A CELEBRATION OF ART

The City of Edinburg proudly promotes the visual arts and supports the growing film industry in the Rio Grande Valley through the South Texas International Film Festival (STXIFF).

The South Texas International Film Festival is an annual celebration of the art of cinema, showcasing the work of talented filmmakers from around the globe. Based in Edinburg, Texas, STXIFF presents a dynamic lineup of local, regional, national, and international films, creating a welcoming hub for storytellers from all backgrounds. True to our South Texas roots, we emphasize genuine connection and hospitality, offering filmmakers and film enthusiasts an engaging and memorable experience.

STXIFF is a competitive international film festival designed for both emerging and established filmmakers and filmgoers. The multi-day festival features an exciting lineup of screenings, workshops, panels, networking mixers, and our signature Awards Ceremony.

Interested in participating? Submit your film or sign up for our email newsletter to get updates on the festival schedule.

2025 STXIFF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Festival Director: Letty Leija

Director of Operations: Magdiel Castle

STXIFF Logistics Supervisor: Ernie Guevara

STXIFF Committee Chair: Janie Martinez

STXIFF Committee Secretary: Angela Garcia

Programming Chair: Susan Smith

Are you interested in applying for a seat on the STXIFF Committee? Apply Here!

The STXIFF committee meets monthly.

Nominations and Awards

Following the official selection of competing films, a small team of industry professional judges will screen every official selection from each category. The top-rated films from each category are nominated for awards. Technical and artistic award nominations are based on the combined ratings for their corresponding field. For instance, the best director award nominations will be based on the combined "Direction" rating and not the overall film rating. The official industry judges will decide on a winner in each award category, and their choice will be final. The list of award winners will be shared only with festival team members who require the information to produce the final awards ceremony graphics and physical awards.

Industry Judges

Are you an industry professional interested in becoming a STXIFF judge? Let us know here.

Film Selection Process

Every year STXIFF receives hundreds of film submissions, in many categories, from all over the world. Our head programmer coordinates a team of industry professionals who screen each film through a secure screening website. Multiple programmers will rate the technical and artistic aspects of each submission during the screening process. Once all films are rated, the STXIFF head programmer will officially select as many films as possible based on that year's available screening time and the film's final rating.

PROGRAMMERS - José Alaniz, David Anshen, Serhenna Bazile, Linda Belau, Ed Cameron, Jorge Chapa, Adam Gregory, Bobby Jasso, Reuben Marin, Joe Martinez, Walt McAlexander, Mara Lee Moats, Robert Moreira, Catherine Palacios, Farzaneh Razzaghi, Jorge Rubio, Quint Rogers, Jonathan Salinas, Jamin Teran, Silvia Vera, Jeffrey Ward

Are you interested in becoming a STXIFF programmer? Let us know here.

Submit Your Film & pitch

All submission are through our FilmFreeway page. We accept short and feature length narrative and documentary films. Early bird submissions begin early November, the final submission deadline is in May.

You can find out more about each category and read the guidelines on filmfreeway.com/stxiff

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