46th CineFestival to Spotlight Powerful Texas Stories ‘Uvalde Mom’, Johnny Canales Documentaries

SAN ANTONIO, TX — The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center has officially announced the return of CineFestival San Antonio, celebrating its 46th edition from July 9–13, 2025. As the nation’s original and longest-running Latinx film festival, CineFestival continues to uplift powerful Chicanx, Latinx, and Latin American voices—with a spotlight on Texas-based stories and storytellers.

This year’s festival opens with the San Antonio premiere of Uvalde Mom, a riveting feature-length documentary about Angeli Rose Gomez, a courageous farmworker and single mother who risked her life to rescue her children during the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Acclaimed director Anayansi Prado will be in attendance for the screening.

The festival’s closing night will be equally impactful, featuring the premiere of Take It Away: The Rise and Fall of Tejano Hollywood, a tribute to the legendary Johnny Canales, the charismatic host of the groundbreaking Johnny Canales Show. The documentary celebrates Canales’ pivotal role in elevating the careers of Tejano icons such as Selena, Ramon Ayala, Intocable, and many others. Co-directors Adrian Alejandro Arredondo and Myrna Perez will attend, joined by several featured artists.

“It is no coincidence that we are announcing Take It Away on the anniversary of Johnny Canales’ passing,” said Cristina Ballí, Executive Director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. “We’re proud to honor the talent, history, and resilience of Texas Latinos.”

Hosted across multiple San Antonio venues—including the Carver Community Cultural Center and Santikos Mayan Palace—CineFestival 2025 will present a robust selection of regional and local films, Latinx shorts from around the U.S., and the prestigious Mesquite Award competition for Best Texas Short Film.

Since prioritizing local and regional filmmaking in 2017, CineFestival has become a vital platform for showcasing the diversity and depth of Latinx life in Texas and the borderlands.

“We are fortunate to be in the midst of a uniquely relevant time for Latinx filmmaking in Texas,” said CineFestival Director Eugenio del Bosque.

“Focusing on Texas Latinx life covering everything from the most difficult of our problems to the joy that helps us live through those problems. We show the world what we live through and how we do it – how we survive and thrive, ” added Ballí.

Festival organizers promise more surprises ahead, including additional film announcements, panels, and a full event schedule. Tickets go on sale June 23, 2025.

For more updates, visit guadalupeculturalarts.org.

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