There are some stories the Dallas native says<\/a> he has to vomit out or else he\u2019ll feel ill. His 2021 short film \u201cManos De Oro\u201d was inspired by his father getting sick. The pain of grief powered the picture in 2024\u2019s \u201cThe Mourning Of.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The script for his latest short film, \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out,\u201d<\/a> which stars a Fort Worth native, was the fastest he\u2019s ever put pen to paper. The film follows a social services agency that intrusively investigates a person\u2019s birthmark to learn who they are and where they\u2019re from.<\/p>\n Elizondo wrote the script last summer, but he said it became more relevant as the February production neared. That\u2019s a scary thought for him, as he feels like the country is at an inflection point.<\/p>\n \u201c[If I] can give you an eagle-eyed point of view of how wrong things feel in this country, then I\u2019ll have done my job,\u201d Elizondo said. \u201cI certainly didn\u2019t set out to do that, at least in the beginning. I set out to tell a story.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd25 In case you missed it… <\/p>\n Elizondo shot \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out\u201d over four days earlier this year.<\/p>\n In a world where birthmarks reveal past lives, the film follows L\u00e1zaro as he decides whether to uncover the origin of the mark on the back of his neck. Elizondo referenced \u201cSeverance,\u201d \u201cEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind\u201d and the 1998 Japanese film \u201cAfter Life\u201d as comparisons to his film.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out\u201d stars Ra\u00fal Castillo, Moira Kelly and Fort Worth native Julio Cesar Cedillo, who also appeared in Elizondo\u2019s \u201cManos De Oro\u201d and \u201cThe Mourning Of.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a quick four-day shoot for the film \u2014 three days at Dallas City Hall and one at Elizondo\u2019s parent\u2019s home. All the footage was captured in Dallas, a place Elizondo says has a lot to offer as a production hub.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the city, the city\u2019s home. My family\u2019s here, my friends are here,\u201d Elizondo said. \u201cI\u2019ve chosen to make a career here. That\u2019s on purpose, because I think the city has a lot to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a busy few years for the 31-year-old filmmaker.<\/p>\n In May 2023, Elizondo filmed \u201cThe Mourning Of\u201d in parts of Dallas and Fort Worth. The film follows a woman who grieves the loss of her mother by secretly attending the funerals of strangers.<\/p>\n The 16-minute film proved to be Elizondo\u2019s biggest project to date in both production and acclaim. Over 2024 and 2025, the film played a number of film festivals across the country, including in Dallas, El Paso and Fort Worth.<\/p>\n Internationally, the film also played in Mexico and Ireland.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was really special for people all over the world to accept it in the way that they did,\u201d Elizondo said.<\/p>\n In addition to all the festival activity, \u201cThe Mourning Of\u201d also landed Academy Awards eligibility after winning the best live action short prize at the 2024 St. Louis International Film Festival.<\/p>\n To qualify for an Oscar, a film must win a top prize at an Academy Award-qualifying film festival and then be submitted to the Academy for consideration. Right after Elizondo won in the Gateway City, his publicist consulted with him about an Oscar campaign.<\/p>\n Campaigning for an Oscar and for political office are closer than folks may think, as they both require tons of face time with voters at events. Elizondo was told it would be an expensive endeavor, but it could be a good investment for his career.<\/p>\n He went ahead, and said it was \u201cwonderful\u201d to elevate his perception as a filmmaker not just in Texas, but across the industry. From September to December 2025, he hit the pavement to spread word about \u201cThe Mourning Of.\u201d<\/p>\n The film ultimately did not land an Oscar nomination, but one of the things Elizondo learned from the whole experience is that perception is reality.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, it\u2019s political, Elizondo said. The films with major stars that play the big film festivals like Sundance or Venice<\/a> simply get more eyeballs on them, which in turn help push whatever narrative the campaign has going.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t often the best film that rises to the top, it\u2019s the most film,\u201d Elizondo said.<\/p>\n One of the narratives Elizondo was pushing for on the campaign is that \u201cThe Mourning Of\u201d is one of a handful of Oscar-qualifying films made by a Latino cast and crew.<\/p>\n Representation is baked into Elizondo\u2019s filmmaking philosophy, and he said Latinos are more than how Hollywood portrays them. This is not a \u201cLatino movie,\u201d it\u2019s something made by a filmmaker and crew that happen to be Latino.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that our stories and our culture is just as relevant as anybody else\u2019s,\u201d Elizondo said.<\/p>\n Last summer, Elizondo was invited to apply for the Latino Film Institute\u2019s Inclusion Fellowship, which is supported by Netflix.<\/p>\n His first inclination was to not apply, as he was gearing up for \u201cThe Mourning Of\u201d Oscar campaign and thought he was done making short films. He had also begun writing the script for his first feature film.<\/p>\n After some encouragement from friends, Elizondo changed his mind and began working on his application about two-and-a-half weeks before the window closed. In that time, he wrote a script, a cover letter, recorded a video pitch and locked down his budget for the film.<\/p>\n \u201cI just basically hunkered down and wrote something,\u201d Elizondo said.<\/p>\n That something stemmed from an idea he wrote down years ago about birthmarks representing who someone is and how they died in the past.<\/p>\n He heard the idea on a podcast and was fascinated by the notion of someone having a mark on their body that could indicate where a fatal wound occurred. Having grown up Catholic, the idea of knowing where someone has been to see where they\u2019re going also racked around his brain.<\/p>\n It all culminated in what became \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just have a general curiosity about things that you\u2019ve never seen before,\u201d Elizondo said. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen a movie about past lives done in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n In October 2025, the Latino Film Institute announced<\/a> that Elizondo was one of 10 filmmakers selected for the fellowship, which provides mentorship and production grants for live-action shorts.<\/p>\n The program is designed to give filmmakers an idea of what working with a movie studio is like, which includes getting \u201cstudio notes.\u201d As the name suggest, these are often remarks or comments from executives or other creatives given to the writer while developing the project.<\/p>\n This was a first for Elizondo, who has always been an independent filmmaker.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s difficult, but I\u2019m glad I did it, man,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Elizondo\u2019s film has a sci-fi element to it, but he wanted the project to have a grounded surrealism.<\/p>\n There are no aliens or flying cars in this world. Instead, he wanted something more bureaucratic. That\u2019s something Elizondo understands, having had family spend years in a logistical grind trying to land U.S. citizenship.<\/p>\n For the film\u2019s social services agency headquarters \u2014 the Office of Personal History \u2014 Elizondo turned to Dallas City Hall<\/a>, a building with some family history. His grandfather helped pour the building\u2019s concrete when it was under construction.<\/p>\n Elizondo had an in at city hall, since the Dallas City Council awarded him a special recognition for \u201cThe Mourning Of\u201d last fall. He pulled those strings, and after lots of meetings and paperwork, the production got the go-ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re the first narrative film since \u2018RoboCop\u2019 in 1987<\/a> to be allowed to film inside of there,\u201d Elizondo said. \u201cI can see why, because it\u2019s really hard to film in there.\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t all sunshine and rainbows. A mere 24 hours before he was set to film inside the venue, Elizondo had yet to receive the official filming permit.<\/p>\n There was no back-up plan, since Elizondo knew they had approval to film there. But as the clock ticked forward on that final pre-shoot day with no confirmation, his heart was beating a little fast.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got our permit to film at city hall at 5, 6 p.m. the day before we started filming,\u201d Elizondo told the Star-Telegram in March. \u201cIt was that to the wire.\u201d<\/p>\n Elizondo is turning around \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out\u201d fairly quickly.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a private screening set for the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival in late May. Since this a private screening, the film will retain its world premiere status if Elizondo wants to take it to other festivals throughout the year, which is the plan.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also gearing up to make his first feature film and has a few ideas hanging around, but is keeping those close to his chest. Filmmakers only get one feature debut, so he wants it to be special and personal.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t make things just for the sake of making things,\u201d Elizondo said. \u201cI only make things if I damn well have something to say.\u201d<\/p>\n As Elizondo looks to the future, he\u2019s grateful for the past.<\/p>\n He\u2019s made a career in the same place that\u2019s raised him and hopes that message sticks with the future wave of North Texas filmmakers. They don\u2019t have to leave their home for New York or Los Angeles, they can make a name for themselves right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Someone is liable to make the movie they want to make in a place they know, rather than start from square one somewhere they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cAny of those young cats that are looking to make movies and don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible here, I hope that I am a walking representation of the fact that it is possible,\u201d Elizondo said.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 2:38 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n![\"Director](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/022826_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-39.jpg\" "\\"022826_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-39.jpg\\"")
Director Merced Elizondo (right) on the set of \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d Courtesy of Briana Vargas A meteoric North Texas rise<\/p>\n![\"Director](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/022826_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-69.jpg\" "\\"022826_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-69.jpg\\"")
Director Merced Elizondo (dark blue shirt) and actor Ra\u00fal Castillo (khaki jacket) on the set of \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d Courtesy of Briana Vargas Latino pride<\/p>\n![\"Director](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/030226_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-92.jpg\" "\\"030226_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-92.jpg\\"")
Director Merced Elizondo on the set of \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d Courtesy of Briana Vargas <\/p>\n![\"Behind](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/030126_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-21.jpg\" "\\"030126_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-21.jpg\\"")
Behind the scenes of \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d Courtesy of Briana Vargas Dallas days<\/p>\n![\"Ra\u00fal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/030126_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-29.jpg\" "\\"030126_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-29.jpg\\"")
Ra\u00fal Castillo on the set of \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d Courtesy of Briana Vargas <\/p>\n![\"Director](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/030226_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-63.jpg\" "\\"030226_ATETIIO_BTS_bvargas-63.jpg\\"")
Director Merced Elizondo on the set of \u201cAnd Then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out.\u201d Courtesy of Briana Vargas Feature length<\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/STAFF_BRAYDEN_GARCIA.JPG\")