Pop Madness

San Antonio Filmmakers will show their films and talk about their work. 

MIGUEL CANTU is a special effects makeup artist based in San Antonio, Texas. Miguel owns and operates his own company, Altered Vision Studios, as a local independent filmmaker and producer. He hosts workshops teaching various makeup, costume, and prop making techniques which are applied to the film industry. Miguel is currently working on feature film and television projects and collaborates with other local artists. 

Miguel will be doing a full makeup and prosthetics demo in the Filmmakers Area beginning at 10:30 a.m.

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ZAK CARDENAS, a San Antonio native, fell in love with acting and storytelling in middle school. Finding it difficult getting cast, he turned to video production and attended Northwest Vista College to learn fundamentals behind the camera and in video editing. After, working on over 50 projects during college, Zak got a job as a full-time video editor while working freelance. He learned to do visual effects and created a Pokemon fan film for his first animation project. Zak went on to shoot a film entirely on green screen, created a project called Power of a God entirely on his own and made a Solo Leveling fan film. He is currently working on a second Solo Leveling fan film and is writing his first feature. 

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KEANU CORDERO is an emerging filmmaker with over a decade of experience based in San Antonio, Texas and has managed dozens of productions, including commercials, music videos, and narrative short films, with budgets ranging from $5K to $100K. His expertise spans concept creation, writing treatments, logistics planning, directing, editing, and asset creation. Most recently, he led a major adaptation of the popular PC video game Escape From Tarkov, showcasing his ability to bring ambitious projects to life. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

JOSE RAUL CORRES is a dynamic actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose journey has been as diverse and compelling as the stories he tells. Born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, MX, and raised between Mexico City and the United States, Corres brings a rich tapestry of cultural experiences to his work. Moving to the U.S. at the age of 14, he seamlessly blends the warmth and complexity of his Mexican heritage with the opportunities and challenges of his American upbringing, crafting narratives that resonate across borders and identities. Jose’s films are a celebration of life’s contrasts, drawing deeply from his eclectic childhood and personal journey. His storytelling spans genres, from poignant dramas and heartfelt romances to thrilling action adventures and bold experimental pieces, always rooted in themes of Latin culture and human connection. His ability to authentically depict these elements has earned him recognition in both local theater and independent film circuits. 

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MIKE FOWLER is a Texas filmmaker who got his start joining the Alamo Film Group during its inception in 2019. He jumped right into the craft, writing and directing his first short for the group, “The Last Taco”. Although Mike has done work as an actor as well, he prefers writing and producing movies, cutting his teeth on several short films. Mike loves great storytelling and is in the process of working on local documentaries.  

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GRACE GOEN started creating short films in 2016 at Say Si, a media arts program based in San Antonio Texas. After graduating high school Grace was awarded a scholarship from Adobe and graduated from Vancouver Film School in 2018. She studied film production, specializing in cinematography and directing. She has been working in the industry full-time ever since as a writer/ director, cinematographer, and producer. Since graduating, Grace has written, directed, and produced six short films and received acclaim from festivals such as NFFTY, Screamfest, Cinefestival, and San Antonio Film Festival. She has been the cinematographer on four feature films, working on nine feature films in total in the camera lighting and production departments. Presently, Grace is submitting her second screenplay Baru as a proof of concept short film to festivals in 2025. She is currently a producer on the feature film Flowergiver, a coming-of-age romance set in San Antonio, written and directed by Alex Ramirez. The screenplay has won at the Nashville Film Festival and was accepted to the AFS Artist Intensive Program in 2024 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ROBERT LAURENCE is a dedicated filmmaker with over five years of film experience. Growing up in poverty and facing family healthcare debt, he approaches filmmaking with both a theoretical understanding and a practical drive. Robert is passionate about telling the stories of common people who are often overlooked. He aims to build a thriving community of creators through Introducing Artists Actors & Musicians, a non-profit connecting and showcasing talented artists, actors, and musicians. With a background in training and event creation, Robert facilitates community involvement in creative work. In his free time, he enjoys dancing and reading about international relations and film history. He believes that storytelling and creating art is a practical necessity for building a better world.

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ROB MABRY began his writing career as a military journalist and humor columnist for the US Army. He produces, writes, directs, and edits the short films he creates. Mabry’s short film, Mr. Figmentus, was nominated for "Best Dark Comedy" as an official selection of the 2019 Austin After Dark Film Festival. His first feature The Legend of the Chupacabra, a horror-comedy, premiered in October 2023.

