Briscoe Western Art Museum celebrates National Day of the Cowboy

Briscoe’s Day of the Cowboy celebration will feature free admission, live music, cowboy games, food trucks, art, and more. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Celebrating the legacy of the cowboy, cowgirl, and vaquero, the Briscoe Western Art Museum presents its National Day of the Cowboy celebration on Saturday, July 23, 10a.m. – 5p.m. at the museum’s campus on the banks of the River Walk. The free community event, which includes free admission to the museum and its exhibitions, features indoor and outdoor activities for cowpokes of all ages, with live music in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, a chuck wagon with tasty cowboy treats, artist demonstrations and hands-on arts, crafts and games for all ages to enjoy. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2022)

Cowboy Fun Under the Sun – And Throughout the Museum

One of the Briscoe’s most treasured annual events, National Day of the Cowboy works to highlight, share and preserve America’s cowboy culture and pioneer heritage. It was founded in 2005 as a day to celebrate and preserve the heritage of the American cowboy, cowgirl, and vaquero in the United States. The state of Texas declared it a day of honor in 2015 and the Briscoe annually hosts a celebration event, throwing open the doors of the museum to honor the cowboy, cowgirl, and vaquero in us all.

The celebration pairs perfectly with its fantastic summer exhibition The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America. Premiering at the Briscoe and including works from 17 public and private collections, The Sons of Charlie Russell features 70 works of art showcasing the forefathers of Western art and how their great works provide foundations, traditions and ideals for today’s contemporary artists. On display through September 5, the exhibition is the first and only time these works will be viewed together. While visitors may not be able to rope and ride alongside the cowboys and ranch hands often depicted in Western art, thanks to immersive technology in the exhibition, visitors are able to see themselves as shadow outlines in the paintings, striking poses as they add themselves to the scene.

Other National Day of the Cowboy Celebration highlights include:

  • Free admission and activities for the whole family, including scavenger hunts through the Briscoe. Museum volunteers will be on hand to share details about the museum’s art and artifacts, highlighting works that relate to lives and work of cowboys, cowgirls and vaqueros.
  • Cowpoke games and crafts, where you can outfit yer’self in a bolo tie and spurs, try your hand at silversmith etching, make a stick pony and try out some barrel racing, learn how to rope and ride, herd some balloon animals, do a little bull riding, toss horseshoes, craft a cowhand puppet, and more.
  • Demonstrations of how to craft the essential tools of the cowboy trade by members of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association of saddle making, braiding, and forging.
    • See the leather work and tooling that goes into making a saddle with saddle maker Troy West.
    • Learn the art of rawhide braiding from braider Leland Hensley.
    • Watch forger Wilson Capron shape metal into bits, spurs and more with a live forging demonstration in the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden.
  • Western art brought to life through a live sculpting demonstration by Jason Scull, one of the Cowboy Artists featured in The Sons of Charlie Russell.
  • Lil Partners Reading Zone, offering up cowboy tales. Sit a spell and enjoy a book reading with Emily Wilson, the Briscoe’s Curator of Art. Wilson’s children’s book, “Charlie Russell and the Gnomes of Bull Head Lodge,” crafts a modern fairy tale based on the life of Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), the namesake of The Sons of Charlie Russell Stop by to learn the art of gnome-making so you can craft your own cowboy gnomes.
  • Storytime at the Stagecoach, featuring the story of Mary Fields, the first African American woman stagecoach driver. For many years, Fields traveled the West with her pet eagle, never losing a single horse or package. Hear her story as Antoinette Lakey reads from “Fearless Mary: Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver.” A community leader, researcher, and dramatist, Antoinette Lakey currently serves as Artistic Director for Teatro Anansi, an organization with a mission to connect, celebrate and commemorate African American theatre, performing arts and history within the greater San Antonio community.
  • Chuck wagon cooking with samples of peach cobbler and beans, along with food truck grub available to satisfy any hungry cowpokes.
  • Surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery, kick back and soak in the sounds of West with live music throughout the day, including singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Clint Tomerlin.

Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.

Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

French Festival and Petanque ‘Bocci’ Tournament at The Shops at La Cantera

The Bastille Day French Festival, sponsored by Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, will take place on Saturday July 16 with live French Gypsy Jazz music by Nashville artist Irenka. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Join us on Main Street at The Shops at La Cantera for a Bastille Day French Festival, sponsored by Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, 10a.m. to 8p.m., Saturday, July 16, 2022. More than 16 teams from San Antonio, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Houston will compete in the Petanque “Bocci” Tournament. Enjoy $5 beer and wine and $5 small bites presented by San Antonio vendors including Sweet Paris; Sur La Table; Mon Chou Chou; Luciano Ristorante & Pizzeria, Tardif’s, and more. (Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, 2022)

French classic cars will be displayed with live French Gypsy Jazz music by Nashville artist, Irenka, from noon to 5p.m.

TEAM SIGN-UP – Petanque Tournament

Team of two is $40; each member will receive FREE French Festival T-Shirt, two bottles of water, two beverage tickets, and two crepes from Sweet Paris.

The top three teams will be awarded prizes. Payments can be made in advance and on site with cash or credit card. Register in advance by calling (832) 967.8396 or via email.

Register on site at 9:30a.m., booth on Main Street at The Shops at La Cantera. Tournament starts at 10a.m. 

The Shops at La Cantera – Main Street
15900 La Cantera Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78256

Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Singer-songwriter Andrew Combs covers Radiohead classic ‘High And Dry’

‘High and Dry’ is the first single from 3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 EP, due out July 8, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Set to release July 8, independent East Nashville-based label and recording studio, 3Sirens, presents a compilation of 80s and 90s artist-chosen covers that make for the perfect summer soundtrack. 3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 adheres to the label’s mission statement: build community and celebrate great artists all while having a little fun. By doing just that, artists Andrew Combs, Dylan LeBlanc, Caitlin Rose, and more came together in mixing these tracks with the 3Sirens team. (3Sirens, 2022)

In conjunction with Glide Magazine, the label premiered the first track off the collaboration, Andrew Combs’ cover of the Radiohead classic “High and Dry.” Check out the premiere here. To pre-save the track click here and Part 1 here. Growing up with Radiohead, Combs shares he chose this track specifically because of the huge role the band played on his own introduction to making music. The soundtracks of Kid A and Amnesiac were just the beginning. Diving into the full Radiohead catalog, Combs credits the band as the reason he began recording his own music in high school. Inspired by their creativity, Combs expresses, “ I love when an artist/band is curious, and always exploring new territories in terms of sound, production, and song structure. I find Radiohead to be the best example of this in the modern age. ‘High and Dry’ is an amazing song – it is simple and to the point, but still so lush and beautiful. Those are the hardest songs to write.”

Creating a space for artists to express their creative freedom and record in an “easy peasy” process is exactly what The Grahams had in mind when they set out on the journey of starting a different kind of label and studio. With Love: Part 1 is a product of that vision flourishing.

Though born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and artist Andrew Combs cannot say for certain he identifies with any one place in particular. Through years of drawing on ethereal and visceral beauty wherever he can find it, his work is more accurately a measured synthesis of a wide array of “places:” the literal and the figurative, those he has been to and others he has yet to see. His newest full-length album, Sundays (out August 19), is reflective of those varied places that inform Combs’ creative work.

3Sirens Presents: With Love Part 1 track list:
“Big Love” by Fleetwood Mac, performed by Dylan LeBlanc
“One Way Or Another” by Blondie, performed by Caitlin Rose
“High and Dry” by Radiohead, performed by Andrew Combs
“Somebody to Shove” by Soul Asylum, performed by Kevin Kinney
“Something So Strong” by Crowded House, performed by Derek Hoke
“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, performed by The Grahams

3Sirens is a gathering spot for creatives and dreamers, a social salon. A studio built with the premise that to be creative one must exist in a creative space. Of course the state of the art gear and the thoughtfully curated collection of vintage and specialty instruments abound but it goes beyond the material into something less tangible. Fitting, really, that such a space was dreamt up by lifelong lovers and dreamers, The Grahams, who themselves longed for a space to gather, to create art and play music, to collaborate, to stretch out and explore the “impossible,” to let the intangible and unexplainable just happen.

