News

The El Paso Film Festival has announced its 2021 programming line-up. The festival is scheduled to start Thursday night October 14, 2021 and run though Sunday October 17, 2021 at the Philanthropy Theater in downtown El Paso.

The 23rd annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (#CLAIFF23) will be held June 9-13, 2021 online and in Austin, Texas. CLAIFF will once again provide a rare showcase of films and videos from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula.

Announced last year,Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) is producing a feature film that will bring The Texas Chainsaw Massacre back to the big screen, with an official website recently being launched for the upcoming movie. David Blue Garcia (Tejano) directed the movie for Legendary, which was written by Chris Thomas Devlin and filmed last year. David Blue Garcia won Best Narrative Feature at the 2018 El Paso Film Festival.

Magnolia's Magnet is planning a release for First Date later this year. Visit Films, which also debuted feature Superior at this year's Sundance, was behind the First Date, with Crosby, Knapp, Brandon Kraus, Lucky McKee and Charles Horak acting as producers.

Dirty Feathers, Carlos Alfonso Corral’s feature documentary about El Paso's homeless, will debuts at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival Panorama program. Carlos Alfonso Corral, Roberto Minervini, Denise Ping Lee, and Denise Dorado produced. Slingshot Films is handling world sales.

Rendez-vous, which screened at the 2020 El Paso Film Festival, can now be seen via OnDemand in both the USA and Canada. Director Pablo Olomos Arrayales was a featured guest at last year's film festival. Check out his interview with Artistic Director Carlos Corral.

On the streets of border towns El Paso and Ciudad Juárez we meet people living without a home. In intimate, unbiased black-and-white images, the film captures their everyday lives on the streets, as well as their hopes and their faith.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced shortlists in nine categories for the 93rd Academy Awards®, which include two short films that screened at the 2020 El Paso Film Festival. White Eye & Call Center Blues will be competing in the Live Action Short Film and Documentary Short Subject categories in 2021.

Directed by Big Bend Sentinel editor in chief Maisie Crow, who produced the film alongside fellow Marfa residents Abbie Perrault and Hillary Pierce (The River and the Wall, Tower), At The Ready follows the criminal justice club at Horizon High School, whose student population is 97 percent Hispanic, as it prepares for the annual Border Challenge competition against other high schools from the region.

White Eye, which won the Best Narrative Short Film Award at the 2020 El Paso Film Festival, is available to watch for free on Short of the Week. Based on a real-life incident involving Shushan, the writer/director explains that after discovering his stolen bike in the middle of the street an “aggressive instinct came out of me, and I couldn’t go away without the bike”.

After buying a questionable ’65 Chrysler, Mike’s (Tyson Brown) first date with Kelsey (Shelby Duclos) snowballs into an epic night of cop chases, criminals, and cat ladies. Editor Zach Passero explains how they snipped a nearly three hour cut down while preserving the movie’s irrepressible personality.

We’re now open for EPFF’s 2021 season. Visit our website or hop on FilmFreeway to submit your film to the far edge of Texas and compete for over $5,000 in cash prizes.

Maisie Crow’s At The Ready, which follows the story of students at Horizon High School in El Paso who are training to become police officers and Border Patrol agents.

Deathcember is out now on Digital & On Demand. Two of the short films featured are directed by EPFF Alumni, which include Lucky McKee's "They Once Had Horses" and Pollyanna McIntosh's "Getting Away From It All".

Level 33 Entertainment has acquired worldwide sales to the Mexican single-shot thriller and festival award-winner Rendez-Vous. The feature film recently screened at the 2020 El Paso Film Festival.

Winning Oscar-qualifying Awards at South by Southwest and Urbanworld Film Festival, and recently also winning Best Short Film at El Paso Film Festival, Writer-Director Tomer Shushan rethinks the principles of morality in White Eye; a short film following a man’s efforts to retrieve his stolen bike, now in possession of a stranger.

Robert Rodriguez shares the first images from his upcoming film WE CAN BE HEROES, which will be releasing globally on Netflix on January 1, 2021!

Lucky McKee (The Woman) will direct a new thriller Old Man, which will star Avatar actor Stephen Lang. Marc Senter (Starry Eyes) will co-star.

Actors from El Paso offer their advice when it comes to navigating the casting process and how your location in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, or Albuquerque affect your chances of being cast in television and film productions.

