Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase

Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase Femme Frontera is a Latine/a/x-led film organization made up of women and non-binary filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region.

We amplify films made by women and non-binary filmmakers from borders across the globe. The Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase began in 2016 as a celebration of films made by women filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region. Since then, we have expanded to include powerful short films from around the world, whose stories challenge perceptions about women, border communities, immigrants, people of color, the LBGTQ+ community, and other underrepresented communities.

🎬 FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHTMeet Bisan Owda ( ), director of Free Fish (Palestine), an official selection of the 2026 Femme Fro...
06/04/2026

🎬 FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Bisan Owda ( ), director of Free Fish (Palestine), an official selection of the 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival.

It is an honor to share the work of Bisan Owda, a Palestinian filmmaker, journalist, and storyteller whose reporting and filmmaking have brought global attention to the realities of life in Gaza. Working under extraordinary conditions, Bisan has spent years documenting daily life, culture, displacement, and survival in Palestine. Her work has earned international recognition, including an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award, and continues to amplify stories that might otherwise go unseen.

Free Fish is an intimate documentary filmed entirely in Gaza during one of the deadliest periods in recent history. The film follows two brothers, Mohammad and Ahmad Kaloob, separated by siege and displacement yet united by the sea.

As war, blockade, and hunger reshape daily life, fishing becomes more than a livelihood—it becomes an act of survival, memory, and resistance. Through the brothers’ experiences, and through the story of a teenager who continues fishing after losing his twin brother, the film offers a deeply human portrait of grief, perseverance, and the enduring connection between people and place.

By documenting these stories from within Gaza, Bisan’s work bears witness to lives often reduced to headlines, reminding us of the power of cinema to preserve memory, foster empathy, and tell stories that demand to be heard.

🎥 Screening as part of Roots Under Siege, a powerful short film block connecting stories from Palestine, Colombia, Ciudad Juárez, Canada, and beyond that examine militarization, displacement, extraction, and resistance.

📍 Philanthropy Theatre, El Paso, TX
🗓 Sunday, June 14, 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Follow and support the filmmaker:





🌈 PROUDLY ME🗓 Friday, June 12⏰ 2:30 PM📍 MACC AuditoriumFor PRIDE month we celebrate bold storytelling and dynamic identi...
06/04/2026

🌈 PROUDLY ME

🗓 Friday, June 12
⏰ 2:30 PM
📍 MACC Auditorium

For PRIDE month we celebrate bold storytelling and dynamic identities in this collection of LGBTQIA+ films exploring love, resistance, self-discovery, family, and q***r joy.

These films illuminate the beauty and complexity of q***r life while uplifting voices that continue to challenge expectations and create new possibilities.

Featuring:

🎬 Such a Pretty Girl (U.S.)
🎬 She Grew Wings (Netherlands)
🎬 Today I Ride The Subway (New Jersey, U.S.)
🎬 Rainbow Girls (San Francisco, U.S.)
🎬 Magic 8 (United Kingdom)
🎬 Miss (Los Angeles, U.S.)
🎬 Azkena (España)

Join us for an unforgettable celebration of q***r cinema from around the world.

🎬 Meet Vitã & Juru ( ), directors of “This Is Ballroom / Salão de Baile” (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), featured at our 202...
05/29/2026

🎬 Meet Vitã & Juru ( ), directors of “This Is Ballroom / Salão de Baile” (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), featured at our 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival!

Filmmaker Bio:
Vitã is a filmmaker, screenwriter, curator of Brazilian Comedy FF, and participant in Rio’s ballroom scene as an independent photographer and member of the Legendary House of Lauren Intl. Juru is a researcher, dramaturgist, and performing arts critic currently pursuing a PhD in Arts at UERJ.

Film Synopsis:
“In Rio de Janeiro City and its outskirts, LGBTQ+ youth of color recreate Ballroom culture on their own terms. A portrait of the dramas, the voguing performances, and the art of shade, 50 years after its inception in New York. Rio is burning!”

Join us for the screening of “This Is Ballroom / Salão de Baile” on June 12th, 2026 from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at the Mexican American Cultural Center in El Paso, Texas. ✨

We are excited to announce that Traces of Home has been selected to screen at as their Closing Night film!FREE Tickets ...
05/29/2026

We are excited to announce that Traces of Home has been selected to screen at as their Closing Night film!

FREE Tickets are available now for the 6/14 screening at the link in our bio.

