El Paso Film Festival Is Nationally Recognized 3 Years In A Row

The El Paso Film Festival has been named to MovieMaker Magazine's annual "50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" list for the third consecutive year, cementing its place as one of the most compelling independent film destinations in the country. The honor follows the festival's 2024 recognition as one of MovieMaker's "Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World." If you're keeping track, that means the El Paso Film Festival in just 2024 was recognized as both one of the coolest and most worth it -- then kept being worth it for 2 more glorious years!

Courtesy of El Paso Film Festival

What MovieMaker's Recognition Actually Means for El Paso

MovieMaker's annual list spotlights festivals that deliver real value to independent filmmakers, measuring programming quality, filmmaker support, audience engagement, and overall experience. Three consecutive years on that list means EPFF is a fixture.

Courtesy of El Paso Film Festival

Founded in 2018 by El Paso filmmaker Carlos F. Corral, the festival screens more than 40 feature-length and short films annually, spanning narrative and documentary works. Through a partnership with Creative El Paso, the festival also offers free screenings and educational industry panels, making film culture genuinely accessible across the region.

The Filmmakers Who Show Up Say It All

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If you need proof that EPFF has become a serious destination for serious filmmakers, look at who has walked through its doors. Last year's festival brought in Kevin Smith, who performed a stand-up special in El Paso that absolutely delivered. It also welcomed Lloyd Kaufman, the legendary founder of Troma Entertainment, the underground studio that gave the world The Toxic Avenger and helped define the DNA of independent horror and cult cinema. And then there was Elizabeth Avellan, the producer whose credits include the Spy Kids franchise, Sin City, Machete, Desperado, and From Dusk Till Dawn, (IMDb) and co-founder of Troublemaker Studios alongside Robert Rodriguez (IMDb) , the Austin-based production powerhouse that proved indie filmmakers could build an empire on their own terms. That is not a small guest list.

Didn't The El Paso Film Festival Just Happen Over The Summer?

No! You're thinking of the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Both are very cool and nationally recognized but the Plaza Classic is a CLASSIC Film Festival. The El Paso Film Festival is an INDEPENDENT Film Festival meaning that the movies coming through are not big budget studio movies. The movies you'll see at an independent film festival are more often made without the support of major studios and usually have significantly smaller budgets. The budgets don't make a difference though, Independent films sometimes go on to become huge blockbusters. The horror film, Obsession, is a good recent example of what an indie film can achieve.

With national recognition, there is no telling what kind of under dog stories we might see come through the El Paso Film Festival!

What Is Next for EPFF

The 2026 El Paso Film Festival is set for September 24 through September 26 in downtown El Paso, with confirmed venues at the Plaza Theatre and the Philanthropy Theatre.