SAFILM attracts film lovers, and our audiences include press, filmmakers, industry leaders & die-hard fans!
The San Antonio Film Festival sets up an amazing, creative innovative environment where opportunities for one-on-one networking abound, connections are forged and filmmakers have a slew of unique opportunities to share ideas and advance their careers. As an accessible and inclusive platform for cinema artists, the San Antonio Film Festival also brings together scores of new and original films from across the country and around the world to delight, elevate and edify cinema lovers as well.
Day 3 Feature Films
*FEATURE FILMS SOLD SEPARATELY*
| Rainbow DoorDirected by Trent Moran3 PM | Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater A writer struggles with a screenplay, death, alcohol and what color the door should be painted. |
| Legend Has ItDirected by Niall Johnson7 PM | Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater After his mother disappeared when he was a child, Daruosh, has always struggled to find his place in the world. But when this misfit teenager, stumbles upon a magical portal to the mythical Hidden Kingdom, the very same place his mother used to tell him stories about when he was a child, he soon discovers his true destiny: To become a prophesied warrior, who as legend has it, must destroy an ancient evil curse. |
| Welcome to JayDirected by Jeffrey Morgan10 AM | Feik Rotunda Jay is a predominantly white town in the rural countryside of northwest Florida. In 2010, Gus Benjamin, a black teen, attends a party in Jay, only to wind up dead, a gunshot from a hunting rifle through his back. Robert Floyd, a young white man, is arrested and put on trial for second degree murder. The truths that emerge rip open deep wounds from the past between the black and white communities and lead towards reckoning with a dark history of racial violence that includes a shockingly similar fatal shooting that took place almost a century before. |
Nobody's SweetieDirected by Jenny Hicks12:30 PM | Feik Rotunda Dale Frank, a painter known for his irreverent and vulnerable style, faces a whirlwind of tasks, preparing for an exhibition, fulfilling overseas commissions, restoring a mansion, establishing a botanical garden, and managing pain. | |
| Stonger TogetherDirected by Tania Claudia Castillo3 PM | Feik Rotunda In recent years, Mexican women have awakened to the patriarchal system with unprecedented fervor. Lesbian feminist activist Yan María Castro reveals the struggles and hopes in the fight for women's dignity and rights. This documentary is a tribute to the revolutionary power of love and solidarity among women. |
| Entre ActoresDirected by José Angel Paredes Ríos7 PM | Feik Rotund "Entre Actores" tells the story of two best friends, Rodrigo and Diana, both actors, both living in Tijuana, Mexico. A sudden change emerges when Diana decides to move to Mexico City to further advance her career as an actress, while Rodrigo, due to personal reasons, has to stay behind, without being able to share his true feelings for her. |
The ConfessionDirected by Will A Canon9:30 PM | Feik Rotund THE CONFESSION is a horror/thriller and a twist on the story of the Pied Piper. Set in rural Texas, a struggling musician moves back into her childhood home and discovers a disturbing family secret that threatens to unravel her entire life. | |
| Where There is Love, There is DarknessDirected by Stevan Lee Mraovitch10 AM | McLaughlin Rotunda An undocumented Fulani delivery man in Paris faces the dangers of urban nightlife while trying to support his family in Senegal. Entangled in a smuggling ring, he must make tough choices to secure their future. |
| Among NeighborsDirected by Yoav Potash12:30 PM | McLaughlin Rotunda Using beautiful hand-drawn animation to bring the past to life, “Among Neighbors” investigates the story of a small, rural town where the longstanding peace between Jewish and Polish neighbors was shattered by World War II. The film focuses on the only living Holocaust survivor from the town, and an aging eyewitness who saw Jews murdered there — six months after the Nazis were defeated. |
My Little MoonDirected by Ali Atshani3 PM | McLaughlin Rotunda The story of this film is based on real events during the protests last year against compulsory hijab and the killing of many young girls and boys in Iran by the Iranian regime. | |
| Marco & LunaDirected by Gabriel Lozano Marchand7 PM | McLaughlin Rotunda The paths of two strangers cross, only for them to be promptly separated by chance. Though physically they'll only be a few feet away, if only they knew this. |
| The Pantone GuyDirected by Patrick Creadon9:30 PM | McLaughlin Rotunda At 96 years old, Larry Herbert, known as “The Pantone Guy,” is a visionary whose revolutionary idea to standardize color remains largely unrecognized. Growing up in Depression-era Brooklyn, Larry entered the print and manufacturing trade during a time when color was a chaotic and subjective experience. Directed by Patrick Creadon (Wordplay, Hesburgh), this compelling documentary features an exclusive interview with Larry himself, offering an intimate glimpse into the mind behind Pantone and his enduring impact on how we perceive and use color today. |
| New SwitzerlandDirected by Isaura Contreras10 AM | Radius Center Three lifelong friends come together to throw a surprise baby shower. But as they prepare the decorations and reminisce about the past, a buried truth unexpectedly surfaces —revealing a hidden love between the mom-to-be and one of them. What starts as an occasion of laughter and sisterhood turns into a day of soul-searching, unspoken desires, and difficult choices. |
| Land of MustachesDirected by Leon Joosen12:30 PM | Radius Center Land of the Mustaches is an autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in the Displaced Persons refugee camps with her mother and grandmother after World War Two left them starving and stateless, and her father's disappearance into Stalin's notorious Gulag labor camps in Siberia with only what he was wearing the day he was abducted—two hard paths that parallel each other until they finally merge into one story: The ultimate celebration of resilience and the human spirit. |
