San Antonio filmmakers will be well-represented at this year’s SAFILM, but with more than 150 feature and short films on the schedule, local filmmakers aren’t the only game in town. Here’s a quick look at a few of the feature films screening at the Tobin from August 1-5. For the full lineup, visit safilm.com.
They Call Me King Tiger
This Mexican documentary from director Ángel Estrada Soto tells the story of Chicano activist Reies Lopez Tijerina, who commanded an armed raid on the court of Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, in 1967. 6pm Wed, August 1
Witkin & Witkin
Directed by Trisha Ziff, this documentary follows identical twins Joel and Jerome Witkin — one a renowned photographer and the other a painter and life-long educator. Although twins, their lives couldn’t be more different. 8pm Wed, August 1
Rodents of Unusual Size
Local fisherman-turned-bounty hunter Thomas Gonzales teams up with director Chris Metzler in a documentary about a group of gigantic swamp rats that are destroying the coastal wetlands in Louisiana. 3pm Thu, August 2
Fail State
This documentary exposé explores the rise of predatory for-profit colleges and the connection they have to the worlds of politics and business. The film is executive-produced by news legend Dan Rather. 3pm Thu, August 2
Frank and Ava
Actors Rico Simonini and Emily Elicia Low star as Hollywood icons Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner during their tumultuous love affair in the 1950s. Frank and Ava marks the final screen performance by the late Harry Dean Stanton. 7pm Thu, August 2
The House, the Hand and the Hatchet
Directed by Austin Lottimer, this documentary follows American sculptor James Surls during 2015 as he creates new large-scale bronze, steel and wooden sculptures and travels around the world to install them. 9pm Fri, August 3
Up to Snuff
Friends and collaborators, including Aaron Sorkin, Martin Sheen, Tom Arnold and Fred Savage, share personal stories about American musician and composer W.G. “Snuffy” Walden in a documentary about his career in the entertainment industry. 3pm Sat, August 4
Stella’s Last Weekend
Actress Polly Draper (TV’s Thirtysomething) directs her two real-life sons Nat Wolff (Paper Towns) and Alex Wolff (Hereditary) in a comedy about two brothers who learn they are in love with the same girl. 9pm Sat, August 4
An American in Texas
A group of defiant, punk-rock teenagers try to find a way to use their music to escape their small Texas town and head to Los Angeles in the 1990s. 9pm Sat, August 4
Buckshot
A struggling country singer from New Jersey, Charlie Stillman (Conor Murphy) travels to Nashville to follow in his late father’s footsteps to become a country music star in this dark comedy by director Joshua J. Smith. 4pm Sun, August 5
San Antonio Film Festival // $11-$16 single movie ticket, $39 one-day pass, $75 weekend badge, $139 VIP badge // August 1-5 // Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, safilm.com
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2018.