In hopes of inspiring and bringing our community together in challenging times, the Watsonville Film Festival began presenting Virtual WFF screenings in April 2020. Here we present year-round film screenings, and Q&A’s with filmmakers & talent. Films will be available to watch here on a regular basis.
Like what we do? Support the Filmmakers & WFF with a Tip, so we can continue presenting great films & conversations!
(If you’d prefer to become a WFF Amigo with monthly donations, go here.)
November 14-20, 2021
United Against Hate Week / not in our town Short Films
WFF is proud to co-host a short film program presented by Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities (SCCUSIC) and the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, as part of United Against Hate Week. Films are available in the WFF Virtual Cinema for free, November 14 - 20.
GO HERE TO WATCH FILMS
Don’t hate, participate: We invite people from all walks of life to discover how every community member can play a part charting a better future at the bilingual webinar "A Call to Action: Inspired by Not in Our Town films / Un llamado a la acción: Inspirado por las películas de Not in Our Town," on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 6:30-8pm. Join us! Link to register for Webinar in English / Liga para registrarse en el webinar bilingüe
CLICK ON IMAGE ABOBE TO BEGIN WATCHING FILMS, NOV 14-20.
June 15-18, 2021
Murals / Art / Activism
May 17, 2021
Student Films
WFF is proud to offer four Student Films that we presented at the 9th Annual Watsonville Film Festival on March. View online for free! Simply click on image to watch to watch the film on Vimeo.
April 29 - May 2, 2021
29 DE ABRIL - 2 DE MAYO, 2021: Cortometrajes en español para mayores de 8 años
El Festival de Cine de Watsonville se enorgullece en ofrecer este programa gratuito como un regalo a la comunidad para celebrar El Día del Niño. Los invitamos a disfrutar los mejores cortometrajes en español de Latinoamérica seleccionados por el Festival de Cine para Niños de Nueva York.
También estamos estrenando el cortometraje Los Campesinos También Son Padres en honor de nuestros trabajadroes del campo, dirigido por Maribel Martinez, estudiante de la Escuela Primaria Alianza.
HAZ CLIC AQUÍ PARA ENTRAR NUESTRO CINEMA VIRTUAL
Presentado en colaboración con PVUSD, con apoyo de Amigos del Festival.
APRIL 29 - MAY 2, 2021: Spanish language short films for ages 8+ with English subtitles
Watsonville Film Festival is proud to offer this free program as a gift to the community in honor of Day of the Child. Enjoy the best Spanish-language short films from Latin America selected by the New York International Children’s Film Festival.
We are also premiering the short film Farmworkers Are Parents Too in honor of local farmworkers, directed by Alianza Elementary School student Maribel Martinez.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE WFF VIRTUAL CINEMA
Teachers & Parents: Film Study Guide Available Here. (In English only)
Presented in collaboration with Pájaro Valley Unified School District, with support from Amigos del Festival.
Oct. 9 - 30, 2020
Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground
Click on the image above to view the film at pbs.
Producer & Director Bernardo Ruiz - who screened Harvest Season with us at WFF 2019 - has just released a new documentary. LATINO VOTE: DISPATCHES FROM THE BATTLEGROUND delves into the campaigns in the battleground states of Nevada, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania to explore how Latino voters - across the polital spectrum - are poised to shape not only the upcoming election, but the future of the country. (56 min.)
Streaming free at PBS: Latino Vote: Dispatches from the Battleground
And while we're on the subject, please vote! Democracy depends on YOU. California residents, register to vote or check your voting status at the CA Secretary of State webpage.
Sept. 23 - 24
we are the radical monarchs
This event has ended. If you wish to rent/purchase a copy of the film for community/educational purposes, go here.
We Are The Radical Monarchs
Director: Linda Goldstein Knowlton
Set in Oakland, a city with a deep history of social justice movements, WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS documents the Radical Monarchs - an alternative to the Scout movement - for girls of color, aged 8-13. Its members earn badges for completing units on social justice issues such as LGBTQ & disability rights, body acceptance, and the environment. [95 min. English.] TRAILER
The film will stream online for free for 24 hours on this webpage
Starts: WED. SEPT 23 @ 6PM / Ends: THU. SEPT. 24 @ 6PM
JOIN US FOR THE Q&A: THU. SEPT. 24, 6PM - 7PM - This event has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Special Guests: Director Linda Goldstein Knowlton and Radical Monarchs Co-Founders Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest
Teachers / Parents / Activists! Check out the We are the Radical Monarchs Discussion Guide & Resources
Sept. 11-20
Remover el corazón / To Stir the Heart
This event has ended; the film is no longer available to view on our website.
