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The El Paso Film Festival is back for 2024 with over (60) new films and some amazing special guests. Check out 2024's festival agenda and don't forget to purchase your Film Pass or VIP Badge for this year's festival.

The El Paso Film Festival has grown into one of the largest showcases of independently made narrative and documentary films in far west Texas and the southwest region.

Download our 2024 film program.

Special Guests

Ellar Coltrane

Actor

Ellar Coltrane is an Actor who has starred in films such as "The Circle", "The Last Movie Star", "Blood Money", and "The Man Who Killed Hitler Then the Bigfoot".

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Kevin Ford

Documentary Filmmaker

Kevin Ford is a filmmaker whose directorial work includes THE BOMB which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, and was also featured at the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies.

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Chris Messineo

Director

As the owner and director of NJ Film School, Chris Messineo has taught the craft of independent filmmaking to hundreds of kids, teens, and adults.

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Robert Holguin

Filmmaker & Journalist

Robert Holguin started his career as as a reporter for the Associated Press in Seattle, where he covered everything from pro sports to technology. He wrote dozens of articles about the burgeoning music scene in the 1990s that appeared in newspapers across the globe. 

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Jeni Robins

Comedian & Actress

Jeni Robins is an actress, comedian, and filmmaker. Native to El Paso, she is currently living in Los Angeles, CA.

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Drew Mayer-Oakes

Film Commissioner

Drew currently serves as film commissioner at the El Paso, Texas Film & Creative Industries Commission, after eleven years as director at the San Antonio Film Commission.

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Craig Chartier

Director of Photography | Cooke Optics

Craig began his career at Gear Rental (Austin, Texas) where he spent 18 years, managing day-to-day operations and leaving as Vice President of Production Services.

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Robie Flores

Producer, Director & Editor

Robie Flores is an independent filmmaker and video editor based in New Orleans and Eagle Pass, Texas, drawn to telling stories that explore the nuances of her fronterizo and Mexican American communities. 

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Alejandro J. Flores

Producer, Director & Editor

Alejandro J Flores is a Texican filmmaker living between Mexico City and Eagle Pass. He is interested in exploring the intersections of queer and Fronterizo identity, its evolution, and how it can empower others.

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The Action Boyz

Comedians

The Action Boyz (Jon Gabrus, Ben Rodgers, and Ryan Stanger) breakdown/discuss/ruin all of your favorite action movies.
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Zach Passero

Director, Editor, & Animator

Zach Passero is an editor, director, and animator best known for his work on Lucky McKeeʻs films, like the notorious 2011 Sundance hit The Woman and the soon to be released Old Man; as well as Sam Elliot cult hit The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot.

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Tyler Russell

Writer, Director, Producer

Tyler is a Fort Worth based filmmaker who got his start in the camera department on feature films and reality tv.

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Abe Bueno-Jallad

Actor

Abe Bueno Jallad was proudly born in El Paso Texas. He did a lot of his growing up in and around the Frontera. 

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Molly Vendettuoli

Producer

Molly Vendettuoli is a Pacific Northwest based filmmaker who got her start working as a professional hair and makeup artist. The Way We Speak is her feature length debut in the producer role.

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Carlos M. De La Torre

Writer & Director

Carlos M. De La Torre is a Writer, Director, and Executive Producer. He is also the Co-Founder, and Chairman of Tower Productions, formed in 2016.

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Francis Yzaguirre

Producer | 1st Asst. Director

Francis Yzaguirre was born and grew up in El Paso, Texas. From a young age she has been involved in the arts including dancing with Rosa Guerrero’s Ballet Folklorico and Viva! El Paso.

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Enrique Ponce

Film & Video Game Composer

Enrique is an award-winning composer whose music has been featured in numerous film and video game projects both in the United States and abroad.

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Michael De La O

Cinematographer & Producer

Michael De La O is a cinematographer and chief lighting technician (gaffer). He has worked on various productions of all fashions and scales in various roles under camera departments and support.

