The El Paso Film & Creative Industries Commission and the El Paso Film Festival invite you to a special celebration and screening of The Weird Kidz – the first animated feature film ever made in El Paso.

Join them Thursday night, May 11th, at 7 pm at the historic Plaza Theatre for the debut of Zach Passero’s animated film. The screening is free, and doors will open at 6:30 pm.

Painstakingly animated by Passero over eight years and made entirely in El Paso with a small group of collaborators, The Weird Kidz was an initial recipient of the first-ever Local Filmmaker Incentive Grant through the City of El Paso’s Museum and Cultural Affairs Department in 2018.

While much of the cast and crew are local natives, the ensemble is rounded out by well-known talent from afar, which includes Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood), Sean Bridgers (Deadwood, Get Shorty), Angela Bettis (May, The Woman), and as producer, Lucky McKee (May, Poker Face), all of whom will attend the El Paso premiere. The event will include an introduction by Zach Passero and, following the film, a Q&A with the cast and crew.

This animated feature film is a true labor of love. Written and single-handedly animated by Passero with his wife Hannah painting the film’s backgrounds, The Weird Kidz is a horror-inflected creature feature and an ode to ’80s coming-of-age films and late-night cinema tales. When three pre-teen boys and an older brother and his girlfriend take off for a weekend campout, none of them can imagine the horrors (and laughs) awaiting them in a remote desert inhabited by a legendary night creature and crazed townsfolk. Puberty and adventure await…along with terror, amputations, and midnight cult rituals!

“I’m so proud to have made The Weird Kidz entirely in my hometown of El Paso. I couldn’t have made the film without the support and collaboration of so many good people here. The Plaza Theatre is such a beautiful and historic venue. It’s a dream come true to get to share it on the Plaza’s huge screen!” Passero stated.

“We are excited to be able to showcase this truly artistic feat for many reasons. A full-length animated film is unique in itself, but to have a local filmmaker complete such an endeavor is a rarity. We can’t wait for the public to see it,” said Drew Mayer-Oakes, Commissioner at El Paso Film & Creative Industries.

More recently, Passero was awarded the El Paso Filmmaker Award for Outstanding Achievement at the El Paso Film Festival last year. “Zach has been an incredible advocate for our city, and his work as a filmmaker has not only strengthened our creative community but has also showcased the kind of talent our city can produce on a bi-national stage,” said Carlos F. Corral, Artistic Director of the El Paso Film Festival.

The Weird Kidz has seen success on the independent film festival circuit and has won the Audience Award at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and Best Picture Jury Award at Nevermore Film Festival. It is also slated to make its European debut at ANIFILM in the Czech Republic this summer after taking part in Salem Fest in late April.

Filmmaker Zach Passero and producers Lucky McKee and Charles Horak are available for interviews.

For more information, please go to theweirdkidz.com.