San Antonio Film Festival

SAFILM - San Antonio Film Festival
	SAFILM Executive Director Adam Rocha
Location	San Antonio, TX, U.S.
No. of films	145
Language	English and international
Website	http://www.safilm.com/

Last updated March 16, 2024

The San Antonio Film Festival (SAFILM) was founded in 1994 by Adam Rocha as a video festival. It was later renamed the San Antonio Underground Film Festival and then finally the San Antonio Film Festival. It is now the biggest film festival in South Texas.

The 22nd annual SAFILM was held July 25–31, 2016. 145 films were screened, including a local premiere of Hell or High Water , starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and San Antonio actor Gil Birmingham, who attended the screening.^[1] The festival awarded its 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award to Marcia Nasatir, a San Antonio native and the first woman to become Vice-President of Production at a major motion picture studio (United Artists) in 1974.

History

After his sophomore year at San Antonio College, Adam Rocha was invited to screen his short film at the San Diego Latino Film Festival in California. The experience inspired him to organize his own film festival. In 1994, the first festival screened a dozen films and awarded low-rider bikes to the best picture.

That year, Fredrick Weiss, the founder of the Texas Music Coalition, encouraged Rocha to develop the festival into a more substantial event. Renamed “The San Antonio Underground Film Festival,” the small festival expanded over the next five years into an event that attracted wider participation, larger audiences, and greater news coverage.

The non-profit's mission statement still drives the organization: “to offer an accessible and inclusive platform for artists and to provide cinematic culture to a diverse audience,” while maintaining a sociable, community-centered atmosphere. For several years, the historic Instituto Cultural de México partnered with the festival to provide a venue.

In 2006, the organization adopted its current name.

In 2016, the festival joined forces with the Historic Pearl to offer the first SAFILM – San Antonio Children's Film Festival at the Pearl Studio.

In 2023, the festival returned for its 29th year, screening over 200 films in six days at three locations.^[2]

Throughout the year, SAFILM volunteers encourage students to appreciate the arts and become involved in filmmaking by visiting high schools to give guest lectures. The festival itself helps students begin film careers, highlights outstanding filmmakers with a variety of awards, exposes rising talent, and reminds the public of the value of art.

Since its inception, SAFILM has also showcased local visual artists. Artists Mig Kokinda, James Cobb, Robert Tatum and Rigoberto Luna are among those who have designed festival posters. The 2009 SAFILM poster created by Rigoberto Luna was selected as a finalist for the 39th annual Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards for Theatrical Print - Festival Posters.^[3]

Awards

2023 SAFILM Award winners^[4]

Jury Prize for Best Historical Documentary: "The Raaby Mystery", Director: Stian Indrevoll
Grand Prize: Out There: "A National Parks Story", Director: Brendan Hall
Best Narrative Feature: "The Great Distance Delivers Crane", Director: Lhapal Gyal
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: "Python Huntress Directors Nicholas Orris", Matt Deblinger
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: "The Torrential Melody", Director: José Luis Saturno
Jury Prize for Best Music Video: "Dirt Don’t Hurt", Director: Orlando Torres
Best High School Filmmaker: "Well-Dying", Director: Junhyeok Kim
Best Food Film: "Terroir to Table" Director: Rasmus Dinesen
Best Screenplay: "Grynszpan/Thompson" Writer: Hal LaCroix
Jury Prize for Best Performance: Jacki Von Preysing for "American Meltdown"
Best Children’s Film: "The Squonk", Director: Mike Bonthe
Best Series: "Puncher’s Chance", Directors: Garland Scott, Johnny Rey Diaz
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: "The Last Dinner" Director: Marie-Ange Casalta
Best Documentary Feature: "Immediate Family" Director: Danny Tedesco
Jury Prize for Best Performance: Joshua Koopman for "Earlybird"
Best Emerging Filmmaker: "Strings" Director: Rodrigo Moreno Fernandez
Best San Antonio Filmmaker: "Black is Beautiful", Director: Marco Antonio Ortega
San Antonio High School Filmmaker Award: "Memento Mori" Director: Ines Wallisch
Best College Film: "The Student Film", Director: Brandon Herrera
Best Short Script: "That’s So Gay" Writer: Dr. Tamecca Rogers
Marcia Nasatir Award: Jennifer Petrini
The Supporter of Cinema Arts Award: Roberto Soto

