The 33rd Annual CineSol Film Festival will be held at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville on December 5th – 6th at the Arnulfo L. Oliveira Student Services Building at Texas Southmost College. Sponsored by Texas Southmost College and Charlie Clark Nissan Brownsville.
Texas Southmost College students, faculty, and staff admitted free with valid student ID.
We will be screening 46 independent films over two days! The independent films are from all over the world including Austria, Bosnia, Cherokee Nation, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, and the UK.
Sixteen films have Rio Grande Valley connections, such as filmed in the RGV or an actor is from the RGV.
Every event is $6 except for main event screenings. Handle With Care (Click Here for Tickets) and Film Race Award Ceremony (Click Here for Tickets) screenings are $10 each. $20 for Saturday passes (Click Here for Tickets). $20 for Sunday passes (Click Here for Tickets). $35 for weekend passes (Click Here for Tickets). For more information, call 956-778-7267.
Saturday, December 5, 2026 –
TSC Arnulfo L. Oliveira Student Services Center
80 Ft Brown., Brownsville TX
12:00pm – 1:20pm. A Safe Distance directed by Gloria Mercer. Feature. 80 minutes. Alex and her boyfriend Joey head into the wilderness for a romantic getaway. When Alex turns down Joey’s surprise proposal, he abandons her in the woods. She’s rescued by Kianna and Matt, an enigmatic young couple living off the grid. But when she learns they’re fugitives wanted for a string of violent bank robberies, Alex must navigate the blurred lines between desire, loyalty, and survival. 1A & 1B. https://www.asafedistancefilm.com/. Click Here for Tickets
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12:15pm – 1:35pm. Second Nature: Gender and Sexuality in the Animal World directed by Drew Denny. Documentary. 80 minutes. Debunking myths are “inferior” and being queer is “unnatural,” Second Nature follows trailblazing trans Evolutionary Biologist Dr. Joan Roughgarden as she meets other groundbreaking scientists exploring the 1500+ animal species who engage in same-sex sexual behavior and parenting, change sex, form matriarchies, and more… 2A & 2B. https://www.secondnaturedoc.com/. Click Here for Trailer. Click Here for Tickets.
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12:15pm – 1:35pm. Shorts Block #1. Reconnect, Un Abrazo del Otro Lado, Theo, The Gift, It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story, Thursday the 12th, Freakin Weekend, Clean Slate. 81 minutes. Main. Click Here for Tickets
–Reconnect directed by Sasha Kasatkina. 1 minute. Austria. A one minute reflection on freedom, privilege, and the uneasy awareness that, what feels stable may not last.
–Un Abrazo del Otro Lado directed by Omar Casas Jr and Laura Daniela Martinez. 5 minutes. RGV. A young Mexican woman who is feeling lost goes on an arduous journey across harsh terrain catching the attention of her ancestors who help guide her. https://truchargv.com/.
–Theo directed by Eduardo Bunster and Belen Abarza. 18 minutes. Chile. A couple goes to design their first child to a gene-editing clinic, hoping that the kid will have the successful and happy life that has eluded them. Click Here for Trailer.
–The Gift directed by JC Gonzalez. 20 minutes. RGV. A reflection of a group of women who were kidnapped and presented to a trafficking leader for exploitation in various criminal activities. The purpose is to raise awareness among all of us and encourage vigilance in situations currently happening within our community.
–It Happened: The Judy Tenuta Story directed by Taylor Blackwell. 13 minutes. Follows the whimsical life and career of iconic ‘80s accordion playing “comedienne” Judy Tenuta. Starring Taylor Blackwell and Alan Tudyk. https://hasbeen.co/. Click Here for Trailer.
–Thursday the 12th directed by Patricio Martinez. 13 minutes. RGV. When an ambitious film crew seeks to make their mark on slasher history, tensions run high as personalities clash and festival deadlines draw near. After the body of their leading actress is found under mysterious circumstances, the film’s production swerves into reality as the crew investigates her death. As secrets emerge behind the scenes, the crew finds themselves standing at the edge of madness, corruption, and desire…
–Freakin Weekend directed by David L. Bradburn. 6 minutes. A horror spoof about a couple trying to decide what to do for the weekend.
–Clean Slate directed by Alex Geffen and Cass Huckabay. 15 minutes. When a new government sanctioned program is implemented to reduce prison numbers by erasing violent offenders’ memories, the retribution falls to the survivors of their victims. https://www.cleanslatefilm.com/. Click Here for Trailer.
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1:45pm – 3:15pm. Shorts Block #2. Pretty Privilege, Hangtown, The Road of Sadness, Marga en el DF. 90 minutes. 1A & 1B. Click Here for Tickets
–Pretty Privilege directed by Dalton J. Swink. 30 minutes. RGV. Two high school best friends reunite after five years apart and drastic physical changes for a weekend beach excursion. Old passions reignite and new frustrations come to a boiling point as both wrestle with their personal feelings against the disparity of conventional beauty standards. https://www.facebook.com/share/1BXwToCbLr/?mibextid=wwXIfr. Click Here for Trailer.
