14th ANNUAL WATSONVILLE FILM FESTIVAL: MARCH 12-21, 2026
THEME: ART AS RESISTANCE
This year’s theme, ART & RESISTANCE, affirms that film and storytelling are vital forces for truth, representation and cultural resistance.
We are living in dark and turbulent times, when communities of color continue to be misrepresented, silenced, or erased. For the Latine community in particular, cinema is not just entertainment, it is a powerful way to reclaim agency, tell our own stories, and resist narratives imposed on us. Representation matters now more than ever, and film is a vital tool to illuminate our humanity, spark dialogue and inspire change.
For over a decade, WFF has redefined what a film festival can be: more than a series of screenings, it is a cultural movement that builds community with intention and joy.
Through our annual Film Festival, year-round screenings, CINE SE PUEDE filmmaker support programming and funding, we uplift Latine, Indigenous, and underrepresented filmmakers and stories that honor resilience, creativity and dignity, while also creating spaces for audiences to engage, reflect and take action.
Our 2026 Festival will take place at the Cinelux Green Valley Cinema in Watsonville, with additional screenings and events throughout the Monterey Bay region.
As a non-profit, community-based festival rooted in Watsonville, we believe that the arts—especially film—are essential for communities to thrive, and that Latine voices must be heard, seen, and celebrated in the fight for a more just world.
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Santos: Skin to Skin Screening
Join us for a great evening at the CineLux Green Valley Cinema on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 7:00 PM.
We are thrilled to bring you a screening of the documentary film Santos: Skin To Skin.
This event is a unique collaboration between the Watsonville Film Festival and Kuumbwa Jazz Center.
Santos: Skin to Skin is a powerful film portrait of community activist and seven-time Grammy nominee John Santos, a “keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame.” Rich in musical performances, Santos: Skin to Skinlinks the rhythms of his ancestors to contemporary struggles of identity, resistance and social justice.
Director Kathryn Golden and producer Ashley James will participate in a post-film discussion facilitated by UCSC Film Professor Gustavo Vasquez.
Join us for this fantastic event and help us kick off WFF 2024!
You Are The Story: Writing Workshop With Josefina López
Calling all local screenwriters, playwrights and people who want to tell their story! We have only a few spots left for this intensive writing workshop with Josefina López, writer of the Sundance Audience Award winning film Real Women Have Curves. Weekend Workshop, Sat. Sept. 2, 10AM-5PM and Sun. Sep. 3, 11AM-5PM in Corralitos. Details and tickets at the link below.
"Sansón y yo" at CineLux Green Valley Cinema
NOTE: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
Some tickets may become available at rush on the day of the event, on a first come, first served basis.
Don't miss the award-winning documentary film SANSON AND ME which we had to postpone during our Festival in March due to the flooding. The event is free of charge. Register to secure your seats. Maximum four seats per order. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early or your seats will be given people the waiting list.
Film synopsis: During his day job as a Spanish criminal interpreter in a small town in California, filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes (499) met a young man named Sansón, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was sentenced to life in prison without parole. With no permission to interview him, Sansón and Reyes worked together over a decade, using hundreds of letters as inspiration for recreations of Sansón’s childhood—featuring members of Sansón's own family.
The result is a vibrant portrait of a friendship navigating immigration and the depths of the criminal justice system and pushing the boundaries of cinematic imagination to rescue a young migrant's story from oblivion.
No se pierdan el premiado documental SANSON Y YO, el cual tuvimos que posponer durante Festival en marzo debido las inundaciones. Este evento es gratuito pero necesitan registrarse para asegurar asientos. Solo cuatro asientos por orden. Por favor lleguen por lo menos 15 minutos temprano, o sus asientos se asignaran a las personas que estan en la lista de espera.
La pelicula trata de dos migrantes mexicanos, un joven purgando una cadena perpetua en prisión y el cineasta que fue su intérprete judicial, quienes forman un lazo de amistad gracias a la vida y el cine.
