The Orange County Film Fiesta is back

The 16th Annual Orange County Film Fiesta returns this year from October 9 through 25, featuring an exciting lineup of films. Audiences can enjoy both in-person screenings and virtual showings, available to viewers nationwide.

This year’s festival will present films by Del Zamora, Richard Montoya, Alessandro Gentile, Andrea Lodovichetti, Francine Strickwerda, Lani Cupchoy, Robb S. Garcia, Valerie Garza, Bernhard Hetzenauer, Juan Madrigal, Deane Gonzalez, Ang Yi Benet, Fatemeh Mokhtari, Mikheil Gabaidze, Mar Novo, Deniz Büyükkırlı, Uttera Singh and Alexandre Britto.

The Film Fiesta includes selections from throughout the United States as well as Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The festival will present Del Zamora’s film "The Last Brown Beret" starring Zamora (Repo Man), Randy Vasquez (JAG), Vance Valencia, David Castro, Ingrid Oliu (Stand and Deliver) and Linda Lopez. The film, based on the award-winning 1993 play "The Last Angry Brown Hat" by Alfredo Ramos, deals with four former Brown Berets coming to terms with how the passage of time has taken a toll on their ideals and activism when getting together for a friend’s funeral.

Other feature films in the festival include Brazilian director Alexandre Britto’s "In Silence," Indian Director Uttera Singh’s "Pinch" and Argentine director Sebastian Baz’s "Sombras Chinas." Fans of feature documentaries will love Alessandro Gentile’s Boundless Borders, Francine Strickwerda’s "Ultimate Citizens," Italian director Andrea Lodovichetti’s "Cartapesta: Carnival of Fano" and Polish director Maciej Adamek’s "Unspoken."

Short films in this year’s Film Fiesta include Richard Montoya’s "Principal Garcia," Lani Cupchoy’s "Oceanbone," Bernard Hetzenhauer’s "Those Next to Us," Robb S. Garcia’s "Rooted in Legacy: The Arboretum San Antonio Journey," Juan Madrigal’s "Knights of Cydonia," Valerie Garza’s "Transmute" and several films by Chapman University students. The festival will also be screening a selection of films by Iranian filmmakers.

The Orange County Film Fiesta also includes workshops, parties and special events. Virtual screenings will be available to be streamed anywhere in the US at www.ocfilmfiesta.org, beginning Thursday, Oct. 9. Screenings will take place at Media Arts Santa Ana's TVGB Digital Maker Space, which is located at 1666 N. Main Street in Santa Ana and is easily accessible from the I5 freeway at the 17th St exit.

This festival is an important presenter of works by BIPOC, AAPI, MENASA and LGBTQ+ artists, youth, students, women, veterans, international and filmmakers in the county.

Visit www.ocfilmfiesta.org for more information.