Ethnic films are movies that explore the cultural identity, traditions, and experiences of a particular ethnic group or community. These films showcase the rich diversity of our world and provide a unique perspective on different cultures, their history, and their struggles. Ethnic films often highlight themes such as social justice, discrimination. They have the power to challenge stereotypes and promote cultural understanding. From African American to Asian, Hispanic and Native American cinema, ethnic films continue to play a vital role in cinema, educating and inspiring audiences around the world. Which is why I’d like to invite you to our annual film festival hosted here at Santa maria high school on May 16th in room 615.

Speaking of the Film Festival, what exactly is it? and what else does it hold besides films? Well, you’d be surprised at how much a school event can hold. The Film Festival is meant to highlight films that feature people of color. “The purpose of it is to expose the young generation about minorities that reside in the US and fill in the gap in terms of knowledge about Native Americans, African Americans, and so on” Mr. Valencia, the festival’s instigator, states. It also includes food, drinks, entertainment and even raffles to have a chance to win big prizes such as polaroids, flags and much more.

I’ve reached out to Mr. Valencia who is hosting this event for his thoughts and to get some answers to the questions we’d all like asked. Before it all, the idea of a film festival wasn’t something he originally came up with, rather Mr. Valencia was inspired by a different film festival promoting college here on our campus 6-7 years ago. Up until some time ago, students were the ones who were actually participating and going out of their way to get funds for this festival. This would include acquiring grants and/or even holding small events to accumulate the necessary amount of money. The planning and organizing process extended to months before the actual event; over 40 hours of work went into this festival, but as Mr. Valencia states “it’s totally worth it.”

In the past, the Film Festival has been a huge success, totaling over 100 students last year alone. Best to say it’s worth giving it some thought and joining Mr. Valencia, along with his students to create a memorable time worth remembering. The film festival will be held here at Santa maria high school in room 615 building May 16, after School from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

One last word from Mr. Valencia: “We are one of the few high schools who put on a film festival like this where students get prizes, drinks and food. We hope students comes and have a great time.”

You can check out the article for last year’s Film festival.