‘The Last Issue’: A Documentary on the Final Days of a Local Newspaper to Premiere at San Antonio Film Festival

The Last Issue (Official Trailer)

The San Antonio Film Festival will present the world premiere of “The Last Issue”, a documentary by San Antonio filmmaker Nick Mery that chronicles the last days of La Prensa de San Antonio, a bilingual newspaper that was forced to shut down in 2017 after over 100 years of publication.

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The film follows the reporters, editors, photographers, and staff members as they struggle to cope with the loss of their jobs, their identity, and their community. The film also explores the impact of the newspaper’s closure on the city of San Antonio, its history, culture, and politics.

“The Last Issue” is a poignant and powerful tribute to the importance of journalism and local media in a time of digital disruption and social change. The film raises questions about the future of democracy, accountability, and civic engagement in a post-newspaper era. The film also celebrates the legacy and achievements of La Prensa de San Antonio, which was one of the oldest and most respected newspapers in Texas.

“This film has been a labor of love and a difficult subject to tackle – how do you process a century’s worth of history and cultural impact, only to then cram it all into 13 minutes? The answer is you can’t, and so I didn’t try,” commented Nick Mery, the film’s director and producer. “Instead, I decided to put the focus on one moment in time – the last days before the newspaper closed for good.”

“The Last Issue” will be screened at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on August 5, 2023, at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online or at the box office. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director and some of the former staff members of the newspaper. Don’t miss this opportunity to watch this remarkable documentary and support local filmmaking.

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