Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Announces 47th CineFestival San Antonio Full Program Line Up for July 9-12

SAN ANTONIO — The 47th CineFestival San Antonio, the nation’s original and longest running Latinx film festival, returns July 9–12, 2026 exhibiting Chicanx, Latinx, and international Latin American cinema, with a strong focus on regional and local filmmaking. In these uncertain times, this year’s CineFestival represents a return to some of its roots presenting films that reflect the rich Latinx and Chicanx cultural and musical traditions of the U.S., and a large selection of short films made in San Antonio and the Lone Star State,  the U.S. and Latin America, which represent the creativity, talent and  fiercely independent voices of Latinx and Chicanx artists who continue to tell stories that matter to them and CineFestival audiences, many times at the fringes of the mainstream industry.

The festival will take place at the Carver Community Cultural Center (226 N Hackberry St), opening on Thursday, July 9th at 6:30pm with the San Antonio premiere of “MEXICANAMERICAN,” a beautiful and poignant documentary directed by newcomer Eddie Sanchez, who expertly weaves present-day interviews and the VHS home movies his family once sent across the border, exploring how and why his parents migrated to the U.S. from Mexico, revealing a personal mosaic of one family’s struggle to reconcile two cultures between two generations.

Closing night, Sunday July 12 at 6pm will feature the premiere of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award Winner “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez” directed by Texas native David Alvarado. The documentary traces the career of pioneering playwright, teatrista, screenwriter and director Luis Valdez, who pushed Chicano storytelling against political resistance and industry skepticism, from performing in the fields with is Teatro Campesino to writing and directing some of the most iconic Latinx films ever made like “Zoot Suit” and “La Bamba,” proving that Chicanos aren’t marginal to America—they ARE America.

Other feature films in the program include “Let the City Speak” (Akira Boch, 2026), following the journey of Grammy Award-winning Chicano rock band Quetzal, emerging from East Los Angeles’ vibrant music and art scene in the mid 90’s to a lengthy career of powerful music making and deep grassroots activism; “Los Tejanos: A 500-Year History” (Joseph C. Stillman, 2025) which traces the rich legacy of Tejano communities from Spanish colonial settlements to the present, highlighting their cultural, economic, and political contributions in South Texas; “Soul Searchin’” (Jesus Cruz, 2025), diving into the passionate world of rare soul record collectors who devote their lives to finding, preserving, and sharing Black and Chicano soul music; and “Who’s the Real Spanish Fly?” (Blake Miranda, 2026), an immersive journey into the heart of Latin Freestyle and Hip Hop culture in Texas, featuring the legendary Lil Young of Swishahouse Records.

The Mesquite Award nominees present some of the best short films produced by artists working in Texas in the past two years, including five documentaries and 13 short films that include 8 short films made in San Antonio.

Vistas de San Antonio presents a wide selection of short films including student and independent work, featuring an unprecedented 22 short films and the feature film “Back on Road” directed by David Johnathan Pequeno.

“The large number of short films made in San Antonio represent a filmmaking scene currently brewing in the city. Preceded by a long tradition of local independent filmmaking, this local burgeoning scene is currently growing thanks to fiercely independent artists and others seeking to break through the mainstream industry, and supported by successful film programs from local universities, high schools and non-profit media programs, City of San Antonio Artist Grants and the San Antonio Film Commission, and a community that makes possible the production of dozens of  Latinx films every year” said CineFestival Program Director Eugenio del Bosque.

“This creative ecosystem represents a new generation of filmmakers connecting with already established ones, who are willing to challenge industry norms and tell local stories that matter to them and CineFestival audiences,” he added.

This year’s program also includes a Texas Showcase featuring short films made across the Lone Star State, a small selection of shorts made in the U.S by Latinx and Chicanx artists, and the return of the international short films, all of which represent a vast cultural and artistic reference from which audiences and local filmmakers can learn and grow.

The program would not be complete without the always great section of Youth Films, which includes works made by artists 18 years old or younger, and this year will bring films from several media programs around San Antonio, and a few from other locations in Texas and surrounding states. 

The 47th CineFestival San Antonio is made possible thanks to the continuing support of the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, the San Antonio Film Commission, the Texas Commission on the Arts, AARP, and local Charles Schwab consultant Ernest J. Martinez. 

This production is not a presentation of the Carver Community Cultural Center or the Carver Development Board.  

CineFestival All Access passes and individual tickets can be found online at CineFestival.  Buying a pass is the best way to support CineFestival and avoid higher processing fees for individual tickets. Passes are $40 and grant access to all festival screenings. Individual tickets can be purchased at the Carver Community Cultural Center box office and online at guadalupeculturalarts.org.

More than 50% of the festival screenings are free, but audiences will need to book a free ticket to attend.

About CineFestival  

CineFestival exhibits Chicanx, Latinx, and International Latin American cinema with a focus on regional and local filmmaking, creating annual opportunities to survey the body of work produced by artists based in Texas and beyond, and fostering industry, business, and artistic opportunities among an average of 100 registered filmmakers in attendance every year.

Beyond its role as an exhibition platform for San Antonio, Texas, US, and international artists, CineFestival’s programs are part a rich cultural heritage that generates a shared community space, encouraging authentic cultural representation and strengthening artistic bonds between audiences and creators alike, supporting the evolution of storytelling within and beyond film.

For more information about CineFestival San Antonio go to CineFestival.

About the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center  

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1980 as a nonprofit, multi-disciplinary organization. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s westside, the Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the US with the mission to cultivate, promote and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.  For more information visit: www.guadalupeculturalarts.org.

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