The sixth annual Oculto Film Festival thrilled El Paso from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6, captivating horror lovers with chilling films, engaging Q&As, and a special guest, all crafted for the ultimate fright night.
The film festival is a bi-national event, with one part taking place in El Paso and the other in Ciudad Juárez. The international platform allows filmmakers and content creators to showcase their work to a wide and diverse audience and network with fellow filmmakers.
Cabe Tejeda, the director of the Oculto Film Festival shared that, while organizing the festival, one of his highlights was getting to witness the connection between filmmakers from both cities.
“The human connection, the exchange of ideas (because) we are bi-national Film Festival,” said Tejeda. “It’s really fulfilling to see filmmakers or creators overall from different places get together and exchange ideas or even work on projects (together) later on.”
Roccoh Derma, an actor and filmmaker who previously had their short film “Julia” featured in the festival shared that the most exciting part of the event was a chance to share their projects.
“I’m most excited to spread the word (about) the filmmaking culture in the border city,” said Derma. “We know that we have a lot of creators that want to show their projects, so this is a very accurate platform to make them real.”
On the first night, the film festival featured their official selection of short films from the U.S. and Spanish speaking countries.
“El Miedo Más Grande,” a film from Argentina directed by Lucas Giacomone humorously explores the concept of death, as the main character teams up with the Grim Reaper to save his crush from an untimely fate.
“Hado,” from Spain directed by Rubi Rock, delves into the inevitability of death, fate, and destiny. After dreaming of accidentally killing a man in a car accident, the nightmare becomes a reality. In a chilling twist, the main character is killed at the hands of his worried husband while trying to hide the body, all witnessed by their daughter.
“Lucy’s Room,” from the U.S. directed by Erick Nuñez, explores the bond between a brother and sister as she perceives balloons as living beings. While the brother struggles to help her see reality, the audience is startled with a pop, revealing that where he once stood is now just a pile of clothes and a deflated balloon.
“Elote Man,” directed by Jackie Montes, is a local short film inspired by the viral trend of filming acts of kindness toward street vendors. As the main character attempts to replicate these videos, he encounters the “Elote Man”, who turns out to be a vampire. Although the main character meets an untimely demise, his video ultimately makes him a viral sensation.
“Trick,” directed by Luis Gamboa Camarena, is a local short film that unfolds on Halloween night, following an old lady haunted by a figure in a skeleton mask. Just as it seems the intruder will harm her, a fun plot twist reveals that all the masked figure wanted was candy.
By showcasing local short films and works by Hispanic directors, the festival demonstrates its commitment to uniting the communities of El Paso and Juárez through cinema. “As a border town, we can take advantage of doing two festivals at the same time, which culturally, is very fulfilling to be able to, to mix the oil and the water,” said Tejeda. “I’m going to say El Paso’s oil and Juárez water, they’re together, but they don’t necessarily mix so events like this give (us) the opportunity.” Horror lovers got to participate in a Question and Answer segment with Tuesday Knight, who played Kristen Parker in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, and watched the movie alongside her.
Knight shared her experiences while playing Kristen and shared with the audience that while she has seen the entertainment industry change, some aspects, like 80’s horror, are still appreciated in the industry and among movie goers alike. Knight shared on her social media that she “was having a great time in El Paso and it was great to be back celebrating the 35th anniversary.” The Oculto Film Festival will continue in Juárez from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13 as the festival emphasizes their goal of showcasing the talent that filmmakers in the borderland bring to the horror genre.
Ximena Cordero is a staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]
