Stay up to date on the latest Tribeca news and special offers with our newsletter. Sign up now.
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four

Viewpoints

World Premiere

USA | 91 MINUTES | English |

SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR

Female Director(s), Documentary, Latino Director(s)
“This case is the last gasp of the Satanic ritual abuse panic.” So says Debbie Nathan, a journalist and author of Satan’s Silence, and one of the many experts called up in the documentary Southwest of Salem to explore the case of the San Antonio Four. In 1994, four women were accused, tried, and convicted of the heinous sexual assault of two young girls—as one newscaster puts it, “the modern version of the witchcraft trials.” Twenty years later, the four women have maintained their innocence, insisting that the accusations were entirely fabricated, and borne of homophobic prejudice and a late-’90s mania about covens, cults, and child abuse. Southwest of Salem is a riveting and layered true crime story that explores the web of prejudices in a contentious trial and the interrelated political and personal forces that work to convict those thought guilty that perhaps trample the innocent in the process.

—Cara Cusumano

Read an interview with Southwest of Salem director Deborah S. Esquenazi about LGBT injustices, fighting for the "San Antonio Four," and more, at TribecaFilm.com.

Co-hosted by:


CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Deborah S. Esquenazi

Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin–based documentary filmmaker, radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her work explores the intersections of mythology and justice, identity and power. She is a fellow of the Sundance Documentary Film program, Sundance Creative Producing Labs, Firelight Media Producers' Labs, and IFP Spotlight on Docs. This is her debut feature.
Director
Deborah S. Esquenazi
Producer
Sam Tabet
Editor
Leah Marino, Liz Perlman
Cinematographer
Deborah S. Esquenazi
Executive Producer
Christopher Clements and Julie Goldman (Motto Pictures) Daniel Chalfen and Jim Butterworth (Naked Edge Films)
Composer
Sam Lipman
Field Producer
Liz LaBarge, Carrie Kenny, Elvia Mendoza
Additional Camera
Diana "Dee: Navarro, Eliva Mendoza
Finishing Editor
Toby Shimin
Consulting Editors
Jean Tsein, Mary Manhardt, Toby Shimin
Cast
Anna Vasquez, Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, Mike Ware, Keith Hampton, Jeff Blackburn, Javier Limon, Stephanie Limon, Debbie Nathan, Darrell Otto, Mary Burdette

CONTACTS

US Sales Contact
Josh Braun
Submarine Entertainment
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212 625 1410
josh@submarine.com
International Sales Contact
Daniel J. Chalfen
Naked Edge Films
New York, NY 10025
Phone: +1 (310) 435-2322
daniel@nakededgefilms.com
US Sales Contact
Zac Bright
Preferred Content
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: 323 782 9193
zac@preferredcontent.net
Print Source
Deborah S. Esquenazi
Deborah S. Esquenazi Productions, LLC
debesq@mac.com
Press Contact
David Magdael
David Magdael & Associates
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: 213 624 7827
dmagdael@dmagpr.com