2022 SAFILM Award winners

Lifetime Achievement Award: Editor Michael Jablow
Best Short Script: "Runners", Writer Eric Coomes
Best San Antonio Filmmaker: "Dream Carriers", Director: Esmeralda Hernandez
Best Screenplay: "The Faerie Rings", By. Zina Brown
Grand Prize: "The Pink Lagoon", Directors: Juan Are & Francisco Gallo
Best Food Film: "Backstreet To The American Dream", Director: Patricia Nazario
San Antonio High School Filmmaker Award: "GONE", Director: Kyle Ward
Best Children's Film: "Duet", Director: Yadid Hirschtritt Licht
Best Actress in a Leading Role:"The Pink Lagoon", Mόnica Are Victoria
Best Emerging Filmmaker: "You're Now Beyond Hope, Arizona", Director: Nick Dugan
Best High School Filmmaker: "Righteous Walk", Director: Harper Sharpe
Best Documentary feature: "Deep in the Heart", Director: Ben Masters
Jury Prize for Best Historical Documentary: "The Assassination & Mrs. Paine", Director: Max Good
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: "805 Presents: A letter to Aptos", Director: Brendan Lutes
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: "Colineales", Directors: Jose Raul Correa, Fabian Correa, Patricia Corres & Isle De Hoyos
Jury Prize for Best Performance: "The Last Deal" Anthony Molinari
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: "Final Deathtination", Director: Marika Tamura
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: "Backstreet To The American Dream", Director: Patricia Nazario
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: "Divertimento", Director Keyvan Sheikhalishahi
Jury Prize for Best Music Video: "Angel", Directors: Shannon Greer, Carl Quinn
The Supporter of Cinema Arts Award: Scot Power

2018 SAFILM Award winners

Short Screenplay winner: “Forever Waiting”, by: Gavin O'Herlihy
Feature Screenplay winner: “John Horse”, by: Walt Alexander and James Riordan
Grand Prize: “Stella’s Last Weekend”, Director: Polly Draper
Best Performance in a Leading Role: "Valentina", Victoria Del Rosal
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: “Unlucky’s Luck”, Director: Felipe Holguin
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: “Do or Die”, Director: Dan Klores
Jury Prize for best Historical Feature Documentary: “Fail State”, Directors: Alexander Shebanow
Jury Prize Best Historical Short: “Towards the Sun”, Director: Monica Santis
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: “Weekends”, Director: Trevor Jimenez
Jury Prize Best Narrative Feature: “The Darkest Days of Us”, Director: Astrid Rondero
Jury Prize Best College Filmmaker: “The Letter”, Director: Jazmin Aguilar
Jury Prize Best High School Filmmaker: “Catman: The Love Thief”, Director: Austin Coombs-Perez
Jury Prize Best San Antonio Filmmaker: “Tia Chuck”, Director: Angela Walley & Mark Walley
Jury Prize Best Actress in a Leading Role: “The Butterfly Tree”, Melissa George
Legacy Award: Actor and Director Jesse Borrego
Lifetime Achievement Award: Producer Fred Roos
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Colossal Youth, Director: Scott Leisk
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: HERMANOS, Director: Laura Plancarte

2017 SAFILM Award winners

Grand Prize: Silverfish, Director: Matthew Thorton
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: It was Nice to Meet You, Director: Kaicey Chae
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: Refugee, Director: Joyce Chen & Emily Moore
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: Journey, Director: Radheya Jegatheva
Jury Prize for Best College Filmmaker: Mind Your Body, Director: Silke C. Engler
Jury Prize for Best High School Filmmaker: Three Tales of a Coin, Director Nishok Nishok
Jury Prize for Best San Antonio Filmmaker: #prayfor, Director Dave Sims
Jury Prize for Best Historical/Feature Documentary: Daughters of the Curved Moon, Director: Miranda Morton Yap & Sophie Dia Pegrum
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature: I Am Still Here, Director: Mischa Marcus
Best Short Screenplay: The Minutiae, by Dean Friske
Best Feature Screenplay: The Clever Girl, by David Carren
Lifetime Achievement Award: Harry J. Ufland

