Opening Night Event
Opening Night Social
Mindfield Film Festival 2026 – Kickoff Gathering
Thursday, August 27th at 5:00 PM
Start the festival with filmmakers, cast, crew, friends, family, and supporters from across the independent film community. Join us for a relaxed evening of conversation and connection before the weekend’s screenings and events begin.
Opening Night Location
Oak & Fire BBQ
905 Yale Blvd SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Filmmakers, cast, crew, friends, family, and festival supporters are all welcome.
Free to attend. No tickets or festival passes required.
All Screenings Take Place at the Guild Cinema
3405 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Friday, August 28th – 1:00 PM
Filmmaker Q&A following this block
🎟 Get Tickets
Spiral into the Yellow Void
Dir. Levin Garbisch [USA]
Amy, a psychic with the ability to heal emotional issues in others, struggles with a personified version of her own depression.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Plucked Tulips
Dir. Aster J. Brotman [USA]
A girl wars with the voices in her head
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Midnight's Midnight
Dir. Rafael Vigilantics & Nichole Graf [USA]
Midnight’s Midnight is a surreal, lyrically driven debut from Nichole Graf and Rafael Vigilantics, following the filmmakers on a poetic journey through the Southwestern wilderness as love, memory, history, and myth begin to blur. Guided by totemic animals and drifting through time from 1947 to the present, their paranoid hero’s journey becomes a meditation on loss, clarity, and the unavoidable togetherness we face as the Doomsday Clock inches closer to midnight.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
BOSSBABE
Dir. Shayna Davidson [USA]
A strung-out girl boss gets locked out of her house and goes on an adventure to retrieve her spare key.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
The Custodian
Dir. Gabriel Vincent [USA]
The Custodian has one job: Get in, clean up, get out. But, when the man who was supposed to be dead isn’t, he’s left with two choices—save him or finish the job.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Lamy - Holding The Light
Dir. Max Highstein [USA]
Lamy – Holding the Light is a heartfelt portrait of a small New Mexican village coming together to preserve its heritage and restore the beloved Our Lady of Light church. Through moving interviews, glimpses of Lamy’s railroad history, the iconic Legal Tender restaurant, and original music, the film honors faith, memory, community, and the quiet grace of adobe walls as residents work to protect a sacred place for future generations.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
SLVT
Dir. Anna Olshansky Fox [USA]
Rooney enjoys her job—high heels, writing reports, even her boss’s flirtatious glances. But in a corporate jungle of power and seduction, those stolen looks give way to manipulation and violence, forcing her to confront a surreal reality.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Rejacked
Dir. Vianne Hibner-Hereford [USA]
In the throes of societal and political uncertainty, a non-binary punk and two lesbians turn sexual and gender-based violence on its head.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Two In The Morning
Dir. A.Z. Ocoza [USA]
After their first night together, a young couple discuss whether they're about to begin a new relationship or are just going to keep repeating the mistakes of the past.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
GREED
Dir. Damián Andrés Ortiz [USA]
When college student, Steven, wins a magical "wishing stone" while gambling, his true, dark, desires unbeknownst to his friends are tested.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Light Sensitive
Dir. Jackie Luchini, Julia Storch, & Hannah Sutter [USA]
Two restless souls, searching for meaning and contentment, reconnect after years apart. Their familiarity quickly falls back into place, making them question the paths they have separately chosen.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
HUNGRYLAND
Dir. Joe Singh [USA]
A fame-hungry influencer and his devoted cameraman stage a BBQ mukbang in the deep desert on sacred land but their livestream turns into a real nightmare, haunted by the spirits of Tony’s regrets.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Letter to the Blind
Dir. Michael Anthony Kurtz [USA]
After his family is illegally deported by the country he once trusted, a family man becomes a ruthless killer, stopping at nothing to avenge his family and expose the government before a complete fascist takeover.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Detrimental
Dir. Kai Mattson & Dominik Munoz [USA]
Mariah, a quiet and guarded young woman, reluctantly agrees to attend a party with her friends for the first time in years--still haunted by a traumatic event from her past. But as the day unfolds, strange and unsettling events begin to surface, putting tension on the group and forcing Mariah to confront more than she expected.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Left Behind
Dir. Robyn Casper [USA]
A coming of age short about friendship and feeling confused in your 20s
🎬 Trailer coming soon
MOROCCO WITH MOE
Dir. Moe Taylor [USA]
Morocco
🎬 Trailer coming soon
BAD HABIT
Dir. Stephen Burhoe [USA]
Every relationship is a two-way street, the problem is figuring out if it’s love or just a BAD HABIT.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Posers
Dir. Rob Tode [USA]
Former child star Olympia Feingold attempts to stay relevant by launching a high-end modeling agency in small-town America, despite knowing nothing about modeling, agencies, or small towns.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Cruzando La Línea
Dir. Manuel Rey Hunick [USA]
To prove he is untouchable, a rising cartel boss abducts the family of DEA agent Jason Galloway. Jason now has to cross a line to get his family back.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Late Night at Video-Smart
Dir. Dustin Tidwell [USA]
A video store employee has a strange encounter during his graveyard shift.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
AAfter Party at Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill
Keep the festival energy going after the screenings with the Mindfield crew, filmmakers, cast, friends, and supporters.
Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill
118 Tulane Dr SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Festival pass holders receive $1 off beer. Must be 21+ with valid ID.
All Screenings Take Place at the Guild Cinema
3405 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
The Courage Kit
CCFNM [USA]
Created with young people from the Children’s Cancer Fund of New Mexico whose lives have been touched by cancer, The Courage Kit follows five participants as they open a mysterious box filled with ordinary objects that reveal extraordinary meanings.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Tulips
Dir. Melanie Faye [USA]
A woman sets out for the mountains with tulips, wine, and a hand-drawn map left behind by someone dear. As she follows the trail, the pieces of her journey—and its true purpose—gently fall into place.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Ma Prison
Dir. Kitty Harper [USA]
Ma Prison follows a young girl (Sophie Bullock) grappling with the devastating loss of her mother while enduring bullying and an abusive relationship with her French teacher (Susannah May). As tensions escalate, she uncovers a deeper, unexpected truth behind her teacher’s harsh actions, leading to a poignant exploration of grief, empathy, anger, and complex human connections.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Only Fools
Dir. Evelyn Romo [USA]
After a bad date, two fools out of love test their compatibility during a short car ride.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
keno
Dir. Riley San Nicolas [USA]
Toni and Piper are raised by a single mom. When she has to take a shift at her old restaurant job to help pay the bills, the girls' grandmother, Antonia, picks them up for the day. Not to be deterred from her usual Sunday routine, Antonia takes the girls with her to the local casino where the girls might just win a little ice cream money. Told from a child's perspective, "Keno" is a subtle meditation on childhood memories.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
A Good Place to Die - A Western Trilogy
Dir. David Biagini [USA]
In New Mexico, people often settle their disputes with a gun. But some sins cannot always be forgiven. And vengeance may lead to an unexpected outcome.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
NMSA - A STORY ABOUT A SCHOOL'S BECOMING
Dir. Timothy Harrier [USA]
NMSA – A Story About a School’s Becoming is a soul-stirring documentary about the New Mexico School for the Arts, tracing its unlikely founding while capturing the charged, creative energy of student life today. Through poetry, performance, interviews with founders, faculty, and alumni, and moments leading to the school’s ArtSpring gala and new Residential Life building, the film becomes a cinematic love letter to arts education, mentorship, and the power of young artists finding their voice in Santa Fe.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
I Am A Zombie... and That's Okay.
Dir. Matthew Dominic Sanchez [USA]
Three small town video rental store employees try to grapple with the reality of dealing with the Zombie Apocalypse.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
This Land
Dir. Aiyana Shuler [USA]
Ms. Laura Orson, a disabled elderly woman, has nightmares of a startling creature that begin to haunt her daily life. As she grapples with her guilt towards her deceased father, the creature closes in until she has no choice but to ask for help.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Whispering Colors
Dir. Madelyn Diana Parrulli [USA]
In a seemingly perfect family, parents have noticed a change of behavior in their teenage daughter. With the support of her friends, facing the possibility of a life-altering outcome.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
The Eulogy
Dir. Robert Wyatt Duncan [USA]
In the aftermath of a family memorial, two siblings clash over a troubling discovery.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
The King of Chaos
Dir. Ryan Beane [USA]
In rural New Mexico, an avoidant young man must rescue his ex-lover from a conversion camp holding a dark secret.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Baby Churn
Dir. Bradley Birch [USA]
What if you could do it all over again, knowing what you know now? Welcome to the world of Baby Churn, where Rewind technology allows people to send their consciousness to the past. The only problem is: Things can never be exactly as they once were. Dr. Alvarez is one such individual who found out the hard way, and he has since dedicated lifetimes to genetic engineering, hoping that he may one day be reunited with his son.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
No Resolve - Phenomenon
Dir. Drake D Whelton [USA]
A mysterious woman wonders the desert. A phenomenon as beautiful as the surrounding landscapes of New Mexico.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
María Carmen
Dir. Nata Aguilar [USA]
At night, a young man looks for his runaway girlfriend.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Blackwater Draw: the Making of Billy the Kid
Dir. Dugan Bridges [USA]