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Bobby Cool’s first single from upcoming LP Family Time

Bobby Cool’s Family Time will be out July 29, 2022. Photo: google

From an Athens, Georgia dive bar to Music City’s club scene and beyond, songwriter Bobby Cool has spent the ups and downs of the past 10+ years—like working as a janitor, radon inspector, and flooring salesman to make ends meet throughout the music industry’s shutdown in 2020 and 2021—collecting stories about life’s small moments and telling them in a way that makes listeners feel as if the tunes were written just for them. In the vein of Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, and Sturgill Simpson, Cool blends bluegrass, Americana, and country into a rousing, good-time mix of genres on his upcoming album Family Time, which will be out July 29, 2022. (Bobby Cool, 2022)

Cool’s way with words shines on his country-folk ballad “American Dream,” the album’s opener and the first listen shared with fans ahead of Family Time’s July 29 release date. Telling the story of an enlisted brother, free-spirit sister, and an ultimately ailing mother—all narrated by a road-dog musician—“American Dream” paints a quirky, fun, and at times devastating story of what it means to make a life in the land of the free. “It’s ultimately not about fortune or fame,” says Cool. “…but the freedom to choose your own path and live it out.” Americana Highways premiered the single with early praises who stated, “If you allow Bobby Cool to entertain you, you’ll find deep country with strong Southern rural roots in every note. Find nostalgia and hope and a story of family we can all relate to.” Fans can check out the lyric video for “American Dream” now at this ink and pre-order or pre-save Family Time ahead of release day.

At the end of February 2020, Cool and his producer Adam Haynes (bluegrass fiddler for The Grascals, Dailey & Vincent, and others) tracked 13 songs over the course of two days. Two weeks later, the world would shut down and a two-year journey would commence to release into the world what would finally become Family Time. On Family Time, Cool shares musical snapshots of small and large moments that define family life and captures intimately the grooves and creases, the craziness and the humor, the regrets, and the celebrations of living together in songs that resonate so deeply we feel as if he has written them just for us. He sings songs that reach us wherever we find ourselves in our lives, touching us, healing us, and embracing us with music that fills our hearts and reminds us that life’s most important events happen on family time.

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Television adaptation: ‘The Old Man’ by Thomas Perry

The television adaptation of Thomas Perry’s ‘The Old Man’ is on FX and streaming on Hulu. Photo: amazon

Thomas Perry is the author of 23 novels including the Jane Whitefield series, “Death Benefits,” and “Pursuit,” the first recipient of the Gumshoe Award for best novel. He won the Edgar for “The Butcher’s Boy” and “Metzger’s Dog” was a New York Times Notable Book. The Independent Mystery Bookseller’s Association included “Vanishing Act” in its “100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century” and “Nightlife” was a New York Times bestseller. “Metzger’s Dog” was voted one of NPR’s 100 Killer Thrillers–Best Thrillers Ever. His novel “The Old Man” is now an original series from FX starring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman and revolves around a retired intelligence officer living off the grid who gets caught in “[a] harrowing hunt-and-hide adventure” (The New York Times). It consists of seven episodes and is available for streaming on Hulu. (amazon, 2022)

“The Old Man” – To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most sixty-year-old widowers don’t have multiple driver’s licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, or two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run. Thirty-five years ago, as a young army intelligence hotshot, Chase was sent to Libya to covertly assist a rebel army. When the plan turned sour, Chase acted according to his conscience—and triggered consequences he never could have anticipated. To this day, someone still wants him dead. And just when he thought he was finally safe, Chase is confronted with the history he spent much of his life trying to escape.

I have not read the book so I cannot compare the book to the series, but after watching the first four episodes on Hulu, I want to see where it leads. I am not a big fan of serials because it just seems like a really long movie that takes forever to resolve and halfway through I tend to lose interest. In this case, the story of a retired intelligence officer drew me in. Admittedly, the pacing can be slow and the constant flashbacks can be tiring, but it does have its plot twists to keep it interesting. Will Harper eventually catch up to Chase? How many people will Chase have to kill to evade one contract killer after another? Good question, I guess I will have to watch the rest of the episodes to find out. All I know is that if anything happens to those dogs, I am definitely out. 

New book release: ‘The 6:20 Man’ by David Baldacci

‘The 6:20 Man’ by David Baldacci will be released July 12, 2022. Photo: amazon

David Baldacci published his first novel, ‘Absolute Power,’ in 1996. A feature film followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 44 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers. His next book ‘The 6:20 Man’ will be out Tuesday, July 12, 2022. In this new thriller, a cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance. (amazon, 2022)

‘The 6:20 Man’ – Every day without fail, Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit, grabs his faux-leather briefcase, and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan, where he works as an entry-level analyst at the city’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings, he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy, dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings, he listens to the fiscal news on his phone, already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning Devine’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead.

