Media Arts Santa Ana

10/11/2026

10/08/2026

WIN TICKETS TO TONIGHT'S OC FILM FIESTA QUETZAL DOCUMENTARY SCREENING IN SANTA ANA!

Email [email protected] with the subject line “I LOVE QUETZAL” for your chance to win 2 tickets to tonight's 7pm screening in Santa Ana!

The OC Film Fiesta kicks off tonight at 7pm in Santa Ana with a special screening of Akira Boch's wonderful documentary LET THE CITY SPEAK: THE SONIC JOURNEY OF QUETZAL, and YOU can win a pair of tickets to tonight's screening in Santa Ana!

Special Guests Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez from Quetzal will be joining director Akira Boch for tonight's screening, which takes place at Media Arts Santa Ana's Digital Arts Space, located at 1666 N Main, conveniently accessible via the 17th St exit off the 5 in Santa Ana!

Are you a Quetzal fan? Do you know Quetzal and Martha from the local Sonero scene?

You won't want to miss tonight's screening!

Email [email protected] with the subject line “I LOVE QUETZAL” for your chance to win 2 tickets to tonight's 7pm screening in Santa Ana!

Check out the full OC Film Fiesta schedule, film descriptions at www.ocfilmfiesta.org

10/07/2026

Thanks to Culture OC for their write up on this year’s OC Film Fiesta in their story on the 2026 Orange County Film Festivals! The festival kicks off tomorrow @ 7pm with a great documentary about the Chicano rock band Quetzal, with special guests!

OC FILM FIESTA

When: Oct. 8-18
Where: TVGB Digital Maker Space in Santa Ana, 1666 N Main in Santa Ana

Contact: http://www.ocfilmfiesta.org

Cost

• $10 for general admission to ticketed screenings
• $5 for students, teachers, military/veterans and Santa Ana residents
• $81.88 for the Early Bird full festival pass
• $55.20 for the Early Bird virtual-only pass

Tickets to Opening Night film: Let the City Speak: The Sonic Journey of Quetzal with Special Guests, Thurs., Oct. 8 @ 7pm

https://ocfilmfiesta2026.eventive.org/schedule/6aac67ab8c39bc3779e99f13

OC Film Fiesta returns Oct.8-18 with more than 50 feature films and shorts from around the world, presented in person and streaming online, along with workshops, parties, and special guests that highlight Orange County’s cultural and artistic diversity. This year’s offerings further connect local aspiring artists and community members with an interdisciplinary collection of filmmakers and artists, many outside of mainstream filmmaking and with strong Southern California ties.

“(It offers people) a chance to meet their stars and talk to them, pick their brains, like, how do I do that, how did you get your start?” said Victor Payan, co-founder of OC Film Fiesta and executive director of Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA). “That’s always a big part of what we do when we bring artists and community together, it’s that knowledge transfer, creating friendships and not really having a red velvet rope like you have in some festivals.”

OC Film Fiesta opens on Oct. 8 with a screening of Akira Boch’s documentary about Grammy Award-winning Chicano rock band and grassroots activists Quetzal, “Let the City Speak,” during which Boch and band members Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez will be special guests.

“The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook,” a documentary about the sewing collective that sewed and distributed free cloth face masks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, will screen on Oct. 17, followed by a reading and book signing of Wong’s book “Auntie Kristina’s Guide to Asian American Activism.”

“Rockin’ Wizards,” a new documentary about Chicano Anaheim breakdancing crew the Rockin’ Wizards, will also screen on Oct. 17, with members of the breakdancing crew and director Marissa Herrera in attendance.

Other screenings and special guests include Herbert Sigüenza from Culture Clash, the Chicano comedy trio that stars in the video compilation “The Best of the Culture Clash Show,” and “Calles du Cinema: Spotlight on Mario Dávila,” which will feature Dávila’s short film “Siempre en la mira,” along with a conversation with the Mexican “grindhouse” genre filmmaker.

Other notable selections include David Alvarado’s “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez,” Luis Valdez’s classic film “Zoot Suit” and selections from “New Cinema from Iran.”
MASA will also be sharing “What’s up, SA?” a set of short projects created by participants of MASA’s Santa Ana Multimedia Institute cultural affairs program, which teaches community members how to make videos, from public service announcements to visual poems. For Payan, expanding people’s access to the technology and skillsets that will allow them to share their voice is at the core of MASA’s work and OC Film Fiesta’s values.

“We’re living in real difficult times in terms of censorship and communities under attack and fighting for democracy,” he said. “It’s the independent voices, like the kinds of artists that we feature, that really are going to help us get through this, to organize and mobilize communities around issues.”

Let the City Speak follows the journey of Quetzal, a Chicano rock band that emerged from East Los Angeles’ vibrant music and art scene in the mid 90’s. Band leaders Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez found a philosophy in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico that they decided to live by, resulting i...