The legend of Billy the Kid begins with one fateful gunfight at Blackwater Draw. A reporter’s investigation into the shooting reveals the messy truth behind the myth of the American outlaw.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
RAPACIOUS HARRIET AND THE TWO STRANGERS
Dir. Lex Lotito [USA]
Harriet has found all the little joys of living in her bunker - she has her plants, her holograms, and her periscope to see what's left of the world. When two strangers break into her bunker, she must decide what to protect.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
The Pervasiveness of Circumstance
Dir. Camille Carlson [USA]
A gallery owner struggles with the converging themes in his local art community when something strange appears in the sky.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Transmigration
Dir. Lex Lotito [USA]
An experimental, butoh-inspired dance film which explores feminine rage as a transformative force. Where a woman’s pain & fury reshape her into the “monster” society claims to fear.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Rebel Heart
Dir. Rebeca Duran [USA]
Set in the turbulent year of 1881 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, "Rebel Heart" tells the story of Paulita Maxwell, a strong-willed young woman navigating the complexities of life amidst the backdrop of the Lincoln County Wars. As the daughter of one of the region’s most powerful families, Paulita struggles with the expectations placed upon her, particularly in a world dominated by men.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Mon Amour, Véronique
Dir. Nathan Gusta [USA]
A young, burdened man wakes up late on a very important anniversary. He is driven by passion and true love, determined not to be late for the most important person.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Hunters
Dir. Derek Bauder [USA]
In the remote New Mexico wilderness, a hunting retreat becomes a dangerous intersection for a wealthy client seeking trophies and two troubled employees with deadly secrets.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Gary's Day
Dir. Ella Daniel [USA]
Gary gets ready for another day.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Saturday, August 29th – 8:30 PM
Filmmaker Q&A following this block
🎟 Get Tickets
Welcome Home
Dir. Lauren Trujillo & Taylor Trujillo [USA]
An abusive house hold turns to a night of terror but are the masked figures really the threat they first appear to be?
🎬 Trailer coming soon
OffSet: The Ariel Episode
Dir. Jonas Huerta [USA]
Ariel’s episode of OffSet gets hijacked by an old friend who attempts a reality-TV-style intervention for Ariel’s hoarding addiction
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Happy Pills
Dir. Elijah N. De Billie [USA]
Remember to take them, they really make the difference.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Hitori (Alone)
Dir. Jonas Luciano Huerta [USA]
Hitori, inspired by the Japanese ritual game Hitori Kakurenbo, explores what happens when you break the rules of a spirit-possession game. It’s more than horror—it’s a warning about the cost of disrespecting tradition.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
Not Exactly Strangers
Dir. Ryan Rox [USA]
A tipsy hookup between a Latine trans woman and a rough-edged skater boy from her past becomes a comedic, yet intimate deep-dive into post-surgical sex, lingering history, and a body she’s still learning to celebrate.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
The Lunch Table
Dir. Sean Alvarez & Jonah McDonald [USA]
A coming-of-age comedy about how four high school friends cope with graduation separating them all.
🎬 Trailer coming soon
After Party at Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill
Keep the festival energy going after the screenings with the Mindfield crew, filmmakers, cast, friends, and supporters.
Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill
118 Tulane Dr SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Festival pass holders receive $1 off beer. Must be 21+ with valid ID.
The Closing Act: Panels, Costume Showcase & Awards
Sunday, August 30th – Closing Day
The Historic Lobo Theater & Event Center
3013 Central Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Free and open to the public – all are welcome!
Music provided throughout by PartyTime DJ and Event Services LLC
Closing Day Event
Panelist Spotlight
Featured Guest To Be Announced
Join us for a live spotlight conversation with a featured voice from the world of film, media, criticism, or independent cinema.
This session will explore the creative landscape, the current state of filmmaking, and the people helping shape the conversation around cinema today.
Special guest announcement coming soon.
Closing Day Event
Screenplay Competition Q&A
Moderated by Nick Heeb
Join the screenwriters behind this year’s officially selected scripts for a live conversation about the art and process of screenwriting. The featured screenwriters will discuss what inspired their stories, how their scripts evolved, the challenges they encountered along the way, and where they hope to take their projects next.