Sara Ewes, Devine’s coworker and former girlfriend, has been found hanging in a storage room of his office building–presumably a suicide, at least for now–prompting the NYPD to come calling on him. If that was not enough, before the day is out, Devine receives another ominous visit, a confrontation that threatens to dredge up grim secrets from his past in the army unless he participates in a clandestine investigation into his firm. This treacherous role will take him from the impossibly glittering lives he once saw only through a train window, to the darkest corners of the country’s economic halls of power where something rotten lurks. Apart from this high-stakes conspiracy, there is a killer out there with their own agenda, and Devine is the bull’s-eye.

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Book review: ‘Tao Calligraphy’ by Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha

‘Tao Calligraphy’ is the first in a series of books about the benefits of Tao Calligraphy. Photo: Amazon

Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha is the author of thirty-one books, including eleven New York Times bestsellers and bestsellers on the lists of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon. He brings ancient wisdom to modern times to help people reach optimal wellness and greater happiness. Tao Calligraphy is a revolutionary healing art based on an ancient form of one-stroke calligraphy from China. Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha now brings this healing frequency to everyone through a new book series. The first book in the series, “Tao Calligraphy to Heal and Rejuvenate Your Back,” offers relief from back pain, a problem all too familiar to many Americans. According to Georgetown University’s Institute for Health Care Research and Policy study, nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. (Tao Calligraphy, 2022)

In “Tao Calligraphy,” Dr. & Master Sha offers a guide for enhancing many aspects of life through soul secrets, wisdom, and simple, practical techniques. As a doctor of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture and a master of several Eastern arts, he brings decades of study and experience to help people discover their own power to heal and uplift their lives. It is divided into eleven chapters including Tao Science Explains the Universal Law of Shen Qi Jing, Why do People Have Challenges in Health, Relationships, Finances, and Every Aspect of Life?, and What is Tao Calligraphy? In the section The Importance of Practice, the author explains the importance of practicing Tao Calligraphy and explains how to access the practice videos using the QR codes. Since it addresses ways to heal back pain, In the Foreword, William Gladstone stresses that this book is not a substitute for medical treatment but that it is simply “a supplemental approach that has helped hundreds of thousands with no negative side effects.”

Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced back pain. It is a chronic condition that can disrupts people’s daily life and some pain relievers can cause side effect that can be worse than the original back pain. In his book in a series, Dr. & Master Sha shares ways to relieve this pain through Tao Calligraphy. In the first couple of chapters, he briefly explains the science and physics involved in vibrational fields but overall it is easy to understand and follow. It is a small but informative book that includes QR codes that link to videos that help further explain the information. Highlights include Chapter 3: Why Do People Have Challenges in Health, Relationships, Finances, and Every Aspect of Life? because it clarifies the fact that Tao Science states that “information, energy, and matter can be positive or negative” and that when they are negative, they cause sickness and relationship, and financial challenges and Chapter 6: Chinese Calligraphy where he explains what Chinese Calligraphy is and its importance in Chinese culture. Admittedly it is a different way to deal with physical pain but it has worked for some people. “Tao Calligraphy” is a small but helpful guide to help heal and rejuvenate your back and is recommended for readers interested in mental and spirituals healing.

“To be a person of good quality and to experience a good life, we need to have a good vibrational field. A good vibrational field is one carrying positive information, energy, and matter. Positive information, energy, and matter bring connection, order, and harmony.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

An excerpt of this book is available here.

The Black Phone is an edge of your seat psychological thriller

The Black Phone is the movie adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story from ’20th Century Ghosts. Photo: google

Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels “The Fireman,” “NOS4A2,” “Horns,” and “Heart-Shaped Box;” “Strange Weather,” a collection of novellas; and the acclaimed story collections “Full Throttle” and “20th Century Ghosts.” The Black Phone is a short story in his “20th Century Ghosts” collection and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions starring Ethan Hawke.

