Oculto Film Fest: A cross-border horror experience born from passion for storytelling

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Cabe Tejada, founder and director of the Oculto Film Fest, credits his aunt’s captivating childhood stories as the inspiration behind his passion for storytelling, which led him to create the bi-national horror festival in El Paso and Juarez.

Cabe Tejada always understood the power of a good story—a passion sparked by his aunt’s captivating tales. “She came over and told us these crazy stories. That actually changed my life,” he recalls.

Growing up in Juarez, Tejada directed his first play at just 16, eventually moving to the U.S. to attend NMSU.

While his family initially struggled to understand his decision to pursue theater and ballet, their support quickly grew.

“At first, they didn’t understand, but really quickly, they realized this was something I was very passionate about and something that I was going to be supported on,” says Tejada.

During film school, he noticed many of his friends had high-quality short films but no platform to showcase them.

This observation inspired him to create the Oculto Film Fest, which has since blossomed into a six-day bi-national event spanning El Paso and Juarez.

“I realized there really was a need for exhibition places,” explains Tejada.

Now in its sixth year, the festival has evolved into an international celebration of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi films.

This year, Oculto Film Fest will feature 31 films selected from over 200 submissions, including eight from El Paso and Juarez. The event offers screenings, workshops, panels, and exclusive parties, taking place from October 4-6 in El Paso and October 11-13 in Juarez.

“It’s really fulfilling that something that was in your mind materializes and other people can enjoy it,” says Tejada.

Though the work is demanding, he finds joy in seeing how the festival has grown, adding, “It’s great to see people engaging with the festival, and that this is something we can call El Paso and Juarez-born.”

Tickets for Oculto Film Fest are available through Ticketmaster and Eventbrite. For more details, visit OcultoFilmFest.com.