News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  09/19/2023

Krystall Poppin makes her Texas Premiere at the 2023 El Paso Film Festival. 

Katherine Propper, critically acclaimed writer-director, brings her film "Lost Soulz" to El Paso after its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival along with local El Paso artist and rapper Krystall Poppin.

EL PASO – The El Paso Film Festival has announced its 2023 programming line-up. The festival is scheduled to start Thursday, September 28, 2023, through Saturday, September 30, 2023 at the Philanthropy Theater, The El Paso Museum of Art, and El Paso Convention Center in downtown El Paso.

The El Paso Film Festival proudly announces the Texas Premiere of "Lost Soulz," a captivating journey of love and redemption set against the backdrop of Texas. Directed by Katherine Propper, the film had its World Premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, the film now comes to El Paso, where part of its compelling story was shot and produced in downtown El Paso. 

Katherine Propper, the director of "Lost Soulz," is a writer-director born and raised in Los Angeles, currently based in Austin. Her 2022 short film "Birds" garnered critical acclaim, winning awards at AFI Fest and SXSW. Her 2019 short film "Street Flame" was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“The spirit of El Paso — a place where cultures and nations converge — felt very true and specific to the spirit of Lost Soulz,” said Propper. This film is about the coming together of young artists of different backgrounds, making music in Texas."

"Lost Soulz'' tells the story of aspiring rapper Sol, played by Sauve Sidle, a Texas-born recording artist, rapper, model, and actor. As Sol and the musicians head out West, they bond over their shared pains and longings from the lives they left behind. Sidle has toured the world with chart-topping musicians such as Juice WRLD, Lil Mosey, Cordae, and many more. His role in “Lost Soulz'' marks his feature debut as an actor.

"About half of Lost Soulz was filmed in El Paso,” said Propper. “When I visited the city for the first time, I was blown away by the city’s beauty and the generosity of the people there. With their help, I looked up Krystall Poppin after learning the film was about music and I got a feeling that she’d be great! ”

Krystall Poppin, a rising star from El Paso Texas, is also featured in the film and plans on attending the premiere. A hidden gem of Mexican American Hip Hop, Krystall Poppin is a rapper and recording artist from El Paso, TX. She has graced the stage on tour with renowned rappers such as Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Frankie J, and Baby Bash. 

More recently, Poppin opened for the Grammy award winning rapper Cardi B in El Paso. With a wealth of experience in the music industry, she possesses a bold stage presence and on-camera skills that are now seamlessly transitioning into her blossoming acting career.

“I feel extremely blessed to be a part of such a special film. I’m proud to represent my hometown of El Paso in my first acting role in “Lost Soulz,” said Poppin. “I feel acting came very naturally to me because of my experience in my professional career as a rapper and entertainer. I can’t wait to act in more films and gain notoriety in the film industry as well.”

Join us for the sixth annual El Paso Film Festival at the Philanthropy Theater, The El Paso Museum of Art, and El Paso Convention Center September 28 - 30, 2023 as audiences gain a front row seat and behind the “screen” knowledge of a selection of short and feature films by local, regional, and national filmmakers. VIP Badges and Film Passes are now on sale, for the general public via the El Paso Film Festival website.

Returning partners for this year’s festival include Paso Del Norte Community Foundation, El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission, MindWarp Films, Losita Productions, El Paso Cardiac, The Hunt Foundation, Star Central Studios, WestStar Bank, Thyme Restaurant, and the Rio Bravo Film Fund.