The Current congratulates the winners of the Neighborhood Film Project Screening and Contest! “We had an amazing turnout, and the talent on display through these different works was amazing to see,” enthused Sebastian Guajardo, special projects manager for the Office of Cultural Affairs, which co-sponsored the event with the San Antonio Museum of Art (where the screening and awards were held) and the San Antonio Film Commission. “We had originally planned to host a screening and reception; however, due to the outpouring of people interested in viewing the films we actually had to add a second screening. The first screening was ‘sold out’ at 170 and the second hosted about 50 people,” Guajardo later emailed.
Local filmmakers — grown-ups and students alike — made films which reflect the souls and daily lives of their neighborhoods. The adult winners each received a $3,000 award, and students received $1,000 (check out CurBlog at sacurrent.com for the full list of winners). One such student, Julian Moreno Peña (son of Pushcart Derby founder-artist Cruz Ortiz and community organizer-educator Rina Moreno Ortiz) says of his film, Echoes of the Eastside:
“I’ve lived `on the Eastside` nearly my whole life and recognize the beauty many seem to miss. My film is a music video with original music production by myself and visuals that truly show the personality of this side of town. ... I’m really excited about being a finalist. I take a lot of pride in my film and it’s a great feeling to be recognized for it.”
Hopefully, all of the winning films will be made available online — we’ll keep you posted. — Sarah Fisch
