Justice for My People
Film Festival 2026
We're excited to welcome you to the Justice for My People Film Festival 2026, where filmmakers dedicated to telling stories about healing and transformation are celebrated and put center stage. We are championing our slate of films that reimagine justice through film. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite here. Our films are intended for mature audiences, touching on significant themes in a trauma-informed manner. Parental discretion is advised.
Thursday, October 8th | PROGRAMMING
Block 1: Spotlighting JFMS Programs: 5:00
Block 1 is appropriate for all ages with parental guidance advised.
Year: 2026
Runtime: 2:37 min
Director: Jennifer Pedroza and Natalie Garcia
Logline: A love letter to every parent who ever worried they weren't doing enough. It explores the beautiful truth that what a child remembers isn't the wealth or perfection, but the fierce, unconditional love that kept them safe.
Title: Valencia Brown: Keeping the Recipes
Year: 2026
Runtime: 3:14 min
Director(s): Julio Revilla and Chelsea Brown
Logline: Chelsea recounts the memory of her late mother and her passion for community service and cooking.
Title: What's in a Name
Year: 2026
Runtime: 3:33
Director: Julio Revilla
Logline: A young man thinks about the meaning behind his name, that he shares with his father and grandfather.
Title: Thelma
Year: 2026
Runtime: 2:04
Director(s): Evelyn Gonzalez
Logline: A woman explores how Imperialism in Guatemala affected her family history.
Title: Samulnori: The Intention of Peace and Love
Year: 2026
Runtime: 3:21
Director(s): EN’B Kim
Logline: A drummer shares their connection to traditional Korean drumming and the spiritual, cultural, and political history of Samulnori.
Title: I Have Wings but I Cannot Fly
Year: 2026
Runtime: 14:50
Director(s): Victor Velasco
Logline: A struggling single mother secretly brings her troubled son to work at the towering Bank of Avalon. When her son suddenly exhibits alarming signs of turning into a bird, she’s forced to protect him before others discover his true nature.
Title: Breathe, Brother, Breathe
Year: 2026
Runtime: 18:52
Writer/Director(s): Arman Khaghani
Logline: An asthmatic Iranian-American high schooler learns the trumpet to keep a precious friendship intact, reconnect with his emotionally distant family, and take control of his fragmented life.
Evelyn Gonzalez, Chelsea Brown, Julio Revilla, EN’B Kim, Jennifer Pedroza, Andrea Diaz, Victor Velasco, Arman Khaghani
2025 - 2026 PA Cohort Graduation: 6:30
Intermission: 7:00 PM
Title: A Love Letter to My Mother
Title: Everybody Deserves a Fair Chance
Year: 2026
Runtime: 6:00
Director(s): Andrea Diaz
Logline: A short documentary spotlighting LA County’s “Fair Chance to Thrive: Building New Futures Through Work” campaign.
Panel 1: 6:00
Title: Adidas Spec Commercial (LFI Below the Line Spec Commercial)
Year: 2026
Runtime:
Director(s):
Logline: A gritty, high-energy profile of physical endurance following a boxer pushing past her limits, highlighting intense stamina and raw performance.
Title: Gushers Spec Commercial (LFI Below the Line Spec Commercial)
Year: 2026
Runtime:
Director(s):
Logline: A vibrant, surreal journey into a high-concept "World of Color" set build where a simple bite ignites an explosive, multi-sensory burst of flavor and imagination.
Block 2: SPOTLIGHTING TRAUMA INFORMED STORIES AND HEALING NARRATIVES: 7:20
Block 2 is best suited for 18+ audience members as it deals with nudity, sexual assault, violence, and other adult themes.
Title: Hatchlings
Year: 2026
Runtime: 15:00
Writer/Director: Jahmil Eady
Logline: A resentful teenager babysits her turtle-obsessed half-brother as he dives into a vivid fantasy world where he is a sea turtle and she is a tortoise.
Title: Glimmer
Year: 2026
Runtime: 15:04
Writer/Director: Vicente Garcia
Logline: After losing a career-making deal, a queer Latinx fashion designer discovers the power of "glimmers" small, magic-like moments that lead him to take an unexpected leap of faith in his life.
Title: I Think My R*p*st is a Pretty Nice Guy (Trailer)
Year: 2026
Trailer
Runtime: 4:00
Writer/Director: Augusta Mariano
Logline: A dark comedy about FRANKIE, an outgoing college student, who struggles to process and accept her experience of sexual assault.
Title: All the Words but the One
Year: 2026
Runtime: 17:25
Director(s): Nava Mau
Logline: A dinner with her partner’s new boss becomes precarious when Maya realizes she’s also dining with someone from her past.
Title: Moleguan
Year: 2026
Runtime: 10:00
Writer/Director: Jacqueline Guido
Logline: A Filipine and Latine elder go from bickering and trying to outshine one another while preparing their cultural dishes, to combining their shared ancestral culinary powers to protect their LGBT senior community center from an ICE raid.
Care Behind the Camera: A Conversation on Trauma-Informed Filmmaking: 8:40
Moderated by Soraya Giaccardi Vargas, Featuring Nava Mau, Augusta Mariano, Vicente Garcia, Jacqueline Guido, Jahmil Eady.