Cover Story

For the love of film

Watsonville Film Festival celebrates its first decade

By JOHANNA MILLER

Adecade ago, a small group of people gathered at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville to enjoy films, promote filmmakers and celebrate the creativity of the local arts community.

The first-ever Watsonville Film Festival was supposed to be a one-time event. But its success ignited interest in both organizers and South County residents who attended.

“All of us realized, ‘There is something here. We have to continue,’” says Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) Executive Director Consuelo Alba. “And we keep saying that every year. There is something very powerful and magical about bringing people together through film.”

The festival’s reach has continued to grow every year; a single festival has transformed into a yearround nonprofit that hosts events and works with other organizations, schools and businesses.

“I am incredibly proud, and grateful for our team, “Alba said, “and for everyone who has been involved in this organization for all this time … but all the new faces as well. It’s just a really, really wonderful feeling to get to this point.”

WFF’s 8th annual festival was one of the first in-person events in Santa Cruz County to be canceled when Covid hit in March 2020. So the group eventually shifted its focus to virtual events, creating its very own streaming platform in 2021.

In the process, WFF’s reach has expanded exponentially.

“We are reaching more than ever,” Alba says. “Beyond Santa Cruz County, beyond Monterey Bay, even beyond California. Our program is attracting a lot of attention.”

Virtual screenings will continue to be a part of this year’s festival, which kicks off today and runs through March 20. More than 30 films are now available to watch for free online at watsonvillefilmfest.org.

One of these films, Fruits of Labor is centered in Watsonville. The acclaimed 2021 documentary follows a teenager named Ashley who is balancing school, applying for college, and personal life while also working in the fields and local factories to help support her family.

Directed by Emily Cohen Ibañez, the film had its world premiere at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas and has impressed audiences and critics across the U.S.

“I love coming-of-age stories, but I didn’t see those afforded to women of color, especially working women of color,” Ibañez says. “I wanted Ashley to be her full self as a teenager. This is an unusual film about farm labor. People are used to seeing historical icons, or a very issue-driven film that focused on social ills. Sometimes what can happen is folks of color ➝ 6

can become stand-ins for social problems.”

Ibañez said that Ashley and her family are excited that the film will be featured at WFF.

“WFF is a wonderful festival, but it’s also the hometown of the film,” Ibañez says. “There is so much hometown pride with this festival, and we’re honored and excited to be part of it.”

Other films that will be available free online include The Mole Agent, an Academy Award-winning documentary from Chile about an elderly person who takes a job as a detective inside an assisted-living facility; and Treasures, a film from Mexico about a family who moves from the city to a small fishing town, where they connect more closely with each other, the community and the environment.

“The selection of films is very strong this year,” Alba says. “And most of the films are directed by women–which is really exciting, because these are important stories we rarely see.”

But having an in-person component to the event was also important to organizers. On March 12 at 6pm, WFF will host an opening-night event at the Mello Center, screening the award-winning film Real Women Have Curves, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It will include a special appearance by playwright and screenwriter Josefina López.

“It is a really important American indie film,” Alba says. “It was very influential. It broke ground in 2002 by focusing on a young Latina immigrant in L.A., on her dreams, inspirations and self love. It challenged all Hollywood conventions at the time. Our hope is to introduce this film to a new generation of Latinas.”

WFF will also introduce its first cohort of Cine Se Puede fellows at the event. Cine Se Puede, launched last year, is a fellowship aiming to support emerging local filmmakers, assisting with funding of up to $1,000 per project. Participants will learn to pitch stories and projects, improve proposals, budgets, marketing and distribution plans. Fellows will have the chance to pitch projects to experts at the festival.

“I’m so excited about this inaugural cohort,” says Brenda Avila-Hanna, who works for WFF’s Artist Development and is a member of the Programming Team. “They are all incredibly talented and resilient. Many have been working here for many years, some have screened their work at the festival. We have seen them grow from students to this professional stage.”

Avila-Hanna says that the fellowship, as well as the fact that the festival is free and easily accessible, makes it stand out.

“Our hope is that we continue to shift the culture around film festivals,” she says. “Reimagining what they could be, with a different audience who is not traditionally catered to by these events.”

The festival is also collaborating with PBS’ award-winning documentary series POV, which will help promote the festival within its networks.

“It’s really exciting,” Alba says. “It’s taking our work and exposure to another level.”

Looking ahead, Alba said her hope is that WFF will help Watsonville become a hub for filmmaking, fostering both seasoned and brand new filmmakers and allowing Latino artists especially to feel supported and inspired.

“We’ve always been about promoting the talent, the potential, the economic development of Watsonville,” she said. “We want to put it on the map as a place to watch amazing films for years to come.”

CULTURAL EVENT Consuelo Alba (second from left) with the White Hawk Aztec Dancers at a WFF event.

TEAMWORK The Watsonville Film Festival team at a previous event.

The Watsonville Film Festival will be held March 11-20. To register for the March 12 event, find a full schedule or donate to the organization, visit watsonvillefilmfestival.org.