REMOVER EL CORAZON / TO STIR THE HEART
Director: Melissa Elizondo
On September 19, 2017, a powerful earthquake shook Mexico. The children of one of the most affected villages learn to transform their trauma through poetry and painting. In San Gregorio Atlapulco, Xochimilco, the creation of community through art shows us that when the earth opens, our hearts open up too. [In Spanish with English subtitles, 29 min]
El 19 de septiembre de 2017 un potente terremoto sacude a México y los niños de uno de los poblados más afectados aprenden a sublimar el trauma a través de su mundo poético interior y los colores de la pintura. En San Gregorio Atlapulco, Xochimilco, la creación de comunidad por medio del arte nos muestra que cuando se abre la tierra también se abren nuestros corazones. [En español con subtítulos en inglés, 29 min]
Q&A with Mexico-based Director Melissa Elizondo - This event has ended.
Thu. Sept. 17, 2020 @ 06:00 PM Pacific Time
Sept. 4-13
Chicas in cinema
This week we are proud to present three wonderful short films made by local young women expressing their creativity in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. These short films were created at the Watsonville High School-Digital NEST Internship Program.
Q&A with the Directors: Thu. Sept. 10th at 6pm (PDT) - This event has ended. Thank you for your participation.
ALONE
Director: Angie Rockey
A mind-bending story of what happens when a girl finds herself at home alone after her family has disappeares. (7 min.)
COVID-19: THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
Director: Michele Gomez
This short documents the struggles of low-income families in Watsonville during the pandemic. (5 min.)
PERSONALITIES SURVIVING QUARANTINE
Director: Ebonie Piña
A comedy about the emotional rollercoaster of sheltering in place. (6 min.)
August 7-16
No Place to Grow
Directed by Michelle Aguilar
We are excited to present Michelle Aguilar's NO PLACE TO GROW this week. This local David vs. Goliath documentary was originally slated to screen at our annual festival in March.
About the Film: NO PLACE TO GROW features a group of Latino farmers who find themselves representing a movement to save the last green space in Santa Cruz’s Beach Flats neighborhood, which is facing gentrification. Corporate power, city politics, and local activism collide at the intersection of family farming traditions and the “urban growth machine.” [27 min. All ages. Bilingual Spanish-English subtitles.]
This film is no longer available to view online.
About the Director: As a documentary Filmmaker, Michelle Aguilar is committed to social equality and fair representation of marginalized populations. She believes a documentary project directly reflects the relationship between the filmmaker and those being filmed. Her film, El Cacao (WFF 2016) was nominated for an International Dcoumentary Association (IDA) Award in 2015, and won awards at the Social Justice Film Festival and the DC Environmental Film Festival. Michelle earned an M.A in Social Documentation at U.C. Santa Cruz, and has produced non-fiction multimedia projects in cultures and communities across the world.
Q&A With the Director Michelle Aguilar + Special Guests
No Place to Grow Q&A - Aug 13, 2020, 6:00PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
This event has ended. Thanks to Director Michelle Aguilar, Don Emilio, Reyna Ruiz, and to everyone who participated in the conversation!
July 25 - August 1
Libertad + El Canto del colibrí
WFF partners with PV Pride to present two powerful docs for 2020’s Connected in Pride celebration.
WFF is happy to partner with PV Pride and six other Monterey & Santa Cruz County’s leading LGBTQ+ organizations to present the CONNECTED IN PRIDE, a free virtual event Sat. August 1st, 12 to 3pm.
The Virtual WFF CONNECTED IN PRIDE Film Program runs July 25 - Aug. 1. Watch LIBERTAD & EL CANTO DEL COLIBRI below.
On Sat. August 1, from 12:30 to 1:30PM (PDT), participate in a Q&A with the two directors and Alejandra, the protagonist of Libertad.