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Walter Perez

Actor

Walter Perez, a Mexican-American actor with over 23 years of experience in the industry, originally from Los Angeles, now calls El Paso his home.
 
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Charles Horak

Producer & Radio Personality

Charles Horak's experience includes being a radio host of the weekly radio program On Film and co-founder of the Plaza Classic Film Festival just to name a few.

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Joseph Metcalfe

Composer

Joseph Metcalfe is an award-winning composer whose score for The King's Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan, earned him the prestigious World Soundtrack Award and an HMMA nomination.

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Richard Dane Scott

Writer Producer & Actor

Richard Dane Scott is an Asian-American screenwriter known for the family films Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale (2023) and A Tooth Fairy Tale (2024).

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Ryan Rox

Writer & Director

Ryan Rox is a Non-Binary Trans Femme, Latine Filmmaker and Actor, based in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Rox has written and directed several short films in addition to their latest project, the feature film HIDDEN FLORA.

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Alana Wright

Producer

Originally from Louisiana, Alana graduated with a BFA in Film Production from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She got her start as a Production Assistant on feature films before moving to Los Angeles where she worked at CAA in the Motion Picture Literary department.

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Julian Nunez

Producer

Julian Nunez is an Albuquerque, NM-based writer, producer, and marketing specialist, celebrated for his work exploring Latino culture and experiences.

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Carrie Silva

Writer

Carrie Silva is an El Paso native who earned her Bachelors at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022.

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Matthew Gay

Camera Operator

Matthew Gay is a camera operator who is best known for his work on the hit show "The Curse" and feature films "Squealer" and "Hangman".

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Katie Garibaldi

Music Supervisor

Katie Garibaldi is a seasoned music supervisor with a strong track record in shaping the musical direction of films.

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Valentin Sandoval

Valentin Sandoval was born and raised in El Paso, TX and was the recipient of the first Film Award given by The University of Texas at El Paso in 1996.

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Robert Izquierdo

Commercial Director

Robert Izquierdo’s interest in movies started at the age of ten, making home movies with friends and family.

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Sam Sokolow

Executive Producer/Educator

Sam Sokolow is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated television and film producer and Director of Certification at Stage 32.

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Sarah Neely

Actor/Vocalist/Educator

Sarah Neely is an instructor of voice and director of the Lyric Theatre at New Mexico State University.

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Johnny Murillo

Producer/Writer/Founder

Johnny Murillo is a producer, educator, and founder of Chicano Hollywood.

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Roland Esparza

Writer/Actor

Roland Esparza, an accomplished writer and actor, has a knack for infusing his work with a uniquely comedic style. 

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Austin Savage

Screenwriter

Austin Savage received his MFA in Film & Television Writing from Emerson College in 2021. 

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Johnny Thoreson

Commercial Producer

Johnny Thoreson is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Digital Media Production and Filmmaking. 

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Raul Hernandez

Cinematographer

Raul Hernandez is a seasoned cinematographer with over 20 years of experience in the film industry. He has worked on a diverse range of projects, from feature films to commercials, documentaries, and music videos.

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David Saucedo

Actor

David Saucedo was born in El Paso, Texas from immigrant parents and came to acting late in life.

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Abel Rodriguez

Publicist/Content Acquisition

Abel Rodriguez has worked with Edward James Olmos Productions doing publicity to promote the now classic movie, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.

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Celina Galicia

Cinematographer

Celina Galicia, a filmmaker from Ciudad Juárez, Mx, now thriving in El Paso, Tx. 

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Betania Murillo

Creative Director

Betania is the Creative Director of Chicano Hollywood, a platform for Latino creators, a topic she is very passionate about. 

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Vincent Vargas

Writer, Actor

Vincent "Rocco" Vargas was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. 

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Award Sponsors

Films

Browse all of our 2024 films to plan your festival experience.

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Schedule

See the full 2024 schedule to plan your festival experience.

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