Leading the conversation is Nick Heeb, Mindfield’s Head Screenplay Panelist. A published novelist, produced screenwriter, and college writing professor, Nick holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University. He is the author of the crime novel The Lucky Clover, and his fiction has appeared in South Dakota Review, BULL: Men’s Fiction, and other literary publications.
Feature Length Screenplays
Man-Eater
Written by Ian Rafael Black [USA]
Man-Eater follows Flora, a chronically ill med student who turns to online sex work to survive and finds herself drained by the men around her, from clients to doctors to teachers. After accidental exposure to an experimental drug gives her the power to drain life back out of them, Flora finally has a treatment that works, but the company behind it claims ownership over both the medicine and her body in this sharp, genre-driven critique of sex work, healthcare, and survival.
Desert Sharks
Written by Ramesh Gopal [USA]
A shark-loving agent struggles to reconcile warring families in the desert city of Albuquerque to prevent an international drug cartel from taking over.
A Desert God
Written by John M. Broadhead [USA]
After establishing a spiritual commune in the Texas desert, a woman conducts drug-fueled rituals in an above-ground pool while her brother takes extreme measures to protect her operation.
Cael
Written by Christian Dalton [USA]
Chasing a rumor of an angel who once appeared in New Mexico and befriended a dying woman, a New York journalist uncovers a quiet truth: some stories aren't meant to be explained, only found, waiting in the space between belief and reality.
Park Closes at 10:00 pm
Written by Ben Wild [USA]
This coming-of-age story follows seven recent high school graduates through their senior summer as they navigate love, tragedy, uncertainty, and the first steps into life beyond adolescence. Told through each teenager’s unique perspective, the film captures a slice of life shaped by change, unpredictability, and the different ways we respond when the future no longer feels certain.
Short Screenplays
eMpTy
Written by Kato Buss [USA]
A Gen-X academic whose addiction nears the end of the line crosses paths with a Millennial musician caught in a trap of mental health misdiagnosis and prescriptive nightmares. Two lost souls meet at rock bottom only to discover it’s the beginning of a path to freedom; a father and daughter story.
Getridothē
Written by Kevin Machate [USA]
A middle-aged man's garage cleanout takes a supernatural turn when he accidentally summons the world's most exasperated deity, an ancient being who eliminates the things people can't let go of but has some attachment issues of her own.
The Eulogy
Written by Robert Wyatt Duncan [USA]
In the aftermath of a family memorial, two siblings clash over a troubling discovery.
You'll Be Sorry in the End
Written by Chachee Valentine [USA]
After helping her volatile mother dump a body in the New Mexico desert, sixteen-year-old Nikki struggles to escape her family’s violent orbit and the cycle of survival she was born into. Tethered only to Julien, her loyal queer best friend, Nikki drifts through truck stops and motel rooms until a stranger’s kindness offers the possibility of another life, if she can survive the pull of the world that made her.
The Old Man And The Paintbrush
Written by Christopher Loveland [USA]
An old artist discovers what he was missing.
Closing Day Event
Costume Design Contest: Live Fashion Show
Finalist costume designs brought to life through runway presentation and performance
Watch the finalist designs from the Mindfield Costume Design Contest come to life onstage. Each costume will be worn by an actor-model selected specifically for the showcase, who will present the design through a runway walk and short character-driven performance.
Blending fashion, performance, and cinematic storytelling, this live showcase celebrates the creativity, originality, craftsmanship, and vision of the participating costume designers. Awards will be presented to selected finalists during the event.
Guests Are Invited to Dress for the Occasion
Make it a night out with high fashion, creative festival style, or simply come as you are and enjoy the show.
Closing Day Event
Awards Ceremony
Honoring the winners of the Mindfield Film Festival – Albuquerque
Join us as we celebrate the filmmakers, screenwriters, performers, and creative voices recognized during this year’s Mindfield Film Festival.
The ceremony will honor standout achievements across the festival, including official award winners, special recognitions, and the artists who helped make this year’s event unforgettable.
Dress to impress, come festival casual, or simply come as you are. We’d love to celebrate with you.
The Celebration Continues
After Party at Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill
Immediately following the Awards Ceremony, join us at Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill and keep the Closing Day celebration going.
Location
Tractor Brewing – Nob Hill
118 Tulane Dr SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Festival Pass Perk
$1 Off Beer
Must be 21+ with valid ID.
No passes or festival credentials are required for the after party—just show up and celebrate with us.