Film — Fernando Romero Álvarez

Al final del camino

Feature Film - Family Drama

Director: Jonathan Sarmiento

Al final del camino explores love, distance, and the fragile nature of time. The film follows a married couple slowly drifting apart, trapped in the monotony of everyday life, until everything shifts with Alicia’s terminal cancer diagnosis. As their world begins to unravel, the family is forced to confront the emotional distance they once ignored, realizing too late how much they had taken for granted. Yet, amid the pain and uncertainty, a quiet transformation unfolds—what was once broken begins to mend, and through the progression of illness, their bond is rediscovered in deeply human and moving ways.

Candy Puppet

Short Film - Fantasy

Director: Ángela Stanik

Dark fantasy short that weaves temptation and consequence into a surreal, haunting tale. Set inside a quiet candy shop, the story follows Dunn, a young woman indulging in sweets while the distracted clerk, Raquel, remains absorbed in numbers behind the counter. Unbeknownst to Dunn, her indulgence awakens a hidden portal, allowing Mailo, a mysterious magician mime from the shadows, to emerge and claim her body. As Dunn is transformed into a lifeless puppet, her soul is cast into darkness, paying the price for her unchecked desire. Blending eerie imagery with a cautionary tone, the film explores the thin line between pleasure and punishment in a world where even the smallest indulgence can open doors to the unknown.

The Teleprompter

Short Film - Mistery/Drama

Director: James Velazquez

Psychological thriller that unravels the fragile boundary between control and chaos. The story centers on a local news presenter whose promising new role at Good Day San Diego takes a disturbing turn when the studio’s teleprompter begins displaying cryptic and unsettling messages. What starts as a minor anomaly quickly evolves into an inescapable psychological descent, as the line between reality and manipulation blurs. With mounting tension and an atmosphere of quiet dread, the short explores the vulnerability of those in the public eye and the haunting possibility that something unseen may be pulling the strings.

Sonidito

Short Film - Drama/Coming-of-age

Director: Enrique Cruz

Sonidito is a heartfelt coming-of-age short that blends music, identity, and rediscovery into an intimate and uplifting story. The narrative unfolds around Lucía, a Mexican immigrant whose once-vibrant passion for music has faded into silence as she works as a janitor in a music school. Her routine is quietly disrupted when she encounters Sonya, a timid Mexican-American teenager struggling with stage fright before an important audition. Through their unexpected connection, Lucía begins to reclaim the part of herself she had long abandoned, while guiding Sonya toward confidence and self-expression. Rooted in cultural identity and the transformative power of art, the film captures how music can bridge generations, heal personal wounds, and reignite forgotten dreams.

Adelaide

Short Film - Drama

Director: Kimberly Seilhamer

A deeply unsettling drama that lingers between innocence and trauma, life and what comes after. The short reveals its story through the voice of a young girl speaking from beyond the grave, watching over her little sister in a home shadowed by abuse. As presence replaces absence, and protection transcends mortality, the film builds a quiet yet devastating portrait of resilience, sisterhood, and survival. With a somber tone and an intimate emotional core, Adelaide explores how love can endure even in the darkest circumstances—remaining as a guiding force when everything else has been taken away.

La otra mitad del dolor

Short Film - Drama

Director: Tonnie Zanabria

Contemplative drama that explores the quiet devastation of love lost and the vulnerability that follows. Drifts through the emotional aftermath of a same-sex relationship, where absence becomes as present as memory. Through a restrained and poetic lens, it captures a man’s descent into grief, exposing the fragile layers of intimacy, longing, and identity that surface in the wake of separation. With minimalism and emotional honesty at its core, the short invites the audience to sit with pain—not as something to overcome, but as something to understand, inhabit, and ultimately transform.