Lights, camera, competition!
4 young San Antonio creatives will advance to an international filmmaking competition
San Antonio is one of the top 25 best U.S. cities for filmmakers.
Earlier this year, San Antonio landed among the top 25 cities in the U.S. to be a filmmaker — thanks, in part, to community support like the annual #FilmSA competition. This past weekend, winners of the 2023 contest were announced, and several of the winning entires will advance to a global filmmaking contest.
The competition, which included two age categories, 14-17 and 18-21, had two themes for contestants to base their films on – "Heritage and Quality of Life" or "City Parks of San Antonio."
Each #FilmSA winner or winning team received $1,000 and the opportunity to have their winning film screened at a public awards ceremony at Mission Marquee Plaza.
The #FilmSA winners are as follows —
- City Parks of San Antonio/Ages 14-17: Ricardo Gonzalez and Austin Lambert for "Skywalk"
- City Parks of San Antonio/Ages 18-21: Eagle News Network Team for "Pearsall Park: Wood and Wheels"
- Heritage and Quality of Life/Ages 14-17: Team including Ryan and Owen Santa Cruz Agnesi for "The Missions of San Antonio"
- Heritage and Quality of Life/Ages 18-21: Kyle Ward for "Yes We Can"
According to an official press release from the San Antonio Film Commission, the winners in the "Heritage and Quality of Life" category were automatically entered in the Organization of World Heritage Cities’ (OWHC) 7th Annual International Video Production Competition. We'll know if anyone from San Antonio wins on a global filmmaking scale in July 2023.
For any aspiring filmmakers shooting to film their projects in San Antonio, the San Antonio Film Commission is the ultimate resource — not only do they assist with filming permits, but they'll also help local filmmakers with other vital necessities like casting calls, location scouting, government liaison services and more.
For those filmmakers that aim to enter the #FilmSA competition next year, make sure to check out the Film Commission's official contests page for deadlines, contest rules and requirements for each film entry.
"Our goal is to celebrate these youth filmmakers and expose them to the art and craft of filmmaking," says Department of Arts & Culture Executive Director Krystal Jones via release. "This contest gave contestants the opportunity to understand common film festival practices, guidelines and application processes, plus other key life skills such as planning, organization and collaboration. We are delighted to provide this platform and spotlight their perseverance and determination."
