The Can’t Beat Love San Antonio Youth Film Contest was a formed in 2010 and co-sponsored by NCJW-SA and Family Violence Prevention Services of San Antonio. The program was a city-wide high school film contest where students were given a theme at the beginning of the school year and were instructed to create public service announcements or short films. These works were submitted at the end of January and in late February the contest would culminate in an Oscar-style Awards night. Over the course of 10 years, the students created an impressive body of work as shown in the links below. The messages of these films are as relevant today as they were when created.

Contest Winners: 2010-2019

2018-2019: School Violence

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards:

Short Film Winners

  • Trepidation – 1st Place, Zachary Goodwin, Marshall HS

  • Unnoticed– 2nd Place & Peer Choice, Michael Carreon, Jefferson HS

  • Reflection– 3rd Place, Kara Hawley, Communications Arts

PSA Winners

  • War Zone – 1st Place & Peer Choice, Marco Zaragoza, John Marshall High School

  • Danger Alley – 2nd Place, Jonathan Ascencio, John Paul Stevens High School

  • Remembrance – 3rd Place, Matthew Wilson, Earl Warren High School

Special Judges Awards

  • Best Female Actor: Trepidation, Serenity Tapia, John Marshall High School

  • Best Male Actor: Unnoticed, Liam Fillmore, Communications Arts High School

  • Best Cinematography: Crisis, Juston Cantu & Jesse Ibarra, Harlandale High School

  • Creativity: Faded, Josephine Malango, John Paul Stevens High School

  • Honorable Mention: The List, Rebecca Coronado, Harlandale High School

2017-2018: Teen Trafficking

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards:

  • Short Film

    • 1st Place Winner, Miranda Potter and Jade Jess for Blue Ink – St. Mary’s Hall

    • 2nd Place Winner, Marco Zaragoza for Muted— John Marshall High School

    • Additional recognition include:Peer Choice Award

    • Best Actress – Kate Eldredge

    • Best Actor – Xander Heller

    • 3rd Place Winner, David Guerrero for Coerced — Harlandale High School

    • Honorable Mention, Class of Ms. Zurita for The Last Goodbye — St. Anthony’s High School

    • Honorable Mention, Audrina Valle, Taken Innocence, Brackenridge High School

    Public Service Announcements

    • 1st Place Winner, Cara Vocale for Not So Distant— John Paul Stevens High School

    • 2nd Place Winner, Fatima Aguillon for Unspeakable— Harlandale High School

    • 3rd, Zachary Goodwin for Awareness — John Paul Stevens High School

2016-2017: Cyber Bullying

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards:

  • 1st Place Winner, Demar Gunter for David – St. Mary’s Hall
    Additional recognition include:

    • Peer Choice Award

  • 2nd Place Winner, Crawford Banks for King Cyber — Alamo Heights High School

  • 3rd Place Winner, Sam Herrera for Personal Glitch — Harlandale High School

  • 4th Place Winner, Nicholas Luna for Disconnected — John Marshall High School

  • 5th Place Winner, Class of Ms. Zurita for Unplugged — St. Anthony’s High School

  • Special Recognition for Positive Message, Deja Perez for Cyber Bully — Brackenridge High School

  • Special Recognition for Creativity, Audrina Valle for The Bully that Follows — Brackenridge High School

  • Special Recognition for Actor in a Leading Role, Charlie Esparza for Squeak — John Marshall High School

  • Special Recognition for Actress(es) in a Leading Role, Briana Molina, Arianna Urias, Karla Lucero, Sofi Villalvazo for Exposed — John Marshall High School

  • Special Recognition for Foreign Language, Jack Nguyen for Speak Out — John Marshall High School

2015-2016: Teen Dating Violence

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards:

Foreign Language

Documentary awards

2014-2015: Peer Pressure

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Joe Mata for All for Love – John Marshall High School

  • 2nd Place Winner, Jasalyn Garcia for Be Smart, Speak Up – Harlandale High School

  • 3rd Place Winner (tie), Anahi Molina for Dead End – Alamo Heights High School

  • 3rd Place Winner (tie), Demar Gunter for Are You Sure? – Saint Mary’s Hall

  • Peer Choice, Alexia Salingaros for L’aide – Saint Mary’s Hall

  • Best originality, Courtney Hansford for Pressure – G.W. Brackenridge High School

PSA Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Mariah Espinoza for Brave – Harlandale High School

  • 2nd Place Winner, Anthony Zarate for Pressure Cracks – Roosevelt High School

  • 3rd Place Winner (tie), Class of Louisette Zurita for Hands of Fate – St. Anthony High School

Foreign Language Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Alexia Salingaros for L’aide – St. Mary’s Hall
    Additional recognition includes:

    • Outstanding performance, Alexia Salingaros

  • 2nd Place Winner, Yesenia Olvera for Contenerme – G.W. Brackenridge High School


2013-2014: Substance Abuse and Addiction

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Jocelyn Rodriguez for A Tale of Addiction – G.W. Brackenridge High School
    Additional recognition include:

    • Peer Choice

  • 2nd Place Winner, Jasalyn Garcia for One Time – Harlandale High School

  • 3rd Place Winner (tie), Baldemar Esquivel for Desolate Heights – G.W. Brackenridge High School

  • 3rd Place Winner (tie), Juan Lopera for One Night – Saint Mary’s Hall

  • Special Judge’s Award, Alexia Salingaros for Fly – Saint Mary’s Hall

  • Special Judge’s Award, Class of Louisette Zurita for What’s the Worst That Could Happen? – St. Anthony’s Catholic High School School