– Hangtown directed by David Aguilar. 23 minutes. A 12 year old Latino kid, who doesn’t speak a word of Spanish, finds a father figure in a fleeing Mexican immigrant and takes charge when armed vigilantes close in on both of them. Click Here for Trailer.
–The Road of Sadness directed by Tomas Vasquez. 20 minutes. On a mystical road where sorrow takes physical form, a grieving young woman meets a poetic wanderer who helps her confront heartbreak, memory, and the choice between despair and healing. https://www.facebook.com/beyondthecanvassa/. Click Here for Trailer.
–Marga en el DF directed by Gabriela Ortega. 20 minutes. Mexico. In the wake of Selena Quintanilla’s murder, Marga’s life takes an unexpected turn at 21 weeks pregnant during a surprise visit to Mexico City.
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2;00pm – 3:39pm. Amazing Live Sea Monkeys directed by Mark Becker and Aaron Schock. Documentary. 99 minutes. Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut is engaged in a David and Goliath-like battle to wrest control of her late husband Harold’s iconic toy Amazing Live Sea Monkeys back from the corporate men who stole them from her. Yolanda alone possesses the secret formula and she alone must free them, not only from their captors, but also from the stain of her husband’s dark legacy. 2A & 2B. https://www.meteorfilms.org/sea-monkeys. Click Here for Tickets
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2:00pm – 3:26pm. Shorts Block #3. Dead Man Walking, Rising Colors, Little Rebel, Ensename Como Morir, Adagio, A Friend of Dorothy. 86 minutes. Main. Click Here for Tickets
–Dead Man Walking directed by Matthew Montalvo. 5 minutes. RGV. As the end of the world comes and goes, a lone man finds that he is the last person alive. We follow him as he looks back on his biggest regrets in life and his deepest, darkest thoughts, turning into his very own apocalyptic self-reflection.
–Rising Colors directed by Dalia Bouchee. 9 minutes. RGV. A story about art, illness, identity, and the quiet power of refusing to disappear.
–Little Rebel directed by Sofia Alejandro Barrios. 14 minutes. After encountering a young boy spying on his cumbia dance group, Raul, an ingenious, yet independent teenage takes him under his wing.
–Ensename Como Morir directed by Gerardo Maravilla. 14 minutes. After her grandmother passes away, a grieving Mexican-American woman becomes fascinated with learning what it feels like to die, believing it will allow her to feel close to her grandma in death in a way she never felt in life. https://www.gerrymaravilla.com/ecm. Click Here for Trailer.
–Adagio directed by Joseph Balderas. RGV. 23 minutes. An expectant father reunites with his estranged father in the late stages of dementia, forcing him to confront the past before welcoming his own son into the world. Click Here for Trailer.
–A Friend of Dorothy directed by Lee Knight. UK. 21 minutes. Dorothy is a lovely widow whose body is failing, but her mind remains as bright as ever. When 17 year old JJ accidentally kicks his football into her garden, he upends Dorothy’s daily routine of pills, prunes, and crosswords, and an unlikely friendship blossoms. Click Here for Trailer.
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Doors open at 4:00pm.
4:30pm – 6:33pm. Handle With Care directed by Matthew James Thompson. Feature. 133 minutes. In the wake of a short-lived marriage, a young man sells his unused wedding gifts online and learns valuable life lessons from the people he meets along the way. Main. https://www.matthewjamesthompson.com/hwc. Click Here for Tickets
Sunday, December 6, 2026 –
TSC Arnulfo L. Oliveira Student Services Center
80 Ft Brown., Brownsville TX
12:00pm – 1:20pm. Shorts Block #4. Psychohack, My Safe Place, Good Morning, La Llorona, Growth. 80 minutes. 2A & 2B. Click Here for Tickets
–Psychohack directed by Ryan Lizcano. 17 minutes. RGV. Field agents Diana Lynn and Jasper Conrad work on behalf of the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, a federal agency dedicated to the research and control of the paranormal. After receiving word an apparent suicide, the two investigate, believing there to be more to the story that local investigators are letting on. The duo eventually begins to realize the situation may be more that either one of them can contain.
–My Safe Place directed by Brenda Patricia Garza. 32 minutes. RGV. After surviving a classroom shooting as the sole survivor, seven year old Lisa struggles with the quiet psychological aftermath of trauma. As her family attempts to help her heal, Lisa must confront survivor’s guilt and redefine what “safe” truly means in a world that suddenly feels fragile. https://www.facebook.com/film.mysafeplace. Click Here for Trailer.
–Good Morning directed by Vicell Dayap. 9 minutes. On the verge of graduation, an anxious college senior spirals over his uncertain future until witnessing his roommate’s chaotic morning meltdown suddenly puts his own fears into perspective.
–Llorona directed by Silvia Vera. 12 minutes. RGV. An incredulous reporter finds herself increasingly unsettled as she experiences unexplainable occurrences that seem to be linked to a well-known local legend.
–Growth directed by Ryan Polanco. After forgetting his anniversary, a detached husband brings home mysterious seeds in a last ditch attempt to fix his marriage, only to grow something far more dangerous than either of them expected. https://www.sunrisevistamedia.com/growthfilm.