CONNECTED IN PRIDE is an unprecedented collaboration that will feature a series of live and recorded events to celebrate the history, intersectionality, and shared connection within the LGBTQ+ community. The event will include dancing, educational programs, and other events to celebrate LGBTQ+ history, while pushing forward with Pride! Details: https://sites.google.com/view/connectedinpride/
This film is no longer available to view online.
LIBERTAD
Directed by Brenda Avila-Hanna
Alejandra, an Indigenous, transgender woman from Oaxaca, México, escaped violence in her hometown and fled to the U.S. 28-years ago. Today, Alejandra prepares for several long-awaited events in her life before her first homecoming trip: her gender-confirmation surgery, completing a degree, opening a restaurant and making peace with the Catholic Church. Alejandra's lifelong quest for a safe place through her intersecting identities has turned her into a beacon of solidarity to many and a testament to the importance – and sometimes limits – of solidarity. [9 min. All ages. In Spanish & English w/ English & Spanish subtitles.]
About the Director: Brenda Avila-Hanna is an award-winning filmmaker, video journalist and educator. Born and raised in Mexico City, her films mostly focus on transnational immigrant stories. Her work has been showcased at HotDocs, Tribeca, Lakino Berlin, Frameline and Fusion Network among many others. Brenda is a member of New Day Films, an independent filmmaker co-op bringing films to educators, where she currently serves as the Team Lead for Equity & Representation. Brenda is also a programmer for the Watsonville Film Festival and a Mentor for the Latino Film Institute’s Youth Cinema Project. She received a Master’s degree in Social Documentation from UC Santa Cruz.
This film is no longer available to view online.
EL CANTO DEL COLIBRI
Directed by Marco Castro-Bojorquez
El Canto del Colibrí is a rich, varied documentary on what it means to be the Latino father of an LGBT child. Hailing from countries as diverse as Venezuela, Mexico and Colombia, and spread across the U.S. in cities such as Los Angeles, Kansas City and Portland, the seven men profiled offer emotionally rich tales of immigration and the struggle to establish families and professions in a land that often regards them with prejudice and fear, only to have their own deeply internalized prejudices challenged when these families don’t always adhere to accepted gender norms. [53 min. In Spanish w/ English subtitles.]
About the Director: Marco Castro-Bojorquez is the Community Educator in Lambda Legal’s Western Regional Office in Los Angeles, as well as a documentary filmmaker. “I want to dismantle the racist premise that Latino men are homophobic, transphobic, or machista by nature and show that unconditional love changes hearts and minds in our families and communities. The stories highlighted in El Canto del Colibrí, shown that the resiliency of our LGBTQ children is stronger than any cultural biases and labels. When there is intentional work in the relationship between a father and child, when people acknowledge that it is a process, Latino immigrant men are capable of powerful personal transformation."
June 16 - July 23
Fields of Dreams / Campos de Sueños
Directed by Carlos Campos
Click here or the image below to watch the film.
About the Film: This short documentary film examines the lack of recreational soccer fields in the city of Watsonville. The flm draws attention to the importance of parks for the community and their impacts on young individuals and their futures. [20 min. All Ages. In English w/ Spanish closed captions option.]
About the Director: Carlos Campos was born & raised in Watsonville, and graduated Watsonville High in 2011. He received his B.A. at CSU Fresno in Mass Communicaton and Journalism. Carlos is a recent graduate of the Social Documentaton (SocDoc) M.F.A. film program at UC Santa Cruz, where he produced Fields of Dreams. He is also a professional freelance photographer and videographer.
Join us for a Q&A with Filmmaker Carlos Campos & Special Guests
Thu. July 23, 6PM - 7PM (PDT) - THIS EVENT HAS ENDED.
June 25 - July 9
NEXT GEN Filmmakers
Burger Buddies + Last Online
We are excited to spotlight the NEXT GENERATION of filmmakers! Virtual WFF programming continues this week with two shorts originally scheduled to screen at the annual festival in March: BURGER BUDDIES, by Director Avery Christmas, and LAST ONLINE by Hector Ricky Villareal. Both directors received their B.A. degrees at CSUMB's Cinematic Arts & Technology program.
These shorts are no longer available to view online.