2016 SAFILM Award winners

Grand Prize: Mile End, Director: Graham Higgins
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: Morgue, Director: Laurent Prim
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: Looking for Trouble, Director: Caroline Cuny & Bryan Campbell
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: One Day on Carver Street, Director: Azure Allen
Jury Prize for Best College Filmmaker: Zaar, Director: Ibrahim Nada
Jury Prize for Best High School Filmmaker: The 1% Crisis in the Great Lakes, Director Griffin Olis
Jury Prize for Best San Antonio Filmmaker: Birth of a Killer, Director Daniel Maldonado
Jury Prize for Best Historical/Feature Documentary: Until 20, Director: Jamila Paksima & Geraldine Moriba
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature: Second Impression, Director: Wallace Weatherspoon
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature: Brewed in the 210, Director: Marco Ortega
Jury Prize for Best Performance: Kaveh Kavian in Zaar
Jury Prize for Best Actress in a Leading Role: Fabienne Hollwege in Morgue
Best Short Screenplay: Before the Bomb, by Tannaz Hazemi & James Grimaldi
Best Feature Screenplay: The Changer, by J. Motos Gordon
Supporter of Cinema Arts Award: Guerrero CPA Principal- Mr. Ed Guerrero
Lifetime Achievement Award: Marcia Nasatir

2014 SAFILM Award winners

Grand Prize: 3:13, Director: David Jaure
Jury Prize for Best Performance: Kathleen Chalfant, Isn't It Delicious
Jury Prize for Narrative Short: Fade, Director: Parish Rahbar
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: Kings of BBQ Barbecue Kuwait, Director: John Markus
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: Driven, Director: Michael Zachary Huber
Best San Antonio Filmmaker: Fields Afire, Director: Will Underwood
Best College Filmmaker: 113 Degrees, Director: Sabrina Doyle
Best Independent Feature Film: The Wisdom to Know the Difference, Director: Daniel Baldwin
Best High School Filmmaker: Creatures of the Hidden Realm, Director: Alexia Salingaros
Best Feature Documentary: Jose Canseco: The Truth Hurts, Director: Bill McAdams
Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature: Jose Canseco: The Truth Hurts, Director: Bill McAdams
Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature: The Wisdom to Know the Difference, Director: Daniel Baldwin

2012 SAFILM Award winners

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: Along Recovery, Director Justin Springer
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: A Schizophrenic Love Story, Director Glenn Levy
Grand Prize: Portion, Director Gisberg Bermudez, Producers Juan Villarreal, Adrian Falcon
Jury Prize for Best Performance: David Diaan, Mossadegh
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: Crescendo, Directed by Alonso Alvarez
Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short: Innocente, Producer Albie Hecht
Jury Prize for Best Animated Short: World’s Apart, Director Michael Zachary Huber
Jury Prize for Best College Filmmaker: Children of the Air, Director Damian Horan
Jury Prize for Best High School Filmmaker: Cardiac Arrest, Director Maqui Gaona
Jury Prize for Best San Antonio Filmmaker: Lilia, Director Sam Lerma

2011 SAFILM Award winners

Grand Prize: Crime After Crime, Director: Yoav Potash
Jury Prize for Best College Filmmaker: After the Shearing, Director: Vanessa Rojas
Jury Prize for Best High School Filmmaker: She is..., Director: Amber Cordova
Jury Prize for Best San Antonio Filmmaker: Katrina’s Son, Director: Ya’Ke Smith
Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short: Homecoming, Director: Lorian James Delman
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Beautiful Silence, Director: Jorge A. Jimenez
Audience Award for Best Documentary Short: Operation: Hands On, Director: Gary Logan
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: The Harvest, Director: U. Roberto Romano
Audience Award for Best Animated Short: Martyris, Director: Luis Felipe Hernandez
Audience Award for Best Performance: Beautiful Silence, Director: Jorge A. Jimenez

