins, Walter Perez, Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, Jessica Meraz, Ellar Coltrane

This free community event is organized by the El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission at Visit El Paso, and is supported by the El Paso Film Festival.

Alex Vasquez, now in his 80's, looks back on the heavy hearted and joyful times with his one true love, Gloria.

For over two decades, Eric Power has been working as an indie animator specializing in cut paper stop motion. Join him on a journey through all the highs and lows of a life dedicated to the wonderful world of animation.