Film & Friends Is Back: Five Films, One Night, Built in Public
Come watch five new films, meet the people who made them, and be somebody's first audience.
Five films. Five Austin filmmakers. For most of them, June 27 is the first time their work meets a public audience. One night at Hyperreal, then it's gone.
✦ Photos by Artist Access Program participant Minnie Jackson
Five films. One night.
Brand new work from our MAKE SOMETHING courses, followed by an unfiltered, no-script Q&A with the filmmakers. Real people, real stakes, real Austin.
Documentary · Devin Alejandro-Wilder
DIVINA: The Docushort!
A fan-made, DIY telling of Divina, Austin's longest-running all-Latinx drag show. From the Documentary Intensive with Todd Wiseman.
Narrative Short · Jules Marenghi
The Dull Edge
A woman drives cross-country to a new city, suspended between who she was and who she's becoming, where the quiet beauty of starting over rides shotgun. From Script to Screen.
Narrative Short · Yancy Anali Lopez
When It Lingers
A woman steps back into dating for the first time, while something lingering refuses to leave the frame. From the Narrative Intensive with William F. Reed.
Narrative Short · Brogan Lozano
WORKBOT
Arthur, an aloof call-center worker, is the only one who clocks that the new hire is a robot named "Kyle." The office is infatuated. Arthur sees it's making them all obsolete. Written by Grayson Connor, from Script to Screen.
Narrative Short · Marcus Bustamante
A Foul But Familiar Sound
A short film of understanding and consequence. From the Narrative Intensive with William F. Reed.
All artist programs at a glance.
Film & Friends is one piece of a much bigger ecosystem, all of it built to tear down financial barriers and put real tools in real hands.
- Artist Access ProgramA full year of free studios, gear, classes, and mentorship for working artists with active projects.
- Artists in Motion ResidencySix months for media artists who've never had a residency, with Cinemaker access, classes, and funding for a final public event.
- Two Artists x Six MonthsOur 2026 experiment. Two local artists, free Cinemaker access, no deliverables, no strings.
- Future of Film FundTuition-free classes, workshops, and camps for anyone facing financial or systemic barriers.
- The RosterOur directory of local filmmakers, photographers, and media artists ready to hire. Filter, find, hire local.
- Cinemaker Studio MembershipFlexible, low-cost studio and gear access. Think gym membership, but for artists.
Come hang out.
The Summer Film Social is our quarterly open house at the Black Box Studio. Part celebration, part welcome party, filmmakers at every stage in one room. Cold drinks, light bites, come as you are.
Tuesday, June 30 · 6 to 9 PM · Cinemaker, 916 Springdale Rd · Free