The Black Phone – Jack Finney is thirteen, alone, and in desperate trouble. For two years now, someone has been stalking the boys of Galesberg, stealing them away, never to be seen again. And now, Finney finds himself in danger of joining them: locked in a psychopath’s basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children. With him in his subterranean cell is an antique phone, long since disconnected but it rings at night anyway, with calls from the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them does not happen to Finney. The movie is 1 hr. 42 min. long, is rated R and classified as horror/thriller.

I have not read many of Joe Hill’s works, just ‘NOS4A2,’ but I have seen the series NOS4A2 and the movie Horns, both are excellent. After watching The Black Phone movie on opening weekend I was curious how it compares to the original short story on “20th Century Ghosts.” I checked the book out of the library because it seemed quicker than going out to buy it or ordering it on amazon. I read it in one seating, it is, after all, a short story, no more than 30 pages long.

The movie is short, less than two hours long, and that is the way I like it. It does not go into detail with an origin story, the reason why the ‘Grabber’ is the creepy killer that he is and that is quite alright with me. It is mislabeled as a horror movie because it is not scary at all but it is a psychological suspense/thriller. There are plenty of jump scares and suspenseful moments and yes, it is hard not to compare it to IT with the balloons, the mostly young cast, the retro setting, and the yellow raincoat the sister wears. While it may have a predictable ending, it does have a false ending, where just when you think it is over…..it surprises you. Yes, it is unnerving to see children in peril but in the end, Finney takes a schoolmate’s advice “Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself.” All’s well that ends well. It gets high marks for Ethan Hawke’s performance and how about those creepy masks. I came to the conclusion that the reason the father is an abusive alcoholic is because he is still grieving his wife, who committed suicide because of the visions she was having, just like the daughter and he was scared that she would end up the same way. It is creepy, haunting, and suspenseful but it also focuses on the familial bonds between brother and sister and in the end the father is repentant. Did I need to know why the Grabber is a demented killer? Probably not. I would definitely watch it again. Need a movie recommendation for the long Fourth of July weekend? Check out The Black Phone, it is well worth a trip to the movie theater. 

The short story focuses on when Finney gests kidnapped and his trying to escape. The Grabber is obese and does not wear masks. He kills his brother just when we think he is going to save Finney, just like in the movie. It does not mention a sister or father for Finney or even anything to do with school, but both the movie and the story have the same redemptive ending. I would say that the movie is faithful to the short story version when it comes to Finney’s harrowing experience with the Grabber and that is all that matters. 

Photo: Sandra Cruz

New movie release: Fall

Fall will be released in theaters only on August 12, 2022. Photo: Lionsgate, used with permission.

In today’s movie news: Lionsgate Films and Capstone Global present Fall, dropping in theaters only on Friday August 12, 2022. Starring Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Directed by Scott Mann and written by Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank, this thriller is not yet rated and runs 107 minutes long. It is produced by Christian Mercuri, James Harris, Mark Lane, and Scott Mann. (Lionsgate, 2022)

Fall – For best friends Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner), life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now Becky and Hunter’s expert climbing skills will be put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights in this adrenaline-fueled thriller co-starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Don’t look down. FALL – dropping in theaters soon.
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Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s 43rd annual CineFestival

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center announces the 43rd annual CineFestival at the historic Guadalupe Theater. Photo: google

San Antonio’s original Latinx film festival returns on July 6 through July 10 at the historic Guadalupe Theater with a large Texas filmmaker presence. Featuring 85 films, including 22 films from San Antonio and 24 films in the Lone Star State, CineFestival San Antonio continues to support local and regional filmmakers while offering a well-rounded program to local audiences that also includes national and international films that highlight artistic excellence and diversity. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2022)

“The amazing response that CineFestival San Antonio got this year to our call for entries, receiving a record number of submissions from filmmakers from across the State and the US, local and international, is a testament to the privileged position San Antonio has as a cultural hub, bridging the cultures of South Texas and the state’s borderlands with the rest of Texas and beyond. This response means focusing the film festival in local and regional works while reflecting artistic excellence in Latinx and indigenous filmmaking is the right path for a festival with such an amazing history to continue in a relevant trajectory that is meaningful to both audiences and participating artists.” – CineFestival Programmer Eugenio del Bosque.