BURGER BUDDIES
Director: Avery Christmas
When two best friends are torn apart because of one’s prejudice of the other’s burger preference, can their friendship be saved? A funny film with serious undertones. [10 min. All Ages]
About the Director: Avery Christmas was born & raised in California and attended Cal State University Monterey Bay, where he received his B.A. in Cinematic Arts and Technology. His award-winning short films include Paragon, and the documentary About Scott, that screened at the Monterey Museum of Art and The Smithsonian. He is currently a student in the MFA program in Film & Television Production at Loyola Marymount University, where he made Burger Buddies. Avery will soon will have a new joint out called Behind The Wheel.
LAST ONLINE
Director: Hector ‘Ricky’ Villareal / Producer: Victor Manzo-Solis / Editor: Karen Eudave
An introverted boy in middle school believes that he his destined to be a loner; that is, until he makes an unlikely friendship. [9 min. All Ages]
Director’s Statement: I got the inspiration to write Last Online when I realized that the older I get, the less time I have to play with my friends online. For many video game lovers, playing online meant late nights, lots of junk food and laughs, but at some point everybody grows out of that phase 🕹 🎮 🎥 Currently, I'm writing a full-length script for Last Online, because there are so many themes that I would like to call attention to about growing up. I attended Porterville College, then CSUMB where I got my B.A. in Cinematic Arts and Technology.
Join us for a Q&A with NEXT GEN Filmmakers Avery, Ricky and Victor & Karen, July 9 at 6pm!
(This event has already ocurred, you can visit our Facebook page to watch the zoom Q&A with the filmmakers)
June 15-18
Focus on Anti-Racism: The Long Shadow
This week, the Watsonville Film Festival is collaborating with the Reel Work Film Festival to bring you the timely and affecting film, THE LONG SHADOW. Note: The screening period has ended. [2021 Update: This film is currently available to watch on Kanopy and other streaming services.]
Synopsis: As a white woman filmmaker, Frances Causey bravely explores her family lineage and connection to southern slavery. The film adeptly reveals the history of legalized slavery in the US over the last 400 years. If you are white, Frances’ story is YOUR story. We have an obligation to understand how we have been brainwashed and trained to systemic racism in such a way that we don’t even recognize it when it’s a part of our everyday existence. [60 min. All ages]
This event has ended. Thanks to Director Frances Causey and to everyone who participated.
THE LONG SHADOW Q&A: THU. JUNE 18
Join the conversation about THE LONG SHADOW and anti-racism with Director Frances Causey on Thursday, June 18 at 7PM (PDT). The Q&A is hosted by Reel Work Labor Film Festival.
June 8
In Solidarity With Black Lives Matter
A Note From Our Executive Director:
We started our film festival in 2012 with the belief that films have the power to inspire, bring people together and transform community. From the get go, we have given voice to the voiceless and spotlighted unheard, urgent stories.
As a Latinx organization we resonate deeply with the struggle for justice and equity, and we stand in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters who have endured relentless racism and police brutality. Now is the time for all of us, organizations & individuals, to step up and bring deep and long lasting change. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and reaffirm our commitment to help build a more just future.
In this context, Virtual WFF will be pausing its program for a short time. We will return in late June with more local films & conversations. Until then, we've rounded up a few film recommendations for you, to help inspire you and reflect on this important historical and social moment.
There's no shortage of excellent films to choose from, but we've selected films that are currently streaming for free through June 2020; no subscription required. [Update 2021: Some films are still available for free, others require a rental fee or subscription, see notes for each film.]
13th: Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, Director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America. Not to be missed. (Click link to watch on Youtube)
Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement: Director Laruens Grant's documentary of the evolution of the Black Lives Matter movement through the accounts of local activists, protesters, scholars, and journalists. (Click link to watch on Youtube)
We Are George Floyd: Director Julian Marshall chronicles New York City's recent protests in this moving 5-minute film, and includes commentary by KIller MIke & Cornel West. (Click link to watch on Vimeo)
I Am Not Your Negro envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, a radical narration about race in America, drawing on the writer’s original words on the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. (This film is available on Amazon Prime.)
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Director Stanley Nelson's immersive doc sheds light on the Black Panther Party — loved and hated, misunderstood and mythologized. Can't get enough Panthers? Check out Agnès Varda's you-are-there short doc Black Panthers, filmed in 1970. (Films are available on multiple streaming services.)
King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis: Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, this monumental documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activist to world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. (182 min. Click link to watch.)