2010 SAFILM Award winners

SAFILM Grand Prize - Twenty Five Hundred & One, Dir: Patricia Van Ryker
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short - Efrain, Dir: Matthew Breault
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short - the Last Elephants in Thailand, Donald R. Tayloe & Michelle Mizner
SAFILM Jury prize for the Best Animated Short - Closed Zone, Dir: Yoni Goodman
SAFILM Jury prize for the Best San Antonio Filmmaker - the Fall Of the House Of Usher, Dir: Eric Fonseca
SAFILM Jury prize for the Best High School Filmmaker - No Pity, Dir: Drew Goldsmith
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best College Filmmaker - Mashed, Dir: Adam Fisher
SAFILM Jury Prize are for Best Performance in a Short - An Affair With Dolls, Alexandra Chalupa
SAFILM Jury Prize Best Performance in a Feature - Fanny, Annie, & Danny, Jill Pixley
SAFILM Audience Award for the Best Narrative Feature - Go For It!, Dir: Carmen Marron
SAFILM Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature - Last Survivor, Dir: Michael Pertnoy

2009 Award winners

SAFILM Grand Prize - Funeral March for a Marionette, Dir: Eric Fonseca
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best Performance - Cruzando, Michael Ray Escamilla
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short - La Tangente, Dir: Vincent Vesco
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short - In His Blood, Dir: Vianna Davila
SAFILM Jury Prize for Best Animated Short - Funeral March for a Marionette, Dir: Eric Fonseca
SAFILM Best High School Filmmaker - La Memoria de Amor, Dir: Andie C. Flores
SAFILM Best San Antonio Filmmaker - Death Rattle, Dir: A. J. Garces
SAFILM Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature - Doctor "S" Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies, Dir: Bryan Ortiz
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature - Beyond the Call, Dir: Adrian Belic

2008 Award winners

SAFILM Grand Prize - Adventures of Power, Dir: Ari Gold
SAFILM Auteur Award - Crawford, Dir: David Modigliani
SAFILM Auteur Award - Reborn: New Orleans Schools, Dir: Drea Cooper

2007 Award winners

SAFILM Grand Prize – Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal, Dir: Rick Ernst
SAFILM Indie Auteur Awards – Zombie Love, Dir: Yfke van Berckelaer
SAFILM Indie Max – Tijuana Makes Me Happy , Dir: Dylan Verrechia

External links

San Antonio Film Festival

Related Research Articles

The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is a film festival held annually in Calgary, Alberta, in late September and early October.

The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held each March in San Jose, California and Redwood City, California. The international festival combines the cinematic arts with Silicon Valley’s innovation. It is produced by Cinequest, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is also responsible for Picture The Possibilities and the distribution label Cinequest Mavericks Studio LLC. Cinequest awards the annual Maverick Spirit Awards. In addition to over 130 world or U.S. premieres from over 30 countries, the festival hosts writer's events including screenwriting competitions, a shorts program, technology and artistic forums and workshops, student programs, and a silent film accompanied on the theatre organ. Founded in 1990 as the Cinequest Film Festival, the festival was rebranded in 2017 as the Cinequest Film & VR Festival and expanded beyond downtown San Jose to Redwood City. It took its present name in 2019.

Debra Granik is an American filmmaker. She is most known for 2004's Down to the Bone, which starred Vera Farmiga, 2010's Winter's Bone, which starred Jennifer Lawrence in her breakout performance and for which Granik was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and 2018's Leave No Trace, a film based on the book My Abandonment by Peter Rock.

The Dublin International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Dublin, Ireland, since 2003.

Marshall Curry is an Oscar-winning American documentary director, producer, cinematographer and editor. His films include Street Fight, Racing Dreams, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Point and Shoot, and A Night at the Garden. His first fiction film was the Academy Award-winning short film The Neighbors' Window (2019).

