SAFILM’s 30th Anniversary Starts Tomorrow
SAFILM-SAN ANTONIO FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY
SAFILM—the San Antonio Film Festival begins tomorrow!
Now in its 30th year, the Festival offers nearly a week of screenings, panels and parties. It takes place in three venues:
- Radius Center (106 Auditorium Circle)
- Tobin Center for the Performing Arts (100 Auditorium Circle)
- City Base Cinema (2623 SE Military Drive)
More information, including ticketing, can be found at the SAFILM website.
Festival highlights include:
OPENING NIGHT: TUES., JULY 30
FREE INDUSTRY NETWORKING EVENT: COFFEE TALK presented by the Film Commission (Radius Center, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
LOS FRIKIS (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.) — OPENING NIGHT SPOTLIGHT
Written and directed by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz (The Peanut Butter Falcon)
This coming-of-age story is set in early 90’s Cuba where a group of punk rockers in search of freedom move to a rural sanatorium to escape the oppression of the Special Period. IN ATTENDANCE: Director Michael Schwartz, Actors Pedro Martinez, Manuel Alejandro Rodriguez Gomez.
TORCHED – THE STORY OF THE AUSTIN TORCH — (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.) — POP-UP DEMO AT RADIUS BEFORE FILM
Torched tells the story of the Austin Torch, a wild and fiery group of women/non-binary athletes in Austin who are trying to legitimize and professionalize their fringe sport of Ultimate Frisbee in a historically male-dominated sports industry.
WED., JULY 31, 2024
BREAKUP SEASON (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.)
Directed by H. Nelson Tracey
Starring Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead), Samantha Isler, James Urbaniak. A young man brings his girlfriend to his rural Oregon hometown to introduce her to his family, only for things to go terribly wrong.
NAKED AMBITION: BUNNY YEAGER (Tobin, 9:00 p.m.)
Directed by: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch
Featuring Dita Von Teese, Bettie Page, Larry King and Hugh Hefner. She popularized the bikini, invented the selfie,
discovered Bettie Page and slyly snuck feminist agency into the most unlikely of spaces — men’s magazines.
Miami photographer Bunny Yeager (1926-2014) made an indelible mark on US popular culture, yet today
she remains largely unknown.
COWBOY CAPITAL (Tobin, 9:30 p.m.)
Directed by Artur Owczarski
Situated in the heart of the Lone Star State, Bandera, Texas has long been hailed as the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” drawing visitors and residents alike with its rich heritage and deep-rooted cowboy traditions.
THURS., AUG. 1, 2024
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Tobin, 3:00 p.m.)
Directed by: Maria Emília De Azevedo
Bertha is a widow and lives alone on an isolated farm in the mountains of Santa Catarina and is under pressure from her son to live with him in an upscale neighborhood of Florianópolis. Upon learning about the arrival of a group of Haitians, Bertha decides to bring the Haitian Bastide to work and live with her, fueling her son’s hostility.
MARRIED TO COMICS (Tobin, 3:00 p.m.)
Laying their personal lives bare in comics, including the intimate details of their troubled marriage, Justin Green and Carol Tyler pioneered and set the bar for one of comics’ most important genres.
NOCHEBUENA (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.)
Directed by Adam Lopez
It’s Christmas in Orlando, Florida, and Junior hasn’t been home in 15 years, ever since his mother passed away and is reunited with “the one that got away.” Now back and surrounded by the rich traditions of his Latino culture, Junior is transported to the memories of his adolescence and is reminded just how important family and love really are.
BALLAD OF A HUSTLER (Tobin, 9:30 p.m.)
Directed by Heitor Dhalia
Upon his release from prison, Jonathan discovers his ex-fiancé has gone missing, leaving behind her six-year-old son. The unlikely pair venture into the dangerous underworld of illegal immigration in a desperate attempt to find her.
FRIDAY, AUG. 2, 2024
INDUSTRY PANEL: WANNA MAKE A MOVIE? SAFILM SPOTLIGHT: KINOTOPÍA
Tobin, Feik Rotunda: 12:30 P.M. to 2:30 p.m.
