Eight locally connected short films are on tap for the Plaza Classic Film Festival’s Local Flavor Showcase and Awards at 3:30 pm Sunday, July 26 in the Plaza Theatre, sponsored by the El Paso Film and Creative Industries Commission (CreativElPaso) and the Texas Film Commission.
This year’s selections include comedies, dramas, documentaries, and one experimental film.
A total of $3,500 in cash prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the July 26 showcase, including the $1,500 first prize, $1,000 second prize, and $750 third prize. Additionally, the audience will vote via text for its favorite short, which is worth $250 to the filmmaker.
This year’s selections are listed in alphabetical order by title, with the genre, run time, and the name of the person who submitted it:
• Back to Blackdom, documentary, 15:00, Zoe Colfax, director
• Bullsh–, 11:35, narrative/drama, Cabe Tejeda, lead actor
• La Entrevista, narrative/comedy, 7:26, Jorge Villarreal, director
• Punk Rockula: The Curse of UGLOR, documentary, 29:46, Christopher Rakas, director
• Se lo Merecía, narrative/drama, 13:55, Brandon Herrera, director
• This Note Will Make You Teleport, experimental, 4:50, Scott Carrillo-Logan, co-director
• Tito Ritmo, narrative/drama, 14:38, Ulises Córdova, director
• Training Wheels, narrative/comedy, 23:00, Skyler Carreon, director
This is the fifth consecutive year filmmakers will get to see their work on the Plaza Theatre’s big screen.
Tickets are $6, on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster.
A free, public reception will follow from 5:30-7pm Sunday, July 26 in the Foundation Room, 333 N. Oregon.
A panel of judges reviewed more than 60 submissions. This year’s panel is made up of Emmy Award-winning Producer Javier Gonzalez of El Paso (Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, In the Summers); Jaime Mendez, Ed.D, the UTEP Assistant Dean for Student Support and a longtime PCFF program advisory committee member; and Sophia Santos, a 2024 UCLA film school graduate from El Paso.
The Plaza Classic Film Festival returns for its 19th year July 16-26, 2026. Festival passes are on sale here. Individual tickets are on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster.
The deadline for submissions has passed. Thank you for your interest!
