ANNOUNCING WIFT TEXAS SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL DIRECTOR-BRENDA PATRICIA GARZA

WIFT TEXAS ANNOUNCES BRENDA PATRICIA GARZA AS SOUTH TEXAS NETWORK REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Award-winning filmmaker, casting director and RGV Talent Consulting founder will lead the WIFT Texas South Texas Network, serving the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo

SAN ANTONIO / RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS, September, 5, 2026 — Women in Film & Television Texas [WIFT Texas] is proud to announce Brenda Patricia Garza as Regional Director of the WIFT Texas South Texas Network, serving the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. Garza’s appointment follows the inaugural region premiere of the Coastal Bend Network announced in June, launching the WIFT Texas Regional Networks initiative, the statewide leadership model to bring the chapter’s programming, platforms and membership pathways to underserved regions of Texas.

An award-winning filmmaker, producer, casting director and actress based in the Rio Grande Valley, Garza is the founder of RGV Talent Consulting & Production Services and a multiple Best Director honoree whose work spans union and non-union film, television, commercial and digital productions. As a member of the WIFT Texas Council of Commissioners, Brenda Garza’s path to Regional Director was an appointment by the organization’s board of directors.

“Brenda has been building the bridge between South Texas and the larger Texas media and entertainment industry for years, one casting call and one production at a time,” said Ceslie Armstrong, CEO and Board Chair of Women in Film & Television Texas. “She understands the creative side and the operational side of this industry and knows every corner of the organization’s South Texas Network, and she has a very big vision for what the region can become. That is exactly the kind of leader the Regional Networks were designed for and we are very confident in our decision to appoint Brenda to join the leadership of Women in Film & Television Texas,” continued Armstrong, “WIFT Texas is headquartered in San Antonio, the second-largest city in Texas and the southern United States, and, along with our partners and supporters, continues to invest in platforms and programming to represent and serve women across Texas and beyond. I know Brenda will bring her region to life leveraging our platforms, programming, and new opportunities we will create together.”

As South Texas Regional Director, Garza will serve as the visible ambassador and local connector for WIFT Texas across the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo, working in tandem with the San Antonio headquarters. She will help expand membership engagement, identify regional programming opportunities, elevate local professionals, and strengthen connections among members, partners, productions, film commissions, educators, civic leaders, and creative entrepreneurs throughout the region, including at the upcoming South Texas International Film Festival, where she previously served for seven years as chair of public relations and live-event host.

“I’m incredibly honored to represent the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo as part of WIFT Texas’ growing regional leadership,” said Brenda Patricia Garza. “Our region is filled with extraordinary talents who are creating, leading and telling stories, and I want to help connect those voices, open more doors and make sure our region has a seat at the table. Growing our industry isn’t just about bringing productions to South Texas. It’s about building an ecosystem where the people who already live, create and dream here have the opportunity to grow with it. I’m excited to work alongside WIFT Texas to build community, expand access and create meaningful opportunities for creatives throughout our region and across the state.”

THE SOUTH TEXAS NETWORK

The WIFT Texas South Texas Network serves the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo areas, informally known as “the 956,” and the surrounding South Texas communities, including Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, Weslaco, Mercedes, Donna, La Joya, Hidalgo, Roma, Rio Grande City, Zapata, Raymondville, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, San Benito, Cotulla, Encinal, Carrizo Springs, Pearsall, Dilley, Pleasanton and Floresville. Several of these communities, including McAllen, Brownsville, Edinburg, Mission, Mercedes, South Padre Island, Pearsall, Pleasanton and Floresville, hold the Texas Film Commission’s Film Friendly Texas designation.

The Regional Networks initiative reflects a simple reality: Texas is one of the largest and most creatively dynamic states in the country, yet women in many regions remain underserved by consistent professional platforms, industry convenings and leadership pipelines. Each WIFT Texas Regional Network is anchored by a Regional Director and supported by headquarters in San Antonio, the second-largest city in Texas (after Houston) and the USA. San Antonio is not included in any single network and serves as the hub for all WIFT Texas Regional Networks.

“The South Texas Network is a natural next step for WIFT Texas,” said Eileen Kret, Vice President of Women in Film & Television Texas. “The Rio Grande Valley and Laredo are home to a deep bench of actors, filmmakers, crews, and creative entrepreneurs, and Brenda has spent her career championing them. Regional leadership lets us listen locally, respond regionally, and continue building a connected statewide community of women to serve.”

“We have the talent both in front of and behind the camera, but opportunities don’t always reach our region,” added Garza. “Once we have access to resources and to opportunity, our creative communities will become stronger. That’s what I hope to help build across the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.”

The South Texas Network follows the Coastal Bend Network, led by inaugural Corpus Christi-based Regional Director Paulina Manseau, announced in June 2026. The West Texas Network is planned next, with additional regional leadership announcements to follow as the initiative expands.

Brenda Garza’s appointment reflects WIFT Texas’ commitment to growing through collaboration rather than competition, and to its big-tent membership model that welcomes qualified professionals across Texas and beyond, including members who maintain relationships with multiple WIFT chapters and creative markets. Better Together!