The 43rd annual CineFestival San Antonio will feature 24 screenings showcasing 12 feature films and 73 short films. The festival will open on July 6 with the San Antonio premiere of PEPE SERNA, LIFE IS ART (Dir. Luis Reyes, 2022), a joyous look at the life and work of groundbreaking Mexican-American character actor Pepe Serna, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas whose hundred-plus charismatic scene-stealing roles paved the way for generations of Chicanx actors in Hollywood and beyond. 

The closing night film will be the world premiere of ‘Cuerpo,” directed by San Antonio’s own Mark Zuñiga, an ambitious horror film set in 18th century San Antonio exploring the culture and clashes between the Spanish colonists and the indigenous people they are trying to convert; a recipient of the San Antonio Film Commission’s local filmmaker grant, “Cuerpo” is a passion project produced and shot in the San Antonio area with local cast, crew, and an original score. 

Other feature films include:  

  • World premiere of the comedy “An Awesome Action Movie,” directed by Luis Antonio Rodriguez and shot in McAllen, Texas, and starring veteran Mexican actor Hector Soberón;
  • Sundance acclaimed documentary “Mija” by Isabel Castro;
  • Mexico’s powerful documentary “Comala” by Gian Cassini, which has strong ties to San Antonio;
  • “A Run for More” by Ray Whitehouse, which follows Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe as the first trans woman to run for city council in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas;
  • SXSW laureate Iliana Sosa’s “What We Leave Behind,” a love letter to the El Paso native director’s grandfather and an intimate and insightful exploration of her own relationship with him and his homeland;
  • The social justice horror film “Madres” by Ryan Zaragoza, co-written by San Antonio native Marcella Ochoa who will be in attendance and will also offer a master class for registered filmmakers.
  • “Jockey” by Clint Bentley, featuring an award-winning performance by Mexican-American thespian Clifton Collin’s Jr., grandson of Aguilares, Texas native character actor Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, most famous for his humorous sidekick roles in 1950s and 1960s John Wayne westerns.
  • “Earth Mother,” directed by Austin’s Brandon Polanco and starring San Antonio’s Annette Mia Flores.
  • “Capitol Barbie” by New Mexico native Riley Del Rey is a TV pilot, and a new programming line for CineFestival. A political show about a translatina on Capitol Hill, “Capitol Barbie” deals with delicate and socially pertinent themes, raising questions and opening conversations around racism, homophobia, and transphobia in the work place. The screenplay is written by trans and indigenous filmmakers Riley Del Rey and Violet Martinez.

The Mezquite Awards will be bestowed in two main categories: Audience Awards for the public’s favorite feature film and Jury Awards for Best Texas Short Film. A panel of industry professionals will be part of this year’s festival jury, who will choose the jury award-winning documentary and narrative films from a collection of 14 short films made in Texas, including works from Austin, Buda, Denton, El Paso, Houston, Laredo, and San Antonio. 

The ever-popular San Antonio showcase will featuring eight short films made by local artists, including works made by Nathaniel Avila, Guillermina Zabala, Esmeralda Hernandez, Ái Vuong, Samuel Díaz Fernández, Lisa Salinas Sosa, Miguel Contreras IV, Raymond Ramos, and Violeta de León Dávila. 

43 CineFestival San Antonio will offer ten free screenings, including Family Day with the Texas premiere of “Ainbo, Spirit of the Amazon” by Richard Claus and Jose Zelada, a US-Peruvian animated feature in the spirit of “Moana” and “Frozen;” and Senior Cinema, featuring an exclusive reprise screening of the documentary “Pepe Serna: Life is Art” dedicated to San Antonio’s elderly film lovers.

Free screenings will also include short film showcases including the Texas short film showcase featuring works from Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Greenville, El Paso; a selection of international short films from Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Peru, Spain, and Venezuela; a collection of short films showcasing Latinx and indigenous talent from around the US; and the always eye-opening Youth Day screenings, featuring films made by artists 18 years old or younger which includes works made in San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley, Dallas, Arizona, Connecticut, Peru, and Spain. 

All 43 CineFesitval San Antonio screenings will take place at the historic Guadalupe Theater, located at 1301 Guadalupe Street, San Antonio, TX 78207. Full festival schedule and tickets are available online. Individual tickets are $8 and festival passes are $40. The 43 CineFestival San Antonio is made possible thanks to the continuing support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the San Antonio Film Commission, the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, and the Ford Foundation. 

 

Photo: Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, used with permission.