US CharrosDirected by Diego Huerta7 PM | Radius Center After more than 80 years of arriving in the United States, charrería, Mexico's national sport, faces two of its most significant challenges: survival and growth. Year after year, American Union teams encounter personal, economic, and social challenges as they strive to reach the National Charrería, the highest charro competition in Mexico. |
Short Sessions
12:30 PM | Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater
| Free PlayDirected by Alex Astrella A mother's resilience leads to the creation of middle Tennessee's largest all-inclusive playground, where everyone is welcome. |
| The Spiritual Gift of BicyclesDirected by Kemp Lyons Vincent runs a volunteer bicycle shop for Mauritanian refugees in Lockland, Ohio (near Cincinnati). As he gives bikes away, repairs them, and teaches other men how to repair them, he learns that it's not just a bicycle. He's giving freedom, independence, and hospitality to folks who need all three. |
| More Than a MealDirected by Courtney King This PSA explores the impact of Meals on Wheels in the greater San Antonio community. |
| The Human Side Of Plastic: Babacar ThiawDirected by Andrew Lynch, Ben Ayers, Rush Sturges Babacar Thiaw, a visionary Senegalese surfer, entrepreneur, and environmental activist, is on a mission to tackle his country’s escalating plastic pollution crisis and preserve its coastline for future generations. Deeply connected to the ocean through his family’s history and inspired by his father’s teachings, Babacar channels this passion into innovative, community-driven solutions. |
| A City That CaresDirected by Aaron Hose A legal educator reflects on her work as an activist along the US-Mexico border, a journey that guides her and her students to a compassionate Texas community where generosity and empathy are deeply intertwined. |
| Lessons Learned in CotullaDirected by Oddett Garza Four Mexican American women share their stories of resilience as they reflect on their journeys to pursue higher education despite the systemic barriers of their time. |
| Words to Live ByDirected by Richard E. Haywood A sign language interpreter tries to heal from childhood trauma through expanding idiomatic expression and minority representation in the deaf community. |
3 PM | Radius Center
| New HireDirected by Larry Wright Two guys arrive for the same interview, only one has what it takes. Or does he? |
| The CallbackDirected by Kara Herold A comedy about following a dream into a waking nightmare. |
| Wooden SpoonsDirected by Tasneem Afridi Just a girl and her will to survive |
| Finding the FunnyDirected by Gabriel Fermin An indigenous comedian, stuck in a creative rut, encounters unexpected moments of inspiration within his community as he prepares for an important performance. |
| Personal College EssayDirected by Antonio Martin Ducrot A father fakes his death to help his daughter write a more pitying college personal essay which in turn, will increase her chances of getting into her dream school. |
El LlorónDirected by Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez FELIPE is a professional mourner. He is compensated for lamenting and comforting grieving families during funerals. | |
| No Small PartsDirected by Patrick Poe, Lolo Loren An actor auditions to be an extra in a movie. |
UNEASY & UNDEAD
9:30 PM | Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater
| The ButcherDirected by Jackson Stewart Detective Jacoby Hartman finds himself outside a butcher shop looking into the disappearance of Talen Nash, a health inspector. Jacoby interviews the shop's owner, Lyle Teller, who recounts his events of that day, as Jacoby puts two and two together while Lyle finds himself distracted. |
| Through the GhostDirected by Chip Hale In Kilgore, the Texan Theater stands as a testament to a bygone era, its walls echoing with the whispers of history. Unbeknownst to many, the theater's foundation rests upon ancient hallowed ground. |
| The QuillDirected by Arthur Kurland |
| Waiting RoomDirected by Rylee Norman In a surreal purgatory waiting room, a tormented woman named Florence grapples with her elusive past, conversing with a haunting 18th-century plague doctor and navigating failed attempts to find closure with celestial desk attendants. As a phone rings in the shadows, she uncovers painful truths about her controlling mother, leading to a bittersweet farewell that reveals the complexities of love, loss, and the desire for redemption. |
| ThanksgivingDirected by Austin J. Lawrence Jason just wants to get Thanksgiving dinner over with. However, that soon becomes impossible when he finds himself caught in a frustrating time loop. |
| The Humming GrowsDirected by Aughbar Breaking into her sister’s home in an attempt to save her, MMA fighter Jodie realizes she must free her chained niece from both a brutal captor and family secrets as she fights for their escape. |
9 PM | Radius Center
| InfluencedDirected by Chris M. Veninga Fame comes at a price. The Influenced Trilogy - Influenced, Infamy, and Inflamed - is a story of fame, expectations, and modern day influencer culture. |
| VisitantDirected by Cameron J. Kic During a late-night rendezvous between a straight-laced man and an androgynous sex worker, secrets emerge and it becomes clear that these two may know each other from the past. |
| What Men Do For LoveDirected by Sai Karan Talwar An aging dentist kidnaps a young man with intentions of killing him because he’s had an affair with his wife, but an unlikely connection starts to form between them. |
| TeethDirected by Frank Dell'Oro Returning home to her dying father, a damaged woman with a strange obsession with teeth gets a chance to avenge her childhood trauma. |
| HussDirected by Laurent Prim In a small, tight-knit town, Huss, a notorious and volatile man, is at the center of simmering tensions. When his predatory behavior escalates, the townspeople gather to confront a history of grievances and injustice. |
| Let 'em SoakDirected by Tommy Allocco When a low-life gambler’s crushing debt to a ruthless crime boss threatens his family and sanity, he’s forced to make a dangerous choice—risk everything for redemption or lose it all. |