10/05/2026

CALLING ALL FILM FANS! The 17th OC Film Fiesta kicks off THIS THURSDAY, Oct. 8 at 7pm with the OC Premiere of Akira Boch’s acclaimed documentary LET THE CITY SPEAK: THE SONIC JOURNEY OF QUETZAL.

Meet Filmmaker AKIRA BOCH and Quetzal bandmembers QUETZAL FLORES and MARTHA GONZALEZ, who will be in attendance at the screening, which takes place at Media Arts Santa Ana’s TVGB Digital Arts Space, located at 1666 N Main in Santa Ana.

For more information about the OC Film Fiesta, full festival lineup, tickets and special guests, please visit www.ocfilmfiesta.org.

LET THE CITY SPEAK follows the journey of Quetzal, a Grammy Award-winning Chicano rock band that emerged from East Los Angeles’ vibrant music and art scene in the mid 90’s. Band leaders Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez found a philosophy in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico that they decided to live by, resulting in a lengthy career of powerful music making and deep grassroots activism.

Award-winning filmmaker Akira Boch has followed the band for nearly three decades, creating an intimate portrait of leaders Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez.

Quetzal is also known in Orange County for their work with the local jaranero community.

The OC Film Fiesta is the premier cinematic celebration of Orange County's diversity and multicultural heritage, and this year’s festival includes more than 50 films from throughout the USA, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, China, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Rwanda, Malaysia, Switzerland and More!

Festival highlights also include a spotlight on Texan grindhouse sensation MARIO DÁVILA on Saturday, October 10 at 8pm, and the Kristina Wong documentary THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK plus book signing with Kristina Wong in attendance, THE BEST OF THE CULTURE CLASH SHOW, ROCKIN' WIZARDS, the fantastic new documentary about the legendary Anaheim breakdancing crew, Media Arts Santa Ana's own WHAT'S UP, SA? and amazing selections of NEW CINEMA FROM IRAN. The festival also includes a selection of films from Orange County.

Filmmakers and artists scheduled to appear include: Akira Boch, Quetzal Flores, Martha Gonzalez, Kristina Wong, Valerie Soe, Herbert Sigüenza and Richard Montoya from Culture Clash, Marissa Hererra, Mario Dávila, Matthew Serrano, Mohsen Rabiei, Juan Ramirez, Cynthia Bravo, Fabian Martin, Jorge Parra Jr., Dean Dezara, Marla Rubio Teyolia, James Wicks, Daniel Eduvijes Carrera, James Avelar, Rufino Romero and Jose Costas.

The festival will also include double feature of David Alvarado's Sundance Award-winning documentary AMERICAN PACHUCO: THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ and Valdez's classic film ZOOT SUIT on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, starting at 7:30pm.

Most films will also be available for streaming online throughout the United States as part of the Virtual OC Film Fiesta, which also kicks off on Thursday, October 8.

The OC Film Fiesta is an important presenter of works by BIPOC, AAPI, MENASA and LGBTQ+ artists, youth, students, women, veterans, international and Orange County film makers.

Film screenings take place at Media Arts Santa Ana’s TVGB Digital Arts Space, located at 1666 N Main in Santa Ana at 17th street and across from Norms in the Santa Ana Arts Collective building. The space is easily accessible from the 5 freeway via the 17th Street exit in Santa Ana.

Free parking is available on 16th and Bush streets and in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree, located at 1514 N Main Street. You can also reach the venue via the OCTA 53, 553, 60, 560 and 83 bus routes.

Tickets to screenings are $10 General and $5 Students/Teachers/Santa Ana Residents/Veterans, unless otherwise noted.
For a full festival schedule, film descriptions, tickets and festival passes, please visit http://www.ocfilmfiesta.org.

The OC Film Fiesta is presented by Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA), a project of Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Additional support is provided, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency, the City of Santa Ana Investing in the Artist grant, OC Biz and Stay Connected OC Alta y Sur California.

To learn more about Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA), our free programs and how you can support our work, please visit http://www.masamedia.org
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Let the City Speak - Opening Night Film with Special Guests! (October 8)
• The Auntie Sewing Squad Playbook with Kristina Wong (October 17)
• The Best of the Culture Clash Show with Members of Culture Clash (October 17)
• Free TV Comedy Writing Class with Culture Clash’s Herbert Sigüenza on (October 14)
• Calles du Cinema Spotlight on Mario Dávila (October 10)
• Modesta Avila: The Queen of Orange County and Street of Dreams Project Launches (October 15)
• Free American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez/Zoot Suit Double Feature (October 16)
• Beyond the Genocide
• What's Up, SA? (October 17)
• Films from Orange County
• Iranian Films
• Films from Mexico, Canada, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, China, Turkey, Bulgaria, Rwanda, Malaysia, Switzerland and More!

