Albuquerque, New Mexico
Soul of the Southwest
Film & Music Festival
Celebrating film, music, culture, and community in the heart of New Mexico.
Festival Weekend: June 18–20, 2027 · Albuquerque, New Mexico
Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival is a new cultural destination event created to bring filmmakers, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, sponsors, vendors, and audiences together in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Built at the intersection of film, music, and cultural celebration, Soul of the Southwest is designed to spotlight powerful stories, emerging voices, live performances, community business, and the creative energy of the Southwest.
This festival is more than an event. It is a movement to create opportunity, visibility, tourism, economic impact, and a lasting cultural experience for Albuquerque and the region.
Film. Music. Culture. Community. Southwest Soul.
Soul of the Southwest is where stories are seen, voices are heard, music is felt, and culture is celebrated.
We invite sponsors, vendors, filmmakers, artists, community leaders, and supporters to be part of this movement from the beginning.
About Soul of the Southwest
Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival is a cultural festival based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, created to celebrate the power of film, music, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and community.
The festival was founded with a vision to build a major cultural event that reflects the diversity, creativity, and spirit of the Southwest while creating a platform for filmmakers, musicians, vendors, sponsors, and audiences to connect.
Albuquerque is a city with deep culture, powerful history, and growing momentum in film, television, music, and the arts. Soul of the Southwest is being built to contribute to that momentum by creating an event that brings people together, supports local and visiting creatives, and generates real economic and cultural impact.
Our festival welcomes filmmakers, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and audiences from all backgrounds, with a special commitment to celebrating Black culture, Afro-Latino culture, the African diaspora, Native, Latino, European and multicultural voices that shape the Southwest and the world.
Soul of the Southwest is designed to be inclusive, energetic, professional, and community-centered. It is a place where independent artists can be discovered, sponsors can connect with diverse audiences, vendors can grow their businesses, and the city can showcase its creative power.
What We Are Building
We are building a festival that includes film screenings, live music, vendor booths, sponsor partnerships, cultural programming, networking events, panel discussions, and community engagement.
Our goal is to grow Soul of the Southwest into a signature annual event that brings tourism, business opportunities, creative visibility, and cultural pride to Albuquerque and New Mexico.
This is the beginning of a long-term vision.
Mission Statement
The mission of Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival is to celebrate, elevate, and connect diverse voices through film, music, culture, and community.
We are committed to creating a powerful platform for filmmakers, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders to showcase their work, share their stories, and build meaningful relationships with audiences, sponsors, and industry professionals.
Soul of the Southwest exists to amplify underrepresented voices, support creative entrepreneurship, strengthen community pride, and contribute to the cultural and economic growth of Albuquerque and New Mexico.
Our mission is to build a festival that honors heritage, celebrates creativity, welcomes all communities, and creates lasting opportunities for artists, businesses, sponsors, and the people of the Southwest.
Our Core Values
Culture
We believe culture is a bridge that connects people, stories, music, history, and community.
Opportunity
We are creating space for filmmakers, musicians, artists, vendors, entrepreneurs, and sponsors to grow together.
Community
We are committed to building an event that serves Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the wider creative community.
Diversity
We welcome voices from all backgrounds and celebrate the cultural richness of the Southwest and beyond.
Economic Impact
We believe festivals can drive tourism, support local businesses, create jobs, and generate long-term value.
Legacy
We are building more than a one-time event. We are building a cultural institution for the future.
Get Involved
Support Soul of the Southwest and join us for an unforgettable festival weekend. Explore sponsorship or the Opening Night Gala to find your place in the movement.
Become a Sponsor
Align your organization with a growing cultural event bringing film, music, community, tourism, and business together in Albuquerque. Choose from sponsorship packages ranging from Soul Supporter to Legacy, and pay securely by card via Square.
View Sponsorship PackagesOpening Night Gala
The red carpet rolls out in Albuquerque. Join filmmakers, musicians, celebrities, and community leaders for an elegant night of film, music, and Southwest culture at the Kiva Auditorium — June 18, 2027.
Gala DetailsVendor Opportunities
Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival is now welcoming vendors interested in being part of a dynamic cultural event celebrating film, music, food, fashion, art, business, and community.
Our vendor marketplace is designed to showcase local and regional businesses while giving festival attendees a place to shop, eat, connect, and experience the culture of the Southwest.
We are looking for vendors who bring quality, creativity, professionalism, and energy to the festival experience.
Vendor Categories
- Food vendors
- Clothing and fashion brands
- Artists and makers
- Jewelry designers
- Beauty and wellness brands
- Cultural merchandise vendors
- Community organizations
- Small businesses
- Authors and creatives
- Film and music-related businesses
- Local service providers
- Nonprofit organizations
Why Become a Vendor?
- Promote your business to festival attendees
- Sell your products or services
- Connect with new customers
- Network with artists, sponsors, and community leaders
- Be part of a growing cultural event
- Support local arts, music, film, and entrepreneurship
Vendor space may be limited and will be reviewed based on fit, professionalism, product quality, and festival needs.
Interested vendors are encouraged to contact us early to receive vendor information, pricing, requirements, and application details.
Bring your business to Soul of the Southwest.
Film Submissions
Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival is accepting film submissions from filmmakers who are ready to share bold, powerful, entertaining, and meaningful stories with audiences in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
We welcome filmmakers from New Mexico, across the United States, and around the world.
Our festival is designed to provide a platform for independent filmmakers, emerging voices, established creators, and culturally important stories that deserve to be seen.
Submission Categories
- Feature films
- Short films
- Documentaries
- Music videos
- Student films
- New Mexico-made films
- International films
- Black cinema
- Afro-Latino stories
- Native and Indigenous stories
- Latino stories
- Southwest stories
- Faith-based and inspirational films
- Action, drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi, and genre films
What We Look For
Soul of the Southwest is looking for films with strong storytelling, originality, cultural value, emotional impact, entertainment value, and professional effort.
We are especially interested in stories that reflect identity, community, resilience, creativity, justice, history, family, music, culture, and the human experience.
Film submission details, deadlines, rules, fees, and notification dates will be announced soon.
Filmmakers interested in submitting should contact us for updates or follow the festival for official submission announcements.
Your story belongs on the screen. Submit to Soul of the Southwest.
Contact Soul of the Southwest
Thank you for your interest in Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival.
For sponsorship, vendor opportunities, film submissions, media inquiries, partnerships, volunteer interest, or general questions, please contact our team.
We are currently building partnerships, accepting interest from vendors and filmmakers, and connecting with organizations that want to be part of this growing cultural event.
We look forward to hearing from you and connecting about how you can be part of Soul of the Southwest Film & Music Festival.
Film. Music. Culture. Community. Southwest Soul.