San Antonio’s original Latinx film festival returns on Thursday, July 11 through Sunday, July 14, 2024, at two screening locations — the Little Carver Civic Center at the Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Park North, 618 Northwest Loop 410, as the Guadalupe Theater undergoes a full makeover.

The 45th CineFestival is the nation’s original and longest running Latinx film festival which continues to support local and regional filmmakers, while offering a well-rounded program to local audiences that also includes national and international films that highlight artistic excellence and diversity.

Featuring approximately 75 screenings, the program includes 9 feature films and 32 films made in or related to Texas. 20 films are nominated for the Mesquite Award for Best Texas Short Film. The Mesquite Award Nominees are at the heart of the festival’s program, including a collection of 8 documentaries and 12 fiction films all related to Texas. These are some of the best and most innovative short films made by filmmakers based in Texas in the past three years, representing some of the greatest talents working in the Lone Star State today. The competition includes films from San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Dallas/Fort Worth and the Rio Grande Valley, and filmmakers from Texas, Mexico, Austria, Costa Rica, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and Peru.

In a nod to local filmmaking, the festival’s inaugural day will feature a full slate of films by San Antonio filmmakers. During the afternoon on Thursday July 11, the Little Carver will host two showcases of local short films, including work made by students from San Antonio universities and local interest documentaries by professional producers. In the evening, screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse Park North will kick off with a show of the strength of the San Antonio Latinx community featuring SUENA LA EDUCACION: THE STORY OF BELLE ORTIZ (Dir. Gabriel Redondo). Wrapping up the first day for the festival will be the locally grown family comedy TAMALE SEASON (Dir. Isaac Rodriguez).

Vistas de San Antonio is a program section that includes 23 films made in San Antonio. The consistent output of local filmmakers continues to positively reflect in the commitment of CineFestival San Antonio to support local filmmakers. This section includes something for everyone including mid-length documentaries about local history and events; student films from filmmaking programs at major local universities; and independent short films ranging from comedy and horror to documentary and experimental films.
Topping the selection of films made by San Antonio artists is a special presentation of …AND THE EARTH DID NOT SWALLOW HIM directed by Severo Perez. The screening commemorates the film’s 30th anniversary with the director in attendance, who will also present his new book “A Filmmaker’s Journey” at the Guadalupe Latino Bookstore. Born in the Westside of San Antonio in 1941, acclaimed filmmaker Severo Perez moved to Los Angeles in 1972 to pursue a career in the motion picture industry. His films have won awards, including five CINE Golden Eagles. Perez is also an accomplished playwright and novelist. His new book “A Filmmaker’s Journey” offers valuable insights into the life and work of this influential and visionary artist.
The Estrenos section of the program includes big screen releases of new feature films with filmmakers in attendance. These include a strong collection of feature documentaries including Iliana Sosa’s GOD SAVE TEXAS – LA FRONTERA; the long-awaited local premiere of THE IN BETWEEN directed by Robie Flores; KUMBIA NET: UN ESTILO BIEN DIFERENTE directed by Alvaro Parra; M20: MATAMOROS EJIDO 20 by Mexican director Leonor Maldonado; and THE STRIKE by JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey. The comedy A LITTLE FAMILY DRAMA directed by Nadia Zoe will close the festival on Sunday, July 14.

The program will also include three short film showcases. The Texas Showcase will feature work by filmmakers from all over the Lone Star State; the US Showcase presents a small selection of films made by Latinx and indigenous filmmakers all around the country; and the International Showcase offers a small sample of films made in Latin America.

Last but not least, the always innovative Youth Film section will include films made by artists 18 years or younger working in San Antonio and beyond.

“I am looking forward to CineFestival being on the road this year to reach new audiences” said CineFestival director Eugenio del Bosque. “I am really impressed with the amount of work being produced locally, and with the quality of some of the films submitted in general. We have had a tough time curating this program due to our limited screen time this year, yet I trust that our selection process will also encourage artists to keep learning and getting better.”

“With the film industry continuously going through major changes in the past few years, I think Latinx and Chicanx movies are more important than ever, and cultivating local stories is something that CineFestival will stay committed to because we want to be part of the positive development of a creative ecosystem that offers real opportunities for film artists in San Antonio and Texas at large.”

The full program and screening schedule will be available Monday, June 17 at https://guadalupeculturalarts.org/cine-festival. Individual tickets are $8 and festival passes are $45.

The 45th CineFestival San Antonio is made possible thanks to the continuing support of the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, the San Antonio Film Commission, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, and H-E-B.

This production is not a presentation of the Carver Community Cultural Center or the Carver Development Board.

45th Annual CineFestival San Antonio Details

LOCATIONS:
The festival will take place simultaneously at two screening venues:

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Park North
618 Northwest Loop 410 Suite 307, San Antonio, TX 78216 [map]

Little Carver Civic Center at the Carver Community Cultural Center
226 N Hackberry St, San Antonio, TX 78202

ALL ACCESS PASSES
Festival All Access Passes are available now for $45.

All Access Passes give you the opportunity to pre-book tickets to any screening you want to attend. Passes are also a great way to support CineFestival.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Individual tickets for screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse are available for purchase online starting on Monday, June 17. We recommend buying tickets on-line.
Limited to availability, walk-in tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis one hour before each screening.

All screenings at the Little Carver are free of charge. All free screenings require a ticket. We recommend that you book your free tickets online starting July 1. Limited to availability, free tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis one hour before each screening.

VIEWING AUDIENCE/FILM RATINGS
Please be sensitive when bringing minors to CineFestival. Most of our films are not rated, and some may include explicit language and content. All films that are not in English include English subtitles.

For more information call 210.271.3151, email cine@guadalupeculturalarts.org, or visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/cine-festival/.