The Watermelon Woman: Director Cheryl Dunye’s 1996 film is a bitingly funny, deeply personal feature debut, and a landmark look at the black lesbian experience. (This film is available on Kanopy and multiple streaming channels.)
Down In the Delta, directed by Maya Angelou. The legacy of slavery, resilience, strength and joy infuse this family drama. Follow it up with Ms. Angelou's own inspiring biography, And Still I Rise. (These films may be available on various streaming channels.)
WFF Programming Team Member Brenda Avila-Hanna recommends Within Our Gates. "This is a life changing film and much better than other glorified movies from the era that were made by white supremacists." (Currently available on several streaming channels with subscription/fee)
What films do YOU recommend? Join us on Facebook to share your choices and continue the conversation of justice and equality for black Americans.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
-Maya Angelou
Stay inspired and connected,
Executive Director Consuelo Alba & The WFF Team
World Premiere! May 28 through June 4
The Lost
Directed by Vincent Cortez
This film is no longer available to view online.
About the Film: Surviving the aftermath of a devastating viral outbreak, two resilient children try to maintain hope and keep their family together as both the virus and the outside world threaten their safety. The Lost is a dystopian thriller, grounded in humanity, and as relevant as today's headlines. Directed by Oakland-based filmmaker Vincent Cortez (Collisions & Dad, WFF 2019). [Free. 17 min.]
THE LOST Q&A: Thursday, June 4 @ 6pm (PDT)
Please join us as we host Director Vincent Cortez (Collisions & Dad, WFF 2019), Producer Sofia Cortez and young Actors Vivian & Valerie Cortez for a community conversation.
Note: This event has ended.
The Q&A will also be available on the WFF Facebook Live page.
May 8 - May 31
The infiltrators
Directed by Alex Rivera & Cristina Ibarra
WFF is participating in the online premiere of the award-winning feature-film The Infiltrators. The $10 viewing fee supports the filmmakers and helps the Watsonville Film Festival recover and continue to present outstanding films rarely seen in our region. Enjoy the film!
This film is no longer available to view online.
Official trailer below.
About the Film: This docu-thriller tells the true story of courageous group of undocumented youth — DREAMERS — who deliberately get detained by Border Patrol in order to infiltrate a shadowy, for-profit detention center. By weaving together documentary footage of the real infiltrators with re-enactments of the events inside the detention center, THE INFILTRATORS tells an incredible and thrilling true story in a genre-defying new way. Co-Directed by Alex Rivera (Sleep Dealer, WFF 2015) & Cristina Ibarra (Las Marthas). Multiple award winner, including 2019 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award.
92 min. In English & Spanish w/ English subtitles.
What our audience is saying about The Infiltrators:
It is amazing! They did such a good job of recreating their experience and that of detainees. But most impressive was their courage. - Maria G.
I was inspired by the bravery, passion, and the political savvy of the youth... It was great to see the activists transform the people in the prison who were always told to keep their heads down. - Yazmin H.
Watched The Infiltrators last night with the family and we were all blown away. Viridiana Martínez became an instant addition to my shero list. - Joanne S.
The Infiltrators is co-presented by the Santa Cruz Reel Work Labor Film Festival, GOAL Adult Learning, Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc., and Cabrillo College EOPS / CARE.
DREAMERS: WATCH THE FILM FOR FREE, THROUGH SUNDAY MAY 31!
Week of May 4
XILONEN
WORLD PREMIERE!
Director: Stephanie Garibay / Editor: Emmanuel Guido
This film is no longer available to view online.
About the Film: Diana Hernandez shares her experience becoming a Xilonen during the Ceremony of Tender Corn. The White Hawk Indian Council has hosted this indigenous coming-of-age ceremony in Watsonville for more than 30 years. Created by the Digital NEST Short Doc Film Intensive. Director: Stephanie Garibay, Editor: Emmanuel Guido, Producer: Gabriel Jesse Medina. (5 min. All Ages)
About the Filmmakers
Stephanie Garibay, Director / Stephanie is a daughter of Latino immigrant parents, born and raised in Watsonville. From her love of watching movies, grew her passion to work in the film industry. Cabrillo College opened the door to her dream as she joined Digital NEST to support her community. She hopes to showcase the beauty of Watsonville through film.
