SAFILM Takes Over the Town August 1

The San Antonio Film Festival (SAFILM) celebrates 29 years of bringing independent films to the big screen! This year’s six-day festival will be held Aug. 1-6, 2023 at three different locations — the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Radius Center and the Santikos Palladium. More than 200 films are slated to screen, including the best indie features, documentaries, short blocks and films by San Antonio filmmakers. 

SAFILM will kick off with the Opening Night Film: The Adults, a new comedic drama directed by Dustin Guy Defa and starring Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Person to Person), Hannah Gross (Infinite Summer, Joker), and Sophia Lillis (Dungeons And Dragons, IT). It screens Tuesday, Aug. 1 at the Santikos Palladium. Watch trailer here.

Festival favorite, Maverick Award Winner and San Antonio Native, actor Kevin Alejandro will return to SAFILM with the film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, directed by Aitch Alberto. Based on the book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and set in 1987 El Paso, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the tale of two teenage Mexican-American loners as they explore their friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery. Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) and Luna Blaise star alongside Alejandro, screening Wed., Aug  2 at the Santkos Palladium.

As part of UNESCO City of Gastronomy, SAFILM expands the foodie film category showcasing short films: The Best Pizza in the World, Les Dames d’Escoffier, Convection, Love Me Tenderizer and the documentary feature Terroir to Table, a film by Rasmus Dinesen, the wine lovers guide to food and wine screening at 12:30 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 3.

FREE HOLLYWOOD PANEL

Academy Award-winning editor Paul Hirsch (Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Carrie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Footloose, The Mummy) discusses the power of film editing. He is joined by SAFILM founder and executive director Adam Rocha. This is FREE to the public and takes place on Sat., Aug 5, at 12:30 p.m.

More  SAFILM highlights include: 

• SHORTS: HOMEGROWN featuring San Antonio Filmmakers

• FEATURE: American Teen directed by Aaron Lee Lopez (San Antonio) 

• FEATURE (International/China): The Great Distance Delivers Crane

• DOC: Out There: A National Parks Story

• DAILY: FILMMAKER’S/VIP LOUNGE-  5:00to 7:00p.m. at Radius Center 

• NIGHTLY: SAFILM Parties – 10:00 p.m. (locations TBA) 

All Access VIP Passes are $149, Weekend Passes are $99 and Day Passes are $59.99. Individual movie tickets are $8.99 matinee and $14.99 evening films. For more info, full schedule and to purchase tickets:  www.safilm.com. 

Feature photo (l-r): Michael Cera and Sophia Lillis in The Adults.