One feature-length film and 37 shorts — about everything from a Star Wars-like Plasma Sword to the Pope’s visit to Juarez to a little girl who comes up with a devious plan to buy a violin — have been selected for this year’s Local Flavor showcase.
Sponsored by the Texas Film Commission, the series is part of the El Paso Community Foundation Plaza Classic Film Festival, which returns for its ninth year August 4-14.
More than 60 projects were submitted by filmmakers from the Borderland region and filmmakers with local ties. A total of 38 were selected for the area’s premier local film showcase.
They have been curated into four programs, including the much-anticipated 12th annual edition of The Good, The Bad, The Indie, which will open Local Flavor at 8 p.m. Saturday, August 5 in the Foundation Room, 333 N. Oregon. All Local Flavor programs are free and will be in the Foundation Room.
Additionally, the series will include a benefit showing of a rough cut of Las Cruces filmmaker Ilana Lapid’s new Yochi, shot in Belize, at 4 p.m. Saturday, August 13 ($10 at the door) and the student projects from the second annual Plaza Classic Film Camp, for children aged 9 to 15, on the last day of the festival.
Here is a rundown of what’s in this year, with title followed by the filmmaker’s name:
The Good, The Bad, The Indie, vol. 12 8 p.m. Saturday, August 5 • Everywhere I Go Chris Hanna • Memories Andrew Barahona • The Violin Claudia Castaneda • Second Chance: El Tiradero Arturo Contreras • The Force Within Angel Rodriguez • Tacos Eric J. Vazquez • Pope Francis: Visit to the Borderland Rebekah Renee Grado • Seed Michael Torres • In Limbo Gustavo Garza • Sun City Divas Rayell Abad • Don’t Forget Tito Arenal • Midnight Vagary Diego Davila • Nacho L. Garcia Larry D. Powers • Like a Bomb Angel Rodriguez • Winter Morning Cruz Barajas Lujan • El Camino Victor Carrillo • A Singularity Kirk Ryde • Simple Happiness Alberto J. Pedroza • A Dark Matter Leonardo Sotelo
Local Flavor 2 p.m. Sunday, August 6 • Song of the Starslayer Robert Towne 188 minutes
Local Flavor: Shorts 1 8 p.m. Friday, August 12 • Got all my guns huh? Noah Spivey • Promise Me Kevin Machate • Plasma Sword Roberto Urrea • A Little Enchanting Stella Gutierrez • Paleta Power Ruben Chang • Little Match Girl Carlos Arreola
Yochi Fundraiser 4 p.m. Saturday, August 13 $10 at the door • Yochi (rough cut) Ilana Lapid
Local Flavor: Shorts 2 8 p.m. Saturday, August 13 • La Loteria Isaac Marquez • Again and Over/Nuevamente Pedro Omar Dominguez • Good Cop, Good Cop Keagan Karnes • Lotus Edmund Lozano and Jasmin Harvey • Cycle Jesus Nunez and Jaime Blanco • Portrait of an Addict Andrew Shebay • The Talk in the Night Chris Hanna • Gatekeeper Gerry Facio • La Catrina Ilana Lapid • Theotokos Mark Martinez • PEN Diego Rico • Wolff’s Law Sheridan O’Donnell
Local Flavor: Plaza Classic Film Camp 2 p.m. Sunday, August 14 • Projects by students, ages 9 to 15, from the second annual Plaza Classic Film Camp
Image at left: Ilana Lapid with Yochi cast members (courtesy of Ilana Lapid)