Welcome to Lab Kino, where creativity knows no bounds and filmmakers unite to make magic on the
screen. Cine Colectivo invites over 70 independent filmmakers from different backgrounds in acting,
production, writing and directing to join a special event called Lab Kino,in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. Join
this panel to learn more about this unique opportunity.
SUENA LA EDUCACION: THE STORY OF BELLE ORTIZ (Tobin, 12:30p.m.)
This film highlights Belle Ortiz’s impact on Mariachi Music Education and her relentless drive and passion to make mariachi music accepted and taught in public schools in San Antonio and across the country.
TAPAWINGO (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.)
Directed by Dylan K. Narang
Starring Jon Heder, Gina Gershon, Billy Zane. An oddball becomes the bodyguard for a misfit teenager who finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s family of bullies.
TEENAGE VAMPIRE 3 (City Base Cinemas, 7:00 p.m.)
Directed by Aaron Lee Lopez
When Sin moves into a new neighborhood, friends Amber, Beth, and Neila set out to prove that Sin is a vampire plotting to take over the school.
SATURDAY, AUG. 3, 2024
WORKSHOP: THE SCREENPLAY READINGS: SHORT SCRIPTS (Tobin Feik Rotunda, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Hosted by Cedric Smith, Official SAFILM Programmer, it features Wet Rot by Stuart Creque; Gun Shop by
Dominic Benson Landes; Tejano Blood: An Anthology of San Antonio Terrors by Maude Jones; Mama’s Boy
— Isaac Alfaro by Isaac Alfaro; Joaquin by Adán Almaraz
INDUSTRY PANEL: WANNA SCORE? LEARN ALL ABOUT MOVIE MUSIC (Tobin, Alvarez: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Hosted by David Moskovitz, PennyRock Productions
Insider tips on how to achieve the perfect soundtrack for your production, including music licensing and working with music supervisors.
CELEB SPEAKER: FROM CUBA TO HOLLYWOOD & EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN: A CONVERSATION WITH
TONY PLANA (Tobin, Feik Rotunda: 12:30-2:30 p.m.)
Hosted by Gary Buechler, NERDROTIC
Join us for a sit-down interview with actor, writer and director Tony Plana, known for his roles in Zoot Suit,
Three Amigos, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The West Wing, Mayans M.C., Desperate Housewives, Ugly
Betty, plus groundbreaking voice work in the video game Grim Fandango.
BASTARDS OF SOUL (Tobin, 12:30 p.m.)
Directed by Paul Levatino.
On the verge of imminent global fame, a Texas band’s journey is marked by the unforeseen loss of their charismatic frontman, Chadwick Murray. The film captures the essence of their final album sessions and the electrifying stage presence that defined them.
BLOODY AND BRUISED, THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE BACK ROOM (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.)
Directed by J. Budro Partida
The untold story of the most infamous heavy metal club to live and die in Austin, Texas, as told by the people who survived it.
AMERICAN UNDERDOG (Tobin, 7:00 p.m.)
Written and directed by Gustavo Martin Benites
Starring Danny Trejo, Vishy Ayyar and Veronica Falcón, this is a redemption story set in the world of MMA.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2024
RHINO MAN (Tobin, 12:30 p.m.)
Directed by John Jurko II, Matt Lindenberg, Daniel Robert
The film follows the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect South Africa’s rhinos from being poached to extinction.
WORKSHOP: THE SCREENPLAY READINGS: FEATURE SCRIPTS (Tobin — Feik Rotunda, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Hosted by Cedric Smith, Official SAFILM Programmer
Featuring Hospice by Paul Gonzales, Todd Biggerstaff, Benavidez by Davy Godfrey, Tabatha Godfrey, The Match by Crystal River, Flowergiver by Alex Ramirez, Beginner’s Luck by Sean Patrick Bridges
INDUSTRY EVENT: SAFILM Awards Ceremony (Tobin — Alvarez, 5:00 p.m. yo 7:00 p.m.)
Honoring Actor Tony Plana with the Texas Yanaguana Award.
More information, including ticketing, can be found at the SAFILM website.