El Paso Filmmakers continue to make strides when it comes to producing their own feature films. These filmmakers will discuss how they produced their movies in their hometown of El Paso and what the future of filmmaking will look like in the borderland.

Latina/x/o Filmmakers continue to create amazing work that has traveled to several film festivals across the country. We'll be discussing how we build community by building each other up, sharing resources, and tackling challenges together as Latinas.

How do festivals curate ​programming for their festival ​lineup? ​How does a shift towards a virtual festival experience have an impact on that process? Filmmakers are invited to chat with festival ​representatives from across the state about how they approach their selection process.

As Fall approaches, film festivals around the world are still coming up with ideas about how to screen their curated selections. Our local film festival is at the forefront of innovation within this field. Artistic Director and Founder, Carlos Corral, streamed in this week to discuss the upcoming film festival.

What does the future of film production in Texas look like in a post COVID-19 world? Texas film productions have ​been significantly impacted by the pandemic in recent months and ​state and local representatives are now adapting to help productions with new ​health and safety protocols.

Borderland film lovers are getting a special treat this year. The 2020 incarnation of the El Paso Film Festival is going virtual and will be available to stream through Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV and Apple TV channels from Oct. 16 – 25.

The El Paso Film Festival is changing with the times so the show can go on but from the comfort and safety of your own home. Since we're still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the El Paso Film Festival has adjusted the way they will be reaching their audience for this year's movies.

We've adapted our festival to keep you, staff and filmmakers, safe. Find out how. 

When UTEP digital media major Sergio Muñoz started writing the script for his short film “Ayúdame, Por Favor”, he dreamed of the best-case scenario: it would be well-received and win awards. When he finished filming, his dream came true. 

EPFF Alumni David Blue Garcia, who's film Tejano can be seen on HBO Max and won Best Narrative at our 2018 festival, is now directing Legendary’s new sequel to Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Building the American Dream, which won the Best Documentary and Best of Show awards at the 2019 El Paso Film Festival, will be debuting on PBS September 15th, 2020 at 10pm ET. Congratulations to EPFF Alumni Chelsea Sonnen Hernandez and her team!

El Paso Filmmakers Zach & Hannah Passero will have their latest short film "Gust" featured as part of a Horror Anthology Film "Isolation".

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Borderland, community members are finding creative ways to adapt.

Film Festival Strategy. A conversation with El Paso Film Festival Director Carlos Corral and Crossroads Film Festival Director Rene Rhi.

In The Pushback, filmmaker Kevin Ford follows Veronica Escobar, in her bid to represent the state’s Sixteenth Congressional District, as well as Natasha Harper-Madison, the only black woman to run for an Austin city council seat in 2018.

Lucky McKee's suspense thriller, Kindred Spirits, won the Producer's Award at the 2019 El Paso Film Festival. Check it out on Amazon, YouTube, and Google Play.

Take a look back to when the El Paso Film Festival celebrated its sophomore year in the heart of El Paso with special guest Robert Rodriguez.

The Pushback is a roving celebration of the Texans—particularly women of color—who are fighting to make our state reckon with its racist past while pushing it toward a more just and equitable future.

PORNO, which won Best Narrative Feature at the 2019 El Paso Film Festival is now available on Alamo On Demand. Directed by Keola Racela and produced by Chris Cole.

Will there be a sequel to the popular sci-fi film Time Trap on Netflix?

The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) announces Ramón Villa-Hernández from El Paso, Texas, as the recipient of the Adán Medrano Legacy Award in Film.

David Blue Garcia is producer and director of the new movie “Tejano.” Garcia is from Harlingen, but has lived in Austin ever since he moved there to go to the University of Texas 15 years ago.

Mark Dennis & Ben Foster's Time Trap is now available on NetFlix. Time Trap won the Producer's Award at the 2018 El Paso Film Festival.

David Blue Garcia remembers growing up surrounded by corn fields and around farmland near La Feria. Today, the Harlingen native is an award-winning film director breaking out in the industry with his movie “Tejano.”

This week on Studio 9 we feature a special sit down interview with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, who was in town for the El Paso Film Festival.

With the help of, local filmmakers, Carlos Corral and Angie Reza Tures, Tracy Yellen came by the KTEP studios to talk about the monumentous charitable event.

On an unusually cold night in the Sun City, Robert Rodriguez – a revered independent filmmaker – hosted a screening of his new movie “Red 11” and gave a master class in low-budget filmmaking.