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12:00pm – 1:39pm. 10th Annual Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase. Ninas, O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Na, Pocha, Juana Pelos, Se Fue La Luz, Firewall, Thin Places, La Chingada. 99 minutes. 1A & 1B. https://www.femmefrontera.org/. Click Here for Tickets
–Ninas directed by Jahaira Daga Acevedo. 14 minutes. Peru. A woman far from home reconnects with her inner child as her friends move on with their lives but she stays the same.
–O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Na directed by Giselle Ilaoa. 9 minutes. New Zealand. Manaia, a young woman caught between expectation and self-acceptance, finds herself confronting her repressed sexuality when a chance reunion with her first love stirs old feelings.
–Pocha directed by Anna Lisa Padilla. 13 minutes. A young woman struggles to learn Spanish in order to reconnect with her immigrant grandfather, but when life gets in the way, she learns that love transcends language.
–Juana Pelos directed Maria Mealla. 7 minutes. Bolivia. Little Juana is entering puberty and there is only one thing that comes with that as a guarantee – body hair. Relentlessly picked on and finding no support from her conservative mother in shedding her hairy shame, Juana sees no other option but to take matters into her own hands and those of her rebellious sister Serena and crusade into the world of hair removal behind her mom’s back.
–Se Fue La Luz directed by Laurie Cruz Arocho. 4 minutes. Puerto Rico. Two sisters in a game of cards while they wait for the power to come back on.
–Firewall directed by Bita Ghassemi. 15 minutes. Ani, an Iranian-American girl in Texas longing for her father, lost and unreachable due to an internet firewall in politically turbulent Iran. Her mother’s frustration over Iranian protest heightens the tension at home, but Ani becomes immersed in a vivid retelling of the Persian legend of Zahhak, the Serpent King.
–Thin Places directed by Brit Hensel. 17 minutes. Cherokee Nation. After her sister Tama’s untimely passing, Birdie learns that the bond between them is stronger than life and death. In between states of memory and heartbreak, Tama and Birdie show how we can continue on in a different way if we are willing to listen.
–La Chingada directed by Daniella Balarezo & Hannah Hollandbyrd. 19 minutes. A young man from the border who is just trying to get through life, gets exiled to La Chingada. Mario meets a wild cast of characters that can help him break free… if he so chooses.
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12:30pm – 1:49pm. Shorts Block #5. Cyrus High, Snorri, True Mate, A Bird Came Down, Beyond the Move, Aubergine, Perspectivas, Sunday Morning. 79 minutes. Main. Click Here for Tickets.
–Cyrus High directed by Joseph Gonzales. 9 minutes. RGV. Animation. A group of high school students are attending their first day back to school, but they manage to miss the morning bus. Now they must work together, willingly, or not, to get to class on time.
–Snorri directed by Thierry Marchand. 12 minutes. Germany. Animation. Snorri, a sixtopus, faces a street smart crab in a wild chase for the tastiest lollipop in the seven seas.
–True Mate directed by Valentina Munoz. 9 minutes. RGV. After a bad breakup, Alice turns to an AI chatbot to fulfill her romance needs. But when the AI turns on her, she must destroy the monster she created.
–A Bird Came Down directed by Heather von Rohr. 13 minutes. A Brooklyn birdwatcher and a nomadic nature writer connect on a day of birding together in Prospect Park, but do they have a future.
–Beyond the Move directed by Pablo Alonso. 5 minutes. Spain. Animation. What begins as a routine game of chess between two elderly men in a park transorms into an epic struggle for survival.
–Aubergine directed by Manuel Sirgo. 10 minutes. Spain. Animation. At the annual aubergine competition, a lonely farmer is awarded the winner’s medal. But he will do everything he canto keep it alive.
–Perspectivas directed by Joseph Chavez. 10 minutes. Documentary. An intimate look at the retellings of a mother and daughter’s fractured relationship through the eyes of their son/grandson.
–Sunday Mornings at the Beach directed by Tim Reid and Aaron Hose. 10 minutes. Documentary. Each Sunday, a quiet yet powerful ritual unfolds as worshippers in Tijuana and San Diego gather on opposite sides of the border wall. https://www.facebook.com/ABFIFILMS/.
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1:40pm – 2:56pm. The Life We Leave directed by JJ Gerber. Documentary. 86 minutes. When Washington legalizes human composting, entrepreneur Micah Truman risks everything to revolutionize deathcare. Over five years, he and two funeral directors navigate industry resistance, grief, and the challenges of building a more compassionate, earth-centered way to honor the dead. 2A & 2B. https://thelifeweleavefilm.com/. Click Here for Tickets
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2:00pm – 2:54pm. American Nightmare directed by Israel Rojas. Feature. RGV. 52 minutes. The intersecting lives of three individuals collide in a powerful examination of identity, consequence, and fate. Their distinct paths illustrate how choices define one’s fate, contrasting the possibility of redemption with the irreversible loss of freedom. 1A & 1B. Click Here for Tickets
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20th Annual 36 Hour Film Race. Main.
3:00pm Doors Open
3:30pm 36 Hour Film Race films and award ceremony. Click Here for Tickets