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JD MACIAS is an accomplished Director of Photography whose passion for visual storytelling was shaped by the vibrant landscape of Orange County, California. Growing up, JD delved into cinematography, honing his skills while studying film in Santa Ana, CA. Although he didn’t attend the most prestigious film school, the connections he made with passionate filmmakers proved invaluable, launching him into a career dedicated to capturing compelling visuals. JD's journey into cinematography began with a fascination for behind-the-scenes footage and his early projects crafting music videos His extensive production experience has allowed JD to be deeply involved in all stages of filmmaking. From pre-production, where he collaborates with directors to develop the visual style, to post-production, where he ensures that the final color grading and visual tone align with the film’s vision, JD’s meticulous attention to detail is present in every frame.  His recent work as the Director of Photography on To Sofia (2024) garnered acclaim for its evocative imagery and masterful use of light and shadow, further cementing his reputation as a DP with a distinctive visual style.

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MATTHEW PINEDA, also known as Matt Cinematic, is an alternative creative writer and media artist based in San Antonio, Texas. He has experimented with different mediums such as creative writing, media, music, and video/film in a pandemic/post-pandemic landscape. Matt is currently in the online Creative Writing MFA program at University of Texas at El Paso; and aims to write, publish, and produce his creative work for both short and long narrative formats in the entertainment industry. 

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ALEX RAMIREZ is an award-winning Mexican-American filmmaker and educator based in San Antonio, Texas. He has received multiple grants for his film work and is the head of his own production company, Mala Bruja Pictures. His films have screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, South Texas International Film Festival, and the Albuquerque Film and Music Experience. He has been featured in publications such as Texas Monthly, KLRN's The Beat, Texas Public Radio, San Antonio Current Magazine, and the San Antonio Express-News. He is the current Media Arts Director of SAY Sí.

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CEDRIC THOMAS SMITH, multi-award winning, writer, director and producer, is a San Antonio native whose journey into film began in 2010 with a short film on LGBT domestic violence that he’d written, Unimaginable. Cedric began directing his own works with films that have won over 40 film festival awards including The Symphony of Silence and Melissa (both examine the epidemic of teen bullying), the feature film version of Unimaginable and Breaking Brokenness, which is about the pattern of abuse wrapped up in secrets and lies within a family. Cedric continues to write, direct, and produce films that entertain yet give voice to those that feel voiceless including his latest film, Losing Lalo which examines the loss of a veteran to suicide and the impact it has on his family and fellow veterans. 

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MILTON WATKINS has been producing and participating in productions from east to west across the US for a number of years. Milton’s skill set was honed by participating in film making groups and wearing various crew hats. Beginning in the early 2000’s while living in the Atlanta, GA area, Milton produced and directed Sauté, an ethnic cooking show and food festival. After relocating to Reno, NV he joined the Reno Movie Makers film group and starred in the short film The Ring as Washington, a mob enforcer. He directed and co-produced with filmmaker Dan Bael and Arthur Kurland the short film Team Building. The film, which showcases dissatisfaction in the workplace and gives voice to employees fighting corporate profits-over-people, screened at the (SAFILM)San Antonio Film Festival 2023. 

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The HORRORIFIC WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL is a festival made to showcase the scariest and craziest films from women around the world. On the day of the festival, September 13, 2025, film nominees will be screened followed by an award ceremony where the winners of each category will be announced. One woman will be crowned the Most Horrorific Woman Filmmaker. The festival is also an opportunity to meet other amazing women filmmakers and network with industry professionals. For more on the festival you can visit horrorificwomenff.com.  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SAFILM-San Antonio Film Festival brings independent films and film industry professionals to San Antonio from across the nation and around the world, nurturing filmmakers of all ages and increasing appreciation of the arts through cinema for local audiences and guests in San Antonio. They work hard to capture the creative spark and sizzle of the Alamo City with screenings in downtown at the Tobin Center and spectacular after-parties in the heart of downtown San Antonio to offer a variety of experiences that showcase all the unique cultural offerings our city offers. The film festival accepts films from artists at every level – and provides arenas for student competitions at high school and college levels to work from seasoned industry pros. Both aspiring and veteran filmmakers get to present their work in a friendly, competitive, and energizing environment.

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SAY Sí’s Media Arts Studio is a film, photography, and digital art-based program that focuses on storytelling through digital media. Throughout the year, MAS students, along with the help of teaching artists and professionals in the media industry, collaborate through hands-on learning experiences with video production, digital and analog photography, animation, and digital arts. As part of the filmmaking process students have the opportunity to utilize their talents in all phases of the production. Once their digital content is finished, the students design the accompanying promotional and marketing materials for exhibits, film festivals, and movie premieres. In addition, the MAS studio produces digital works for companies, organizations, and individuals outside SAY Sí. These commissioned projects give students the opportunity to build a professional portfolio and to develop entrepreneurship skills.