Friday, May 15
SOAZFilm Block
10AM - 12PM
Oasis Cinema 9
Deconstructing the classic male Western story through the eyes of a transgender man. As he traverses the arid expanse of the desert, Vaquero feels the heavy burden of his past actions weighing him down and grapples with their impact on his life and those around him. The vast emptiness of the desert mirrors the emptiness he feels inside and the false belief of what a man should be as he struggles to come to terms with what he’s lost because of his exigency to find manhood.
El Topito
Directed by Navíl Martínez
Synopsis
Directed by Briana Derise Molina
Synopsis
When a rare neurological illness devastates the life of young bodybuilder Lorenzo, his strength turns into survival. Lorencito Mío reveals a powerful journey of healing, resilience, and the community that helped him find his way home.
Directed by Roberto Ortiz
Synopsis
After leaving organized crime, Cristian rebuilds his life through football by founding Ángeles Soccer, a team for girls and women in one of Mexicali’s most dangerous neighborhoods. The film follows their struggles on and off the field as he works to transform a once-violent space into a safe, empowering community for the people he once harmed.
Nogales/Sonora Shorts
10AM - 12PM
Imfoculta
The passion of a horse trainer named Arturo Elias has been passed down from generation to generation in northern Mexico. As he nears the end of his life, he finds his unmistakable legacy alive in the hearts of his daughters—riders with a natural talent for the Mexican dancing horse.
My Surface is My Land; The Rest is My Family
Directed by Ruben Antonio Camargo Peralta
Synopsis
SOAZFilm Shorts Block - USA
12:30PM - 3PM
Oasis Cinema 9
Directed by Ezra Milla
Synopsis
A year after an alien apocalypse, a young woman has one last wish, which is to return home. Morana Bosque, a young woman from Arizona, is presented with the opportunity to achieve the closure she is seeking. Alien creatures have hunted Morana for a year and she is tired of running. She is wounded and alone in a world with no future. After encountering an abandoned corpse, she searches his pockets and finds some car keys. She begins to drive to the only place she has any desire to be. When she returns home she is met with glimpses of her life before the apocalypse. She awards herself one last day of normality before she decides to give up her fight.
Road From River
Directed by Allie Doody
Synopsis
River takes a road trip with her boyfriend Dylan down memory lane. This drive brings out more emotions for them as they drive on. Something bubbles under the surface, can they face this issue before it’s too late?
Cerulean
Directed by Saraya Cervantes
Synopsis
A meditation on the beauty and complexity of the world, expressed through a journal entry and an inspiring song.
Sweet Potato Pie
Directed by Caleb Bailey
Synopsis
A young woman in an interracial relationship attempts to win over her boyfriend’s mother with the perfect Thanksgiving pie.
The Dinner
Directed by Antonio Piccolo
Synopsis
Strangers meet at dinner one night through this one app, as we learn their backstory of how they got the mysteries app in the first place. Could one of them be a killer?? find out in The Dinner.
Finding Fire
Directed by David J. Aberle
Synopsis
Elena, a young Native woman, arrives at a university far from home, carrying the weight of her ancestors and the ache of displacement. Struggling to navigate a world that feels distant from her traditions, she battles isolation, homesickness, and the quiet grief of being spiritually disconnected. Her only comfort is a traditional pouch, an heirloom of memory and strength. As she searches for a sense of belonging, a quiet moment on a mountaintop becomes the turning point. With the discovery of a hawk feather and a renewed connection to spirit, she finds the courage to reclaim her voice and build something meaningful. She organizes a fire circle, creating a space of healing, remembrance, and community. Through determination, cultural resilience, and the support of new friends, she becomes the light she once searched for. Finding Fire is a story of re-connection and spiritual awakening. It is a reminder that our roots are never lost. They wait patiently to be remembered, and through spirit, strength, and initiative, anyone can rise to become a warrior who brings people together.
Synthesia
Directed by Geen Lee
Synopsis
An android striving to become human discovers that a shift in perspective is all she needs to create something meaningful.
Rebranding Bob
Directed by Kaitlyn Liddicoat
Synopsis
An out-of-touch politician teams up with his Gen Z intern to save his campaign through social media before his ego costs him the election.
Wild Wasteland
Directed by Jesse Bravo
Synopsis
After being abducted by a bounty hunter, a woman returns to find her town destroyed and must form an uneasy alliance to save her family.
Kain Tayo follows Rica Piquan, the owner of Pamilihan Pinoy Asian Groceries, one of only two Filipino markets in Tucson, Arizona. Born and raised in the Phillipines, Rica’s lifelong passion for cooking inspired her next dream, opening a Filipino restaurant. She plans to share her culture and passion by the end of the year. While managing her grocery store seven days a week and building her restaurant from the ground up, she still finds time to cook for her family every day. Seen through Rica’s journey and her daughter's eyes, the film explores the resilience of an immigrant story and the rich traditions of Filipino food and culture.
