This year, I was extremely privileged to have worked as a Publicity Intern at the 17th annual Santa Fe International Film Festival. After looking for a job in the film industry for the past several months, I was ecstatic to get another film festival gig. And it was everything I needed.

It was an incredibly cool festival. Santa Fe is one of the most underrated cities in the US, and I’m not just saying that because my Nana lives there. There’s a vibrant independent creative spark to the city that’s evident in the festival. Not only are they showing out-of-competition heavy hitters such as After The Hunt (2025) and Frankenstein (2025), but they’re also showing local films and short films that are bound to go places. In fact, the festival recently acquired an Academy-Award® qualifying status for short films in the Animated, Narrative, and Documentary categories. So it’s not a festival to scoff at.

While I didn’t have as much time to watch movies in Santa Fe as in Santa Barbara, I still managed to see a few movies. Alas, I wasn’t able to see Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro’s new creature future and the Opening Night Film due to it being sold out three times over. But I did make up for it by seeing films that have gone undernoticed at other festivals and in the broader circuit. So without further ado, here is what I saw.

Two Prosecutors (2025) dir. Sergei Loznitsa

Once I accepted the fact that Frankenstein was a lost cause for me, I realized with excitement that I could watch a film very many people would overlook. When I the credits rolled on Two Prosecutors (2025), I knew I had made the right decision.

I had seen Sergei Loznitsa’s previous film Donbass (2019) in my Russian and Eastern European Cinema class, and I was struck by how that film captured the horror and absurdity of living in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Two Prosecutors continues that tradition with some Kafka flavor, where a young prosecutor faces stiff opposition in his quest to advocate for a prisoner languishing in one of Stalin’s prisons. It’s a slow burn for sure, and one that might try your patience, but it’s a film that knows how to use slow burn. Every turn the character takes leaves you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see if the authorities will catch up to him. It’s not a spy thriller, but it certainly feels like one.

Powwow People (2025) dir. Spy Hopinka

This was truly a unique documentary viewing experience. Instead of the filmmakers recording and commenting on their experience at an indigenous American powwow, the filmmakers actually organized the powwow themselves and let themselves be passive observers. I’ve never been to a powwow before, but I felt like I was right there. The final 30 minutes are guaranteed to take your breath away. There’s not really a need to spoil it, but you can feel the indigenous story being told as the dancers move around the space, embodying a previously condemned cultural tradition.

One of my favorite things about the Santa Fe International Film Festival was how it focused on indigenous films. They have indigenous shorts and feature categories, and I love how they don’t prioritize a singular look at the “indigenous experience.” This film looked at the powwow tradition through multiple perspectives, and instead of over-contextualizing the tradition, just let the powwow be.

All The Empty Rooms (2025) dir. Joshua Seftel

Jesus Christ. This film broke my heart.

One of the greatest shames of this country is how may mass shootings happen every year, yet how quickly we accept it as normal. But this film reminds us of the humanity of the most helpless victims: children. Steve Hartman was the right narrator to lead this story. As a CBS News correspondent who’s become used to being the light amidst the darkness while telling these stories, this film lets him rip at how much he wants to scream at the world to do something about gun violence.

This film will be premiering on Netflix soon, so buckle up. And hug your loved ones after you watch.

Big Rock Burning (2025) dir. David Goldblum

As a Californian resident, Big Rock Burning shook me to my core. It was insane recounting just how tumultuous and apocalyptic the Palisades fires were. For the record, I didn’t live near the area, but the Bridge Fire was happening miles away from Scripps and the air quality was quite poor. But it was scary watching an entire neighborhood melt and go to ash in this documentary.

That being said, I think this film felt kind of abrupt in some places, especially in the ending. Big Rock Burning screened in the same program right after All The Empty Rooms, which I will admit is a tough act to follow. But whereas All The Empty Rooms allows you to sit in your rage and sorrow, the film takes a turn for optimism in the last five minutes that doesn’t feel quite natural. It’s not that it doesn’t make sense, but it could have been executed better.

Steal This Story, Please! (2025) dir. Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

As the Centrepiece screening for the festival, this was certainly a hit. And I count myself as a new die-hard fan of Amy Goodman after this. This film takes a look at the groundbreaking independent journalist as someone who tirelessly stands up for the marginalized and underrepresented, often confronting powerful people with difficult questions about their actions. From the Santa Cruz Massacre to the Israel-Hamas conflict, I was left amazed at how deftly and swiftly Amy Goodman has reported. I actually got the chance to talk with her briefly after the screening about what she wanted audiences to take away from this film, and she said “Support independent media.” Fuck yeah.

Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 (2025) dir. Raoul Peck

This one left me conflicted. While I agree with the message of the film, it almost feels too on the nose. It’s nice that there are still filmmakers out there like Raoul Peck who care enough about general audiences to scream in our faces about how George Orwell’s predictions in 1984 have come true. But when I walked away, I was like, okay. Message received.

It’s certainly a timely film, but I think the timeliness is also what sets this film back. The film can get so heavy-handed with its message that it can come off as a bit condescending. There are times where text simply shows up on the screen to convey how simple phrases from governments mean something else entirely depending on the conflict. Orwell: 2 + 2 =5 can be good in introducing you how to read between the lines, but I would have appreciated a bit more subtlety.

Stand and Deliver (1988) dir. Ramón Menéndez

Okay, this film was cool. Edward James Olmos was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his influence in expanding Latino representation in Hollywood, and his Oscar®-nominated turn as Jaime Escalante is certainly something to admire. He plays the role of the real-life mathematics teacher incredibly well, and when I spoke with him after the ceremony, he said everything in the film was taken verbatim from what Jaime Escalante actually said.

Also, embarrassingly, I was one of the few people in the screening who hadn’t seen it before. But I wish that I had seen this before I saw white-savior films like The Help (2011). This time, it’s a real-life Latino teacher who inspired Chicano students to become high-achieving students, and his impact is still being felt today.

Nuremberg (2025) dir. James Vanderbilt

This was SFiFF’s Closing Night Film, and it was awesome. The film was two hours long, but the screenplay was so well-paced it felt like it went on for half that time. The acting was nothing to scoff at as well. Rami Malek and Russell Crowe were an acting duo to remember. I’m not sure how accurate Russell Crowe’s German accent was, but I can assure you that his performance as Hitler’s second-in-command Hermann Göring will chill you to the bone.

It does continue the trend Orwell: 2 + 2 =5 started of hitting the audience over the head with its message, but I think this handles it a lot more effectively. Having the main relationship between Malek’s Douglas Kelley and Crowe’s Göring be the center of the film was a wise choice. It gave the story a strong foundation, and helped to illustrate the broader themes.

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Overall, the Santa Fe International Film Festival was certainly one to remember. From its celebration of Edward James Olmos and Amy Goodman to its inclusion of excellent short films, I truly had a blast. I could feel the creative independent energy from Santa Fe echo through every moment. Moreover, I was incredibly proud to be part of the team. I met so many cool people, not the least of which included Executive Director Liesette Bailey and Communications Manager Castle Searcy. While the work was hard, it was work I felt proud of contributing towards. I would encourage anybody who wants to work in the film industry to work at a film festival. It’s hard work with long hours, but you get to see the future of cinema happen right in front of you. There’s nothing more rewarding.