By Frank Nuñez
As a filmmaker, there is nothing quite like sitting in a dark theater and watching your work come alive on the big screen.
For a few minutes, complete strangers laugh at the same joke, hold their breath during the same scene, or quietly wipe away a tear. Then the lights come up, the applause begins, and you realize your story connected with people you have never met.
It is a feeling that is difficult to explain.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to screen my independent films at festivals in New York and San Diego. My first trip to New York was not just memorable because one of my films was playing there. It was my first time visiting the city itself, trying authentic New York pizza from Lombardi’s, since 1905, walking through Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, and meeting filmmakers from around the world.
I realized that storytelling could take someone from a small town like Vista to places I had only seen in movies. It changed the way I looked at filmmaking and at life.
But it was not always like that. Years earlier, when I completed my first micro-budget film, 187 Shadow Lane, there was not a theater waiting to screen it. So we created our own.
We borrowed a room from Lifeline Community Center on Michigan Ave. in Vista, set up a projector, arranged about a hundred chairs, sold tickets ourselves, and hoped people would show up. It was not Hollywood. It was not Sundance. But to us, it felt just as important. We simply wanted people to experience a story we had poured our hearts into.
That little film eventually found nationwide distribution through Blockbuster Video. Looking back, it was not a perfect film, but it taught me something I will never forget. Sometimes you do not wait for opportunities. You build them.
That lesson eventually became Future Filmmakers of America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization I founded here in Vista.
After years of making films, I wanted to invest in the next generation of storytellers right here in Vista. I wanted local students to discover that filmmaking was not something reserved for Hollywood. It was something they could learn, experience, and maybe even build a future around.
This year, that vision reached another milestone. After being officially selected for the Strawberry Film Festival, our students’ short film, The Weight of the Tags, has now been accepted into the Miracle Makers International Film Festival in Newport Beach.
For many people, a film festival is simply another event on the calendar. What most people do not see are the hundreds of submissions, the months, sometimes years, of work behind each film, and the excitement that comes with receiving an acceptance letter.
Not every film is selected. That is what makes this moment so meaningful. It means a group of students from Vista created something worthy of being showcased alongside filmmakers from around the world.
The Miracle Makers International Film Festival, founded by producer, performer, and festival director Erin Miracle, takes place September 2 through 6 in Newport Beach. The festival brings together filmmakers, storytellers, industry professionals, and audiences around films and creative work designed to inspire, uplift, and create lasting impact.
When I spoke with Erin Miracle about the festival, one comment stayed with me.
“Young filmmakers are the future,” she said. “Every generation has its own way of communicating, and we need to encourage them to become a light in the darkness.”
That philosophy perfectly reflects why Future Filmmakers of America exists. Our goal has never been simply to teach children how to operate a camera. We teach collaboration. We teach storytelling. We teach creativity. We teach confidence. Most importantly, we teach students that their voice matters.
When I asked Erin what stood out about our students’ film, she did not talk about expensive equipment or visual effects. She talked about the heart behind it.
“What stood out about Future Filmmakers of America was the production value, the heart behind its mission, and the lasting impact the film leaves on people after they watch it.”
As the founder of Future Filmmakers of America, those words meant more than any award or trophy ever could.
Once a week, for two hours after school, I work with students from third through eighth grade, and I honestly do not know who I am teaching.
Maybe one of them will become the next Steven Spielberg. Maybe another will become the next Spike Lee. Maybe another will tell stories in a way none of us can imagine today.
The truth is, none of us knows. That is exactly why I take this responsibility so seriously.
Every lesson, every camera, and every script is another opportunity to help a young person discover something about themselves they did not know before.
Sometimes the greatest gift we can give a child is not a finished film. It is the confidence to believe they can create one and that their story has the power to make a difference.
Looking back, it is incredible to think that I once had to create my own screening because no one knew my work. Today, I am helping students skip some of those same hurdles by giving them cameras, mentors, and opportunities I could only dream about when I started.
And now these students are getting the opportunity to experience something I once dreamed about myself.
On September 5, The Weight of the Tags will be screened as part of the Miracle Makers International Film Festival in Newport Beach. The film has also received two nominations at this year’s festival.
For these students, that means their work is no longer just something they made in an after-school classroom. It is something they can see on a professional screen, surrounded by filmmakers and storytellers from around the world.
I will also attend the Miracle Makers Awards Dinner and Gala on September 6 with my 10-year-old son.
Win or lose, it does not matter to me. The experience itself is a victory. These kids are getting a glimpse of what is possible. And maybe years from now, one of them will look back at this moment the same way I look back at my first film festival.
I had to fight to find the door. Now, I have the privilege of holding it open for the next generation.
This September, Future Filmmakers of America returns to the classroom for another year of storytelling. Another group of students will pick up a camera for the first time. Another story will begin with a blank page.
And who knows?
The next great filmmaker may already be sitting in a classroom right here in Vista.
About the Author
Frank Nuñez is a filmmaker, author, and community storyteller from Vista. His forthcoming memoir, Los Angeles Street: From Juvenile Hall to the Ballot Box, tells his story of resilience, redemption, and second chances. It will be released later this year.
If you have a local book, film, theater production, art exhibit, or community story worth sharing, email Frank at Frank4Vista@yahoo.com. While he may not be able to cover every submission, he welcomes ideas for future columns.