We’re thrilled to announce the premiere of the 10th Annual Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase! 🎬Join us Saturday, June 13...
05/24/2026

We’re thrilled to announce the premiere of the 10th Annual Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase!

🎬Join us Saturday, June 13, 2026, 6:30 PM at the Mexican American Cultural Center in El Paso, Texas for a carefully curated program from women and gender-expansive filmmakers from across diasporas.

✨Expect bold new voices at the 10th Annual Showcase Premiere, featuring powerful short films that artfully explore culture and representation.

🎉The 10th Annual Showcase celebrates a decade of fearless storytelling, spotlighting new short films by trailblazing filmmakers. This special program highlights brave voices, fresh perspectives, and boundary-pushing work across genres, honoring the creativity and vision shaping the future of independent cinema.

💫The annual showcase is one of Femme Frontera’s signature programs and will continue on tour following its premiere.

🎥This Monday, we’ll be highlighting the filmmakers and films featured in this year’s showcase. Stay tuned! 🎥

🔥Filmmaker Showcase Lineup:

• La Chingada (El Paso, TX.)
Directors: Hannah Hollandbyrd & Daniella Balarezo

• Firewall (Austin, TX.; Iran)
Director: Bita Ghassemi .film

• Thin Places (Cherokee Nation)
Director: Brit Hensel

• Juana Pelos (U.S.)
Director: Maria Mealla

• O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā (New Zealand), Giselle Ilaoa

• Niñas (U.S.)
Director: Jahaira Daga Acevedo

• Se Fue La Luz (Puerto Rico)
Director: Laurie Cruz Arocho

• Pocha (Albuquerque, NM.)
Director: Anna Lisa Padilla

We can’t wait to celebrate these incredible voices through cinema together✨

🎟️ Tickets for the 10th Annual Femme Frontera Film Festival are officially AVAILABLE! All of our events are no cost, jus...
05/23/2026

🎟️ Tickets for the 10th Annual Femme Frontera Film Festival are officially AVAILABLE! All of our events are no cost, just RESERVE YOUR SPOT.

Join us June 11-14, 2026, at the Mexican American Cultural Center and in El Paso, Texas for a powerful evening celebrating bold, boundary-breaking storytelling from women and gender-expansive filmmakers.

2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival Highlights: 💫
✨ This year’s special 10th Annual Showcase marks a decade of fearless cinema, featuring a carefully curated program of short films by filmmakers from around the world. Expect powerful films, fresh perspectives, and unforgettable voices shaping the future of independent film.
🎬 Featuring a curated lineup of short films, including work from México/U.S., Iran/U.S., the Cherokee Nation, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and across the U.S.

Additionally, expect more Feauture Documentaries that challenge dominant narratives and raise awareness on the issues facing the communities we serve.

Stay tuned for filmmaker highlights, special programming announcements, and more throughout the week.
Get your tickets now at femmefrontera.org or directly from our Eventbrite link in our bio!

Come celebrate women & gender-expansive voices from the U.S.–Mexico border and beyond, your seat is waiting!

05/15/2026

The Femme Frontera Film Festival returns June 11–14, 2026 in El Paso, Texas. 🎬✨
Join us for multiple feature films and shorts blocks, engaging panels, and our 10th Annual Showcase Premiere.
All celebrating bold storytelling from the borderlands and beyond. We’re excited to screen once again at
the Mexican American Cultural Center and the Philanthropy Theatre at the Plaza Theatre.
Special shout-out to this year’s incredible poster artist, Christin Apodaca .m.a for bringing the spirit of the festival to life through her artwork and to the amazing
creative studio NMCO for assisting us again with designing our promo material💛 A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors for helping make this festival possible:
macfound

Stay tuned for more info on our 2026 Femme Frontera Film Fest Program supportindiefilm

The moment is finally here! 🎨✨ We’re overjoyed to unveil the stunning 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival poster, a master...
05/06/2026

The moment is finally here! 🎨✨ We’re overjoyed to unveil the stunning 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival poster, a masterpiece created in collaboration with the incredibly talented El Paso artist, Christin Apodaca .m.a. Her artistry speaks volumes, and we’re honored to celebrate her vision with you.

🎬 Big news! The Femme Frontera Film Festival is back, and we’re continuing to grow in a big way.
📅 Mark your calendars: June 11–14, 2026 in El Paso, Texas; At the Mexican American Cultural Center and the iconic Plaza Theatre . Get ready for four days of film, creativity and community you won’t want to miss! 🎬💫
🎥 Expect powerful storytelling, community vibes, and some of the most exciting voices in film from our borderlands and beyond.
💛 Stay tuned for more updates.
Follow us for more!

