With support from the California Arts Council, WATSONVILLE FILM FESTIVAL will continue to expand our free art and culture fiestas that reclaim the Watsonville Plaza as a civic and cultural space, by building on our robust Fiesta De Los Muertos event, and adding a new cultural and artistic multimodal event tentatively called Fandango en La Plaza. This will also support four smaller Rapid Response events that engage in urgent political and cultural matters in local public domains.
• Watsonville Film Festival — Our annual flagship event is a multi-day, multi-lingual, and multicultural film festival that highlights powerful works by local, international, and youth filmmakers. Through a carefully curated selection of films, we celebrate the depth and diversity of the Latine experience. This year, we expanded our reach beyond Watsonville, presenting screenings in Salinas, Santa Cruz, and Aptos, broadening access and engagement across the region.
• Cine Se Puede — Our initiative dedicated to building a more inclusive regional filmmaking ecosystem. Since 2022, we support underrepresented filmmakers with artist development opportunities such as mentorships, grants, networking events, and peer-to-peer learning.
• WFF Presents — We host screenings all year-round, taking pride in curating unique cultural experiences that go beyond the screen, collaborating with dozens of organizations and artists to present a wide array of community events
• Dia de Muertos — Launched in 2018, this beloved outdoor family celebration features films, ofrendas (community altars), hands-on art activities, live dance and music performances and a marketplace.
• Youth Engagement — We make presentations in local schools year-round, inviting students to attend, volunteer at the Festival and submit their films. We also partner with youth organizations to promote film culture and production