Kain Tayo (Let's Eat)
Directed by Caroline Rosen
Synopsis
Sonora Shorts Block - MX
12:30PM - 3PM
Imfoculta
La Estrella is a tender portrait of a tight-knit Mexican-American family grappling with the entrance of fentanyl into their community.
Set across two timelines, the story follows José, a gentle, but withdrawn teenager struggling to gain his momentum, and his older brother Diego, a charismatic and ambitious college student struggling with the stress of family expectations.
La Estrella
Directed by Gabriela Díaz Arp
Synopsis
Susana works in the office of an industrial company, trapped in the monotony of daily life. Exhausted ando overwhelmed, she plans to end it all. After writing a final letter on her computer, she heads to the bathroom, but her attemps fails. Determined, she steps out on to the terrace, standing at the edge. While her coworkers remain obliviou, everything changes the moment she jumps from the bulding her actions leaving them in shock.
Final Notice
Directed by José Luis Cons
Synopsis
In a funeral, family members gather to remember and say goodbye to their beloved dog Maya.
THE FUNERAL
Directed by Enrique Gill Lastra
Synopsis
SHE DOESN'T WEAR A WATCH
Directed by Fernando Alonso Dórame
In the quietude of a dusty workshop, an aging craftsman meticulously repairs a piece of the past. His grandson, fueled by the restlessness of youth, urges him to cut corners and finish quickly. But as the old man shares a visceral memory of iron and scars, the boy discovers that true mastery—and life itself—requires the patience to let the glue dry. A poignant short film about the invisible legacies we inherit and the wounds that teach us how to truly live.
Synopsis
FARISEO'S MASK: The making of a ritual face.
Directed by Cesar Cardenas Dominguez
Synopsis
A short documentary told in twelve one-minute chapters exploring the creation of a ceremonial Fariseo mask used by Mayo Indigenous dancers in Sonora, Mexico. Through an intimate observation of materials, craft, and ritual preparation, the film follows the transformation of animal hide into a sacred object that comes to life during the Lenten ceremonies.
ENCARGO
Directed by Orlando Siulok
Synopsis
After agreeing to deliver a mysterious package for a friend, Yago finds himself caught in a tense situation when he realizes he might be getting involved in something dangerous. As paranoia and pressure build during the delivery, the truth behind the package turns out to be far more innocent than he imagined. The story reveals how fear and assumptions can distort reality—and reminds us that Nogales is more than the stereotypes often associated with it.
Tu Nombre Sigue Vivo (Your Name Is Still Alive)
Directed by Eduardo Garcia
Synopsis
Julián, a 26-year-old young man, is searching for his younger brother, who has been missing for a year in the city of Nogales. After receiving no support from the police, he decides to conduct his own search throughout the city. In doing so, he will uncover a secret that will change everything he thought he knew about his brother.
Heart on the Diamond
Directed by Martha Rodriguez
Synopsis
Corazón en el Diamante is a heartfelt story about Cecilia, a passionate 15-year-old baseball player, and her mother Gloria, who grapples with the challenges of immigration and family sacrifice. As Gloria fights to resolve her expired green card to visit her dying mother in Mexico, Cecilia struggles with the potential upheaval of her life in the U.S. Through emotional confrontations and acts of love, they ultimately reaffirm their bond, finding strength in their resilience and shared determination.
In a desert by the sea, an ancient culture endures modernity. A grandmother and her granddaughter intertwine in estrangement over memory. The myth sheds controversy; time falls in dreams of sand, old songs and rock music.
First full-length feature drama to be ever produced in Cmiique Iitom (Seri language)
Directed by Antonio Coello
Synopsis
3PM - 5PM
GOK
389 Miles: Living the Border
Directed by Luis Carlos Davis
Synopsis
Living the Border is a documentary that explores the human realities of immigration along the Arizona-Mexico border through the lives of migrants, Border Patrol agents, activists, vigilantes, and smugglers. Guided by director Luis Carlos Davis, the film reveals the emotional, moral, and social complexities of a region shaped by survival, division, and shared humanity.
Directed by Jim Koenigsaecker, Tom Hayes
Synopsis
Voyage of the Handala is an independent, documentary film about an international group of peace activists and aid workers sailing from Europe to Gaza to raise awareness of the plight of the Palestinians and break the Israeli blockade of Gaza to deliver aid, health care and hope. The Handala, an old Norwegian fishing boat, was named for the political cartoon by Naji al-Ali depicting a defiant Palestinian boy.
6:30PM - 10PM
Film on the Fence
John Leguizamo Does America
Directed by Ben DeJesus
Synopsis
John Leguizamo explores thriving Latino communities across the U.S., celebrating their culture, history, food, and contributions to society.
Directed by David Alvarado
Synopsis
Luis Valdez elevates Chicano narratives to cinema through Zoot Suit and La Bamba, overcoming political and industry pushback to create landmark films that broaden and honor America's cultural story.