When everyone has what they need to thrive, we all benefit. That core belief is part of what our group, Rise Together, an initiative of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, is all about. Our intercultural, multi-generational Rise Together coalition has built bridges and trust as we work to advance racial equity in Santa Cruz County. We’ve honed goals and expanded our circle to 32 community organizers, social justice and arts leaders, journalists, indigenous cultural practitioners, public servants, storytellers, social workers, healthcare professionals, youth mentors and educators, funders and immigrant advocates.

An arts community is not built in a day. And even when it is built, through years of networking and mutual support from countless artists and arts organizations, there’s the question of whether anyone will notice.

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Photos by Tarmo Hannula, The Pajaronian

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Día de los Muertos festivities kicked off Friday evening at Watsonville City Plaza.

The event had live music and performances, arts and crafts and 15 ofrendas, or alters, to honor Santa Cruz County community members that have died.

The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) organization, while still searching for a permanent space to present its annual festival, is also experiencing major growth. Working with local groups such as Digital NEST and PVA, they have transformed into a year-round organization that not only presents films but also supports local filmmakers and students aspiring to study the craft.

The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) will host a gathering at Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) tonight to celebrate the organization’s first cohort of Cine se Puede fellows.

The Cine se Puede fellowship launched last year. It offers support to local up-and-coming filmmakers through a financial stipend, mentorship, peer-to-peer support and connections to industry leaders.

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) recently announced the 2022 recipient of the organization’s annual Student Scholarship.

Santiago Meza, who graduated from Harbor High School in Santa Cruz this year, is planning to study film at Santa Monica City College. WFF officials said they were impressed with Meza’s short films, which they screened at the 2022 festival in March.

Meza is the third recipient of the $500 scholarship, after Diego Lopez in 2020 and Angie Rockey in 2021.

The award is given by WFF to graduating high school students who show strong abilities in the filming field and plan to continue studying the art in college. Through the scholarship, WFF aims to support these up-and-coming local filmmakers.

For information on the WFF Student Scholarship and to learn about Meza and past winners, go here.

MWF has also partnered with Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) to present three films prior to the concert. The films will be available to stream online May 16-25 at watsonvillefilmfest.org, and a virtual conversation with Perez will be held May 24 at 6:30pm. “Working in tandem with the foundation, we curated a film program that honors generations of women playing this iconic Mexican genre that has been dominated by men,” said WFF Executive Director Consuelo Alba.

Playwright Josefina López wrote “Real Women Have Curves” in 1992, channeling her inner sage when she was 19. Ten years later, the movie starring America Ferrera took the U.S. by storm by receiving the audience award for best dramatic film and the special jury prize for acting in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

“Our motivation then was to celebrate local stories, the creativity of our community and bring people together—once,” says WFF executive director Consuelo Alba. “All of us realized, ‘There is something here. We have to continue.’ And we keep saying that every year. There is something very powerful and magical about bringing people together through film.”

Consuelo Alba, director of the festival, pointed to program highlights such as Academy Award nominee “The Mole Agent” by director Maité Alberdi, double-Sundance winner “Identifying Features” by director Fernanda Valadez and Mexican Ariel Award nominee “Things We Dare Not Do” by director Bruno Santamaría.

“Comenzamos a experimentar con la idea de poner nuestras películas en línea, probando múltiples plataformas diferentes. Así somos de creativos y persistentes”. Una versión drásticamente remoldeada de este apreciado festival comunitario comenzará con una celebración del décimo aniversario a partir del 11 de marzo, con el lanzamiento de un programa de 10 días con 32 películas de temática latina, todas sin costo alguno.

The metamorphosis of the festival amid the two-year pandemic is attributable to the dogged determination and passion of a selfless executive director, according to community leaders in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley. “I consider Consuelo Alba to be a community treasure,” said Shirley Flores-Munoz, a professor of Women’s Studies and History at Cabrillo College.

“We are excited and proud to celebrate a decade of the storytelling and artistry of the Latinx community in front of, and behind, the camera. This year we are presenting an incredibly powerful selection of films, most of them directed by women. We will also honor Josefina Lopez, a trailblazer Latina and playwright and screenwriter based in Los Angeles” - Consuelo Alba, Director of the Watsonville Film Festival

The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) returns March 11-20, with virtual and in-person events to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Consuelo Alba, executive director of WFF, said it felt “unreal” to be reaching such a milestone. “We are incredibly happy to be celebrating 10 years because when we started, we didn’t think we’d be here today,” Alba said. “Our motivation then was to celebrate local stories, the creativity of our community and bring people together—once.” The festival has evolved into an annual event, also holding smaller events year-round and working closely with other local organizations, school districts, businesses and more.