  • Special Judge’s Award, Samuel Knight for Black Tar – North East School of the Arts

PSA Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Vanessa Perez for Decisions – G.W. Brackenridge High School

  • 2nd Place Winner, Alfredo Lozano de la Garza for Esperanza – North East School of the Arts

  • 3rd Place Winner, Thomas Rivera for Alternatives to Drugs – Alamo Heights High School

  • Peer Choice, Gina Hanna for The Effects of Drug Abuse – Robert G. Cole High School

  • Special Judge’s Award, Julia Obregon for Reasons – Harlandale High School

Foreign Language Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Yesenia Olvera for La Peine – G.W. Brackenridge High School

  • 2nd Place Winner, Katherine Padron for Adrian – John Marshall High School

  • 3rd Place Winner, Shanen Calma for Eating Virus – John Marshall High School

2012-2013: Why a Bully Bullies

Short Film & Special Judges’ Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Antonio Rodriguez for Contagious – Harlandale HS

  • 2nd Place Winner, Roland Olveda for Be a Big Brother – Thomas Jefferson HS

  • 3rd Place Winner, Lennon Maldonado for No Excuses – Thomas Jefferson HS

  • Peer Choice, Darrell Martin for Why Bullies Bully – Providence Catholic HS

  • Special Judge’s Award, Jesse Torres for Don’t Hate – Thomas Jefferson HS

  • Animation, Ernesto Ruelas for Save A Bully – Harlandale HS

PSA Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Samantha Serna for Starts at Home – G.W. Brackenridge High School

  • 2nd Place Winner, Avery Garza for Faces of Bullying – Stevens HS

  • 3rd Place Winner, Nathan Engel for Know the Signs – Alamo Heights High School

  • Peer Choice, Jasmine Sanchez for Who Am I? – Judson HS

Foreign Language Awards

2011-2012: Bullying

Short Film Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Antonio Rodriguez for This Is Your Life – Harlandale HS

  • 2nd Place Winner, Diego Cole for Hope – Earl Warren HS

  • 3rd Place Winner, Stephanie Garza for Brother – Harlandale HS

  • Honorable Mention, Crystal Taylor for Duck Pond.com – Harlendale HS

  • Honorable Mention, Melissa Bradly for A Friend In Need – Churchhill HS

PSA Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Jorge Hernandez for Bully – G.W. Brackenridge High School

  • 2nd Place Winner, Emileigh Potter for Perceptions – Churchill HS

  • 3rd Place Winner, Michael Abostes for Lies – Thomas Jefferson HS

2010-2011: Teen Dating Violence

Short Film  Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, Adrian Jaso for Trapt – Harlandale HS

  • 2nd Place Winner, Aaron Iruegas for The Call – Harlandale High School

  • 3rd Place Winner, Eric Soto for Can’t Beat Love – Edgewood Fine Arts

PSA Awards

  • 1st Place Winner, JoRene Perez for The Note – Harlandale HS

  • 2nd Place Winner, Melody Zuniga for Personal Space– Harlandale HS

  • 3rd Place Winner, Lissette Longoria for Sweeter than the Truth – Thomas Jefferson HS

  • Honorable Mention, Lennon Maldanado for Sugarcoat – Thomas Jefferson HS

Community Endorsements

  • The Can’t Beat Love San Antonio Youth Film Contest is an exciting and great opportunity for our young people in our community to showcase their film and artistic talents to highlight the tough and difficult issues that our teenagers face on a daily basis. Please show us your talents and win great prizes and citywide recognition at our Awards Ceremony. Don’t miss the fun. See you in Hollywood one of these days.

    Judge Peter Sakai, 225th District Court

  • The “Can’t Beat Love Film Contest,” a rarity in its strictly-for-local-high-school-students contest format, is a gem. Its structure has afforded teachers and students throughout the city the opportunity to discuss the heavy subjects teenagers usually feel the need to obscure because they haven’t been challenged to find the words or images to formulate responses. Additionally, the contest allows for students to compete via group or individual entries within the same category, making it an extremely fair playing field. As a teacher with very little equipment and annual novices to this contest, I extremely appreciate the Can’t Beat Love contest. Not only does it give voice to very important subjects and discussions that need to be addressed at all ages, but allows a rarely heard voice, our youth-tomorrow’s future, the chance to voice their observations and solutions to important subjects and discussions that need to be heard by all ages.

    Miss Louisette Zurita, Speech, Theatre, Film, Music Ministry, Head of Blended Learning Accelerated Program
    St. Anthony Catholic High School


  • The Can’t beat love video contest allows me as a teacher to not only give my students a project they can complete in class, but it also creates an environment amongst my classroom that is extremely cooperative. From the unveiling of the topic to the huge spectacular awards ceremony, my kids are working together and not only creating cool videos, but they are educating themselves about a serious topic society faces. I can’t say enough great things about this contest, I will always assign it to my students as long as they continue to offer such a great event.

    John Munoz, Film Teacher, Alamo Heights High School

  • The films included in the Can’t Beat Love Education Module have proved to be a tremendous tool we use among several groups including the teen Jewish group NIFTY, camp counselor training, and older campers in our program. The films are perfect for launching into discussions about the issues that these kids face every day and gives them strategies on how best to deal with them. The series on Substance Abuse and Addiction encompassed so many additional themes such as peer pressure as well. We ended up scheduling a follow-on session to complete the discussion. This film program is a wonderful program and has served us well.

    Lisa Guerrero, Chief Programming Officer, Jewish Community Center