*******

¡Por fin ha llegado el momento! 🎨✨ Estamos muy felices de revelar el hermoso póster del Festival De Cine Femme Frontera 2026, una obra maestra creada en colaboración con la increíble y talentosa artista de El Paso, Christin Apodaca (.m.a). Su arte habla por sí solo, y nos sentimos honradas de celebrar su visión junto con ustedes.

🎬 ¡Grandes noticias! El Festival De Cine Femme Frontera está de regreso y seguimos creciendo de manera significativa.
📅 Marquen sus calendarios: del 11 al 14 de junio de 2026 en El Paso, Texas; en el Mexican American Cultural Center y en el emblemático Plaza Theatre . ¡Prepárense para cuatro días de cine, creatividad y comunidad que no querrán perderse! 🎬💫
🎥 Esperen historias poderosas, un gran ambiente comunitario y algunas de las voces más fascinantes del cine, provenientes de la región fronteriza y del mundo.
💛 Estén pendientes para más novedades.
¡Y síguenos para más información!

We added another screening in Juárez for our 9th Annual Showcase Tour, celebrating Women’s History Month! Free! Here is ...
03/05/2026

We added another screening in Juárez for our 9th Annual Showcase Tour, celebrating Women’s History Month! Free!

Here is the March Line-up:

🗓️March 14th, 2026 at 6:00pm, Juárez, Chihuahua SALA ARTURO RIPSTEINuacj
🗓️March 25th, 2026 at 5:30pm, El Paso, Texas UTEP Union Theatre utep

Don’t miss this chance to see this amazing line-up of seven short films all made by women and gender-expansive filmmakers! Swipe to see the line-up.

***********
¡Añadimos otra proyección en Cd. Juárez de nuestra 9.ª Gira Anual de Exhibiciones, que celebra el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer! ¡Totalmente gratis!

No te pierdas esta increíble selección de siete cortometrajes, todos realizados por cineastas mujeres y personas de las disidencias sexo-genéricas.
Desliza para ver la selección.

Announcing the new Femme Frontera Fellowship Program! This year Femme Frontera has merged our filmmaking grants with our...
02/13/2026

Announcing the new Femme Frontera Fellowship Program!
This year Femme Frontera has merged our filmmaking grants with our annual Pitch Fest. The FF Fellowship supports nonfiction and narrative filmmakers working in the borderlands all along the U.S./Mexico border.

In this year-long program, filmmakers receive:
👁️‍🗨️
-$2,500 USD in grant funding for their project
-Mentorship with Femme Frontera team members & community
-Participation in the Pitch Fest at the 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival
-Travel stipend for project director to attend the 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival, June 11-14 in El Paso, Texas

Femme Frontera will select 3 projects for the inaugural 2026 Fellowship Program.
All awarded Fellows are required to attend the festival, June 11-14 to Pitch their film.
Accommodations will be made for fellows who can not cross into the U.S., by providing a virtual pitch opportunity.

Thank you to our support!

🔗Link in Bio to Apply

**********************************

¡Les presentamos el nuevo Programa La Femme Frontera Fellowship!
Este año, Femme Frontera ha fusionado los fondos cinematográficas con el Pitch Fest anual. Este programa apoya a realizadores de ficción y no-ficción o a equipos de realización de cine que trabajan en las zonas de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México.

En este programa de un año, lxs cineastas recibirán:

-$2,500 USD en fondo para su proyecto
Mentorías con el equipo de Femme Frontera y su comunidad
-Participación en Pitch Fest dentro del Festival de Cine Femme Frontera 2026
-Un estipendio por directora/e del proyecto para atender al Festival de Cine Femme Frontera 2026, Junio 11-14 en El Paso, TX. para presentar su proyecto de cine.

Femme Frontera seleccionará a 3 proyectos para el Fellowship inaugural de 2026.
Todxs los Fellows premiadxs deberán asistir al festival, del 11 al 14 de junio de 2026. Se realizarán adaptaciones para lxs ganadores que no puedan cruzar a los Estados Unidos brindándoles una oportunidad de presentación virtual durante el festival de cine.

🔗Chequen el enlace en la bio para aplicar.

Address

El Paso, TX
79900-79999, 88500-88599 (PO BOXES)

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase:

Shortcuts

Share