Emmanuel Guido, Editor / Emmanuel was born in Salinas and raised in Soledad. He learned about documentary filmmaking at Digital NEST. He worked as camera operator and editor for the short Xilonen. For him this film not only demonstrates the beauty of the ceremony, but also attempts to express what the ceremony means to the people who celebrate it.
Gabriel Medina, Producer / Gabriel was born and raised in Watsonville. He graduated with the class of 2010 from Watsonville High School where he was greatly involved with the Video Academy and Theater Department. Gabriel attended UCLA where he obtained his B.A. in Visual Literacy and two minors in Film & Television studies and Chicana/o Studies. After several gigs in the film industry with Lionsgate and Blue Blondie Productions, he decided to come back to his hometown to produce content that was important to his community. Since October 2014, Gabriel has created opportunities and a platform for young filmmakers to develop their skills at the Digital NEST.
Week of April 27
REPRESENT
Directed by Armando Aparicio
REPRESENT: In this intimate and moving short documentary, Artist/DREAMER Arleene Correa Valencia makes immigrant labor visible in her stunning portraits of Napa-based farmworkers. [7 min. All Ages]
We believe that powerful films can inspire people to take action. REPRESENT is a powerful film that can help change the narrative about immigrants and their contributions to this country.
If you are moved by REPRESENT - or last week's music videos - here are 4 easy ways to take action:
Follow the Watsonville Campesino Appreciation Caravan on Facebook, and participate in their upcoming activities.
Support artists who are working to change the narrative by viewing the new Pájaro Valley Arts exhibit Campesinos: Workers of the Land. WFF is proud to partner in this exhibit, which includes pieces by Artist Arleene Correa Valencia & Photographer Craig Sherod. Many of the works on view are also for sale. Take the Virtual Campesinos Exhibit Tour.
Donate to the non-profit Center For Farmworker Families, which provides direct assistance to improve the well-being of campesino families living on the Central Coast.
Show your appreciation to essential workers by making your own "Thank You! / ¡Gracias!" posters for your house or car windows.
Week of April 20
Two music videos at the intersection of film, music, art and human rights.
Best of Me
BEST OF ME is a musical collaboration between David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Taj Mahal and the Bay Area's Los Cenzontles. It features portraits of of Braceros by local photographer Craig Sherod. The video was edited by prolific Bay Area filmmaker/editor Maureen Gosling (Blossoms of Fire, Chulas Fronteras/Del Mero Corazón, This Ain’t No Mouse Music). [5 min. All Ages]
Los Hermanos
Maureen Gosling also edited our second featured video, LOS HERMANOS. This beautiful song by Argentine cantautor Atahualpa Yupanqui is interpreted by Los Cenzontles. Photojournalist Jim Goldberg’s images put a human face on the plight of recent immigrants and refugees. [3 min. All Ages]
BEST OF ME & LOS HERMANOS Q&A
Maureen Gosling, the editor of Best of Me, and Craig Sherod, a local photographer, talk about their project and how it aimed to create a positive narrative about who immigrants are and their contribution to this country. A great group of music fans & community activists joined us and had great things to say about this topic, and how the videos resonated with them. You can listen to the Q&A below (audio only, all ages).
Week of April 13
Through Your Eyes
Directed by Eugenia Rentería
About The Film: Through Your Eyes offers a recollection of life’s precious and transitory moments, as seen through the eyes of a loved one. This visually creative and emotionally powerful short stars Luci Basor and a cast of local talent. (5 min. All Ages)
About The Director: Eugenia Rentería's work is centered around her life experiences as an immigrant woman. Born and raised in a small town in Zacatecas, Mexico she moved to California when she was 12. She received a B.A. in Cinematic Arts & Technology from CSUMB. Eugenia co-founded Inspira Studios, where she produces content for businesses and organizations, as well as her own stories.
THROUGH YOUR EYES Q&A
Thank you to all who participated in the activities online and came to the Q&A for Through Your Eyes. More than 500 people watched the film, and 36 participated in the Q&A. We had a great conversation with Eugenia Renteria, the Director of the film and Founder of Inspira Studios and Luci Basor, the protagonist of the film. We even had the privilege to hear from Yahaira Diaz, who was in the Q&A audience that day. The film was based on her and her husband, who passed away in 2018. She shared her thoughts on how the film impacted her. You can listen to the whole Q&A below (audio only, all ages).