Zlín Film Festival, also known as the International Film Festival for Children and Youth is an annual festival of children's film in Zlín in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1961 in the former Czechoslovakia, the festival gradually gained international attention. The audience consists mainly of children and youth from the Zlín region, but also university students and adult visitors who come to late-night screenings with appropriate dramaturgy, as well as film professionals from around the world.

The GI Film Group was founded in 2007 by Army veteran Laura Law-Millett and Brandon Millett and established the GI Film Festival with the goal of preserving the stories of American veterans past and present through film, television and live special events. GIFF's flagship festival is held each May during Armed Forces Month in Washington, D.C. from 2007 to 2018.

The Brooklyn Film Festival(BFF), prior to 2011 called the Brooklyn International Film Festival(BiFF) is an independent film festival held every June in Brooklyn, New York. Started by Marco Ursino, Susan Mackell, Abe Schrager, and Mario Pegoraro in 1998, its mission is to “discover, expose, and promote independent filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a center for cinema." Its base is South 4th Street, Williamsburg.

The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Dallas, Texas. The 2024 edition is scheduled for April 26-May 2, 2024.

The 26th annual Sundance Film Festival was held from January 21, 2010, until January 31, 2010, in Park City, Utah.

The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) is an annual film festival founded in 1999 and held on Cape Cod in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The festival presents American and international narrative features, documentaries and short films for five days in June of each year.

Indie Memphis, located in Memphis, TN, is an arts organization that runs year-round programs that "inspire, encourage and promote independent films and filmmaking in Memphis."

LISFF Wiz-Art is an annual International Short Film Festival, which takes place in Lviv, Ukraine at the end of July. The festival was started by art formation Wiz-Art, which was founded in 2008. The festival shows more than 100 brand new short movies every year. Wiz-Art is a powerful cultural and educational platform that unites Ukrainian and foreign filmmakers and introduces them to the Ukrainian audience experienced professionals. The festival has also premiered films featured as part of the Brussels Short Film Festival, in addition to collaborating with other festival programs.

The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is an annual nonprofit film festival dedicated to promoting and increasing multicultural awareness and showcases world cinema and independent films in their original language with English subtitles. Independent film producers, directors and actors within the US and abroad are invited to participate in engaging panel discussions and Q&A sessions after the screenings. Each year the festival greets more than 2,000 movie aficionados and shows about fifty films from all over the world with an impressive lineup of premieres. The Arlington International Film Festival also includes a year-round events such as poster contest competitions, pre-festival screenings and art exhibitions with local artists and performances by musicians, singers and dancers.

Jennifer Phang is an American filmmaker, most known for her feature films Advantageous (2015) and Half-Life (2008). Advantageous premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning a Special Jury Award for Collaborative Vision, and was based on her award-winning short film of the same name. Half-Life premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won "Best Film" awards at a number of film festivals including the Gen Art Film Festival, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival as well an "Emerging Director Award" at the Asian American International Film Festival.

The San Francisco Independent Film Festival, known as IndieFest, is an annual film festival, held in January or February, that recognizes contemporary independent film. It is run by SF IndieFest, a non-profit organization, and based at the Roxie Theater in the Mission District.

References

↑ Hollywood takes note of San Antonio Film Festival
↑ Hickok, Mason (2023-07-20). "San Antonio Film Festival returns for 29th year; three screening locations offered". KSAT. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
↑ 2009 SAFILM Poster nominated for a Hollywood Reporter Key Art Award
↑ https://www.artscenesa.com/5762-2/

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Hollywood takes note of San Antonio Film Festival

[2] Hickok, Mason (2023-07-20). "San Antonio Film Festival returns for 29th year; three screening locations offered". KSAT. Retrieved 2023-09-26.

[3] 2009 SAFILM Poster nominated for a Hollywood Reporter Key Art Award

[4] ttps://www.artscenesa.com/5762-2/

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]