In Sanctuary at the NY Shorts Film Festival: October 10 at Cinema Village

Introduction

In Sanctuary, the twelve-minute short film by Shi Zhang in which I play Ximena, is part of the New York Shorts International Film Festival. It screens on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Cinema Village in Greenwich Village, as part of the festival’s Program 8. I’ll be there, come say hello. Here is everything you need to join me.

When and where

Festival: New York Shorts International Film Festival 2026 (October 9 to 15)
Program: Program 8
Date and time: Saturday, October 10, 2026 · 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Venue: Cinema Village · 22 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Tickets: $19.99 plus a $0.50 service fee. One ticket covers the whole program.

Get Tickets

Short film festivals screen in blocks, so the ticket is for the full program of seven films, not for In Sanctuary alone. The program runs about an hour and a half, and the films play back to back.

The New York Shorts International Film Festival listing for In Sanctuary in Program 8, Saturday October 10 at 2:00 PM — *In Sanctuary* in the festival’s Program 8 listing.

What you will see

The festival describes the film this way: “Camila finds a job as a hotel maid in New York. She tries to both keep her place while sending money home. However, she realizes that she needs to give up something she holds dear in exchange for what she wants.”

Shi Zhang wrote and directed it, Gabrielle Davenport produced it, and Cristina Villalobos plays Camila. I play Ximena. I wrote about the film, the full cast and how I booked the role in my earlier post about In Sanctuary.

The rest of Program 8

In Sanctuary shares the program with six other short films, in the order the festival lists them:

Pleasant Afternoon · Fran Forman · 3 min
In Sanctuary (my film) · Shi Zhang · 12 min
Ant's Hill · Hector Roberto Valentine Jr · 14 min
Where Was There · John Takach and Matt Takach · 6 min
Zaban · Hashim Latif · 14 min
Madame Amérique · Ella Teresa Bogan · 26 min
Asphodel Hotel · Ke Xu · 5 min

Getting there

Cinema Village is at 22 East 12th Street, between Fifth Avenue and University Place, a short walk from Union Square. It is one of the city’s independent cinemas and has shown independent and foreign films in Greenwich Village for decades.

If you cannot make it

There is no public streaming link for In Sanctuary yet. The film posts its festival news on Instagram at @insanctuaryshort, and its IMDb page lists the cast and credits. When there is a way for anyone to watch it, I will add the link here.

Still courtesy of In Sanctuary (2026), a film by Shi Zhang. Program listing from the New York Shorts International Film Festival website.

Frequently Asked

When and where is In Sanctuary screening in New York?

In Sanctuary screens on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Cinema Village, 22 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003, as part of Program 8 of the New York Shorts International Film Festival.

How much are tickets?

Tickets are $19.99 plus a $0.50 service fee, sold on the festival website. One ticket covers the whole of Program 8.

How long is the screening?

Program 8 runs from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM and includes seven short films. In Sanctuary itself is twelve minutes long.

Will Gredivel Vasquez be at the screening?

Yes. I will be at Cinema Village for the October 10 screening. Come say hello.

What other films are in Program 8?

Pleasant Afternoon, Ant's Hill, Where Was There, Zaban, Madame Amérique and Asphodel Hotel screen alongside In Sanctuary.

Who does Gredivel Vasquez play in In Sanctuary?

I play Ximena, a supporting role. The film was written and directed by Shi Zhang, and Cristina Villalobos plays the lead, Camila.

Can I watch In Sanctuary online?

Not yet. There is no public streaming link at the moment. Festival news is posted on Instagram at @insanctuaryshort, and this page will be updated when a link exists.