Internationally acclaimed director, producer, writer, and cinematographer, Robert Rodriguez, stopped by the KTEP studios to discuss his life of filmmaking and his newly released feature film, Red 11.

With the debut of his new film, "Red 11," on Thursday night at the El Paso Film Festival, director Robert Rodriguez said he is coming full circle.

Patricia Vonne still remembers the determination her maverick brother Robert Rodriguez had even as a child.

The El Paso Film Festival is rolling into its second year stronger than ever.

The visionary filmmaker behind action hits such as “El Mariachi,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Desperado,” “Spy Kids” and “Alita: Battle Angel” is bringing his movie magic to the borderland.

El Paso never had until last year, when filmmaker Carlos Corral organized the first one. Now his second annual El Paso Film Festival, running from Oct. 24-27, steps up in a big way. 

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — This year’s El Paso Film Festival will feature special guest Robert Rodriguez, director of “Sin City,” “Spy Kids,” “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” and “El Mariachi.”

The El Paso Film Festival recently announced the schedule and list of feature films and short films that will be screened at this year's event and now we know who will be the special guest in attendance.

Announcing the 2019 El Paso Film Festival 

El Paso Film Festival promises to enrich fans of films shown and told by Texans.

You Can’t Say No is now available for streaming on SHOWTIME. Filmmaker Paul Kramer was awarded the Best Director award at EPFF 2018 for YCSN.

The El Paso Film Festival will return October 24th - 27th, 2019 to the El Paso Museum of Art and Philanthropy Theatre.

We have some awesome news to report! After Running with Beto Doc had its World Premiere at SXSW, the documentary will be available for streaming on HBO in Spring of 2019.

Running with Beto will be having its World Premiere at the SXSW 2019 Film Festival.

Texas Standard: David Blue Garcia, who won the "Best Narrative Film" award for his feature film Tejano at the 2018 El Paso Film Festival, recently sold out (5) screenings in Austin, TX.

Did you miss Time Trap at the El Paso Film Festival back in Sept? Have no fear! It’s now available on iTunes.

As part of the organization’s annual voting, the Austin Film Critics Association awards titles with local ties — works made in Austin and/or directed by a filmmaker living in town during their film’s production.

The El Paso Film Festival, in a partnership with the El Paso Museum of Art, will take place Sept. 14-16 in Downtown El Paso and will feature 43 independent short films and five feature films.

Dr. Victoria Ramirez, director of the El Paso Museum of Art, will be partnering with Artistic Director Carlos Corral in hosting the 1st El Paso Film Festival this fall in Downtown El Paso. With the philanthropic help of the Paso Del Norte Charitable Foundation, the El Paso Film Festival and its Sponsors will be awarding up to $5,000 in cash prizes to independent filmmakers.

Carlos Corral is creating more opportunities to showcase films made in the borderland and filmmakers from the borderland.  He’s created the El Paso Film Festival, a new festival that hopes to bring the best from the El Paso area to the big screen, while also showcasing emerging indie filmmakers from around the country, and perhaps the world.

EL PASO, Texas - The first El Paso Film Festival, set to kick off this fall, will screen 10 short films from independent filmmakers. And there seems to be trend among the movies -- filmmakers who grew up along the border, telling the story of life along the border from their perspective. Carlos Corral is the artistic director for the El Paso Film Festival

El PASO, TX (El Paso Inc.) - Local filmmaker Carlos Corral has an ambitious goal to make his latest project, the El Paso Film Festival, a launchpad for the city’s reputation as a movie-making hub.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) - Artist Director Carlos Corral hoping to highlight the best from the El Paso area to the big screen with the El Paso Film Festival. The Artist Director partnering with the El Paso Filmmakers Organization and the Paso del Norte Charitable Foundation.

Listen to the ON FILM interview with Charles Horak and Carlos Corral on KTEP 88.5FM. This week we visited with Carlos Corral, filmmaker and founder of the El Paso Film Festival, as he discussed a premier event for the El Paso Film Festival, as well as the long-term goals he hopes to achieve with this new project.

The El Paso Film Festival was created by filmmaker Carlos Corral in 2018 with the support of the El Paso Filmmakers organization. With the philanthropic help of the Paso Del Norte Charitable Foundation, the El Paso Film Festival screens original film showcases for aspiring filmmakers and for all who look to enjoy independent work that they won't see in a mainstream theater.