HOUSTON, July 29, 2026 — Following an open call for Greater Houston filmmakers and a panel review, Houston filmmakers Christian Briones and Orlando Briones, working as Filmatic, have been selected to lead Cascarita. Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) are facilitating the project, which is supported by a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The documentary will explore how soccer shapes community life, identity, and connection across Houston.
The project has moved quickly since the NEA announced its support in April as part of Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports, a national initiative connecting local creativity and cultural traditions with soccer-related celebrations surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026™. HAA was one of 11 organizations selected nationwide. Soon after the award, HAA and HCAS launched an open call for Greater Houston filmmakers, completed a panel review, and selected Filmatic to lead the film’s creative development and production.
“This project gives us an opportunity to share a Houston story through the people and neighborhoods where soccer is part of everyday life,” said Grace Zuñiga, chief programming officer for Houston Arts Alliance and project lead. “The team behind Filmatic brings a personal connection to both filmmaking and the game, along with a clear vision for documenting the traditions, relationships, and sense of belonging that grow around it.”
Filmatic grew up on Houston’s north side, where Sunday league soccer was woven into family and community life. Their proposed approach combines live match footage, interviews, and cinematic reenactments to tell the stories of local clubs, players, and families. The film will focus not only on competition, but also on the rituals, memories, and intergenerational connections surrounding the sport.
“For me, fútbol, filmmaking, and family have always been connected,” Christian Briones said. “I want this film to honor the people whose passion for the game lives on Houston’s neighborhood fields and to share stories that often go unseen.”
Filmatic received a $22,000 production budget to develop and complete a 20- to 30-minute documentary or an agreed-upon series of short films. The project also is expected to create hands-on workforce development opportunities for emerging filmmakers. Production is planned for summer 2026, followed by post-production, a free public screening, and an online release. The screening will include a community conversation about the film’s themes and the role of soccer in neighborhood life.
Following Houston’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches, Cascarita will offer a locally grounded look at the sport’s impact beyond the stadium, highlighting the public parks, school fields, and informal gathering places where soccer brings Houstonians together.
“Houston’s filmmakers are uniquely positioned to tell the stories of the communities that shape our city,” said Katie Creeggan-Rios, executive director of Houston Cinema Arts Society. “We’re proud to support Filmatic as they bring this deeply local story to the screen and inspire emerging filmmakers along the way.”
Additional information about the screening and online release will be announced as the project progresses.
About Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that strengthens Houston’s creative ecosystem through programs supported by private, philanthropic, and public partners. As Houston’s local arts agency, we partner with the City of Houston on key public programs while also delivering privately and philanthropically supported initiatives that serve the broader creative ecosystem. This includes administering city-funded arts grants, commissioning and caring for civic art, leading cultural planning, and supporting resilience and recovery efforts that strengthen Houston’s creative community.
About Houston Cinema Arts Society
Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) engages, enriches, and empowers Houston’s diverse cultures and communities by programming and supporting filmmaking and the arts. Their goal is to uplift the importance of film as an accessible device for storytelling and raising awareness, and to create a sustainable film culture in Houston; they work to empower regional and underrepresented filmmakers and to showcase Houston’s diversity and cultural riches via community programs that highlight the intersection of film with other art forms and global issues. HCAS is creating an infrastructure for Houston filmmakers and film lovers to find projects that they are passionate about, connect and engage with each other, and make it possible for film production and film exhibition to have a strong foundation in Houston. Follow HCAS on Instagram, Facebook , Twitter, TikTok and LetterBoxd.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.