Visit www.masamedia.org or email [email protected] for more information and stay tuned for our amazing lineup!

See You At The Film Fiesta!

Victor Payan
Executive Director
Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA)
www.masamedia.org

10/04/2026

SPREAD THE WORD! The 17th OC Film Fiesta is proud to open on Thurs., Oct. 8 @ 7pm with the wonderful documentary LET THE CITY SPEAK, about the Grammy-Award winning Chicano band Quetzal, with special guests QUETZAL FLORES and MARTHA GONZALEZ from QUETZAL and director AKIRA BOCH (The Crumbles, Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town). Visit www.ocfilmfiesta.org for more info and tickets.

LET THE CITY SPEAK follows the journey of Quetzal, a Chicano rock band that emerged from East Los Angeles’ vibrant music and art scene in the mid 90’s. Band leaders Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez found a philosophy in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico that they decided to live by, resulting in a lengthy career of powerful music making and deep grassroots activism.

Let the City Speak is a feature-length documentary that follows QUETZAL, a Chicano rock band that emerged from East LA's vibrant music scene in the 1990’s. Award-winning filmmaker Akira Boch has followed the band for nearly three decades, creating an intimate portrait of leaders Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez.

Rooted in Zapatista philosophy—the indigenous Mayan liberation movement from Chiapas, Mexico — QUETZAL made a radical choice after three albums: they abandoned the music industry for independence, creating art aligned with their activism and challenging conventional notions of success.

Through Boch's intimate lens, the film captures their struggles, small victories, and unexpected GRAMMY win for their album Imaginaries. Let the City Speak weaves together memories, music, and activism, revealing QUETZAL's commitment to community and social justice. The film showcases the enduring power of music in community — a testament to how art and activism can intertwine, guided by the Zapatista spirit that continues to inspire their journey.

Join us Thurs., Oct. 8 @ 7pm at Media Arts Santa Ana’s Digital Arts Space, Located at 1666 N Main in Santa Ana, to welcome our special guests to Santa Ana for this special screening!

10/03/2026

MEET KRISTINA WONG IN PERSON at the OC Film Fiesta in Santa Ana on Sat., Oct. 17 @ 4:30pm! Tickets and info at www.ocilfmfiesta.org.

Meet the acclaimed and extremely funny writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist at Media Arts Santa Ana's TVGB Digital Arts Space, located at 1666 N Main in Santa Ana, at 17th St across from Norms and conveniently close to the 17th St exit off the 5 freeway in Santa Ana!

4:30pm - Booksigning, Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism - FREE!
5pm - Documentary Screening, The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook - Orange Count Premiere!

THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK is a feature-length documentary that follows the Auntie Sewing Squad, a collective of mostly BIPOC women volunteers who saved the world at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the start of the COVID-19 crisis in March 2020 in the U.S., due to the Trump administration’s botched response to the pandemic, the bottom dropped out of the surgical facemask supply as healthcare workers scrambled for PPE. From this chaos the Auntie Sewing Squad emerged, when performance artist Kristina Wong created the Auntie Sewing Squad facebook group in mid-March 2020.

ABOUT KRISTINA WONG

Kristina Wong is a Doris Duke Artist Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow and the first Asian American woman to be named Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama. She’s a performance artist, comedian, actor, writer and former elected official who has been presented across North America and internationally. Notable solo shows include: Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Going Green the Wong Way, The Wong Street Journal, and Kristina Wong for Public Office. Her role in accidentally starting the Auntie Sewing Squad, a national mutual aid mask sewing network during the Covid-19 pandemic, was the subject Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord— a New York Times Critics Pick that premiered off-Broadway at New York Theater Workshop. That show was the 2022 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama and winner of the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance.

10/02/2026

The Suavecito Foundation's Santa Ana Youth in Government students held a SAUSD School Board candidate meeting on Sept. 30, 2026, and Media Arts Santa Ana (MASA) filmed the event. Hear what the candidates have to say as you get ready to vote on Tues., Nov. 3!

Video of the Suavecito Foundation's Santa Ana Youth in Government ...

10/02/2026

TODAY AT MASA!

FRI., OCTOBER 2

6PM OC Film Fiesta Volunteer Meeting
Enjoy Pizza! Earn Free Movie Tickets! Make Friends!
www.ocfimfiesta.org

7PM Herbert Sigüenza TV Comedy Class

8PM ASCO: WITHOUT PERMISSION National Broadcast Watch Party. Free!
For local listings, visit: https://www.pbs.org/tv_schedules

Media Arts Santa Ana's TVGB Digital Maker Space is located at 1666 N Main, Santa Ana, CA 92701, at 17th St across from Norms!

For more information, visit www.masamedia.org