By Grace Esquibel, May 12, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona’s Film Society was conceived in 2023 by alumni Cristian Villanueva after he realized there was not an official club on campus for cinephiles and filmmakers to collaborate.
The early members created moody lightened films like “Thoughtscape” and “The Bronco.” The club has continued to carry on the legacy of the art of short films and the original horror parody with the creation of “Bronco II.”
“At Cal Poly Pomona where a lot of the focus is on math and engineering. Having that creative outlet is incredibly important,” Villanueva said. “It felt like a sign to build something that didn’t exist yet.”
Villanueva approached the leadership role with the same standards he had set for himself; Try everything and experience as much as possible, even if it leads to failure. He elaborated on the confidence in his skills he grew upon while being the president for the club that led him to his professional career.
“Those experiences can translate directly into professional work,” Villanueva said. “I know it did for me as it helped shaped my portfolio and ultimately led to my role as a post-production editor in Los Angeles.”
The current President, Carolina Cistaro art history and Vice President, Gaven Samano-Tovar, theatre explained they needed to keep the club alive after Villanueva graduated.
“If no one had picked it up, we wouldn’t have had a film society,” Cistaro said.
They explained that it was important to them to continue to harbor that space that Villanueva had created for the creatives at CPP.
Andy Aguilar, history and Treasurer of Film Society, was a part of the early adaptation of the club. He said starting up the club came with struggles, like finding a path that suited the interests of it’s members and creators. Villanueva explained his focus for Film Society was to create a space for students to experiment with filmmaking and not solely indulging in films.
“Being a part of starting a new club on campus was honestly a little stressful at first,” Aguilar said. “The club has taught me about balancing different people’s interests and figuring things out through trial and error.”
Aguilar played as the first person who wears the Billy suit in “The Bronco.” The film was a collaborative project that started with a general outline, a camera and a willing group of friends, according to Aguilar.
The film follows an average student who feels he is being haunted by the deaths of his peers. The unknown turns into a real manifestation of the school mascot, Billy Bronco. The film follows an average student who feels he is being haunted by the deaths of his peers. The unknown turns into a real manifestation of the school mascot, Billy Bronco. The film also features original music titled “Billy’s Theme” by Anthony Vargas, a music department student that gave the film an original 80’s thriller flare.
Samano-Tovar took over the role and bared the suit of Billy where the horse continues to comedically terrorize students in “Bronco II,” after 40 years of hanging up his suit.
“(Andy) came personally to pass the suit to me,” Samano-Tovar said. “I’m just glad to be here to continue the drive.”
Villanueva was not only the president but had skills that the rest of the club could learn from. Samano-Tovar explained Villanueva took him under his wings and gave him his very first opportunity at acting.
“I could immediately see his passion for filmmaking, and that drive is something you can’t teach,” Villanueva said. “It made me confident that he, along with the rest of the team, could take on bigger responsibilities.”
The new adaption of “The Bronco” among others were shown at The Billy Awards where the Film Society wrapped up the semester with an awards ceremony to honor the work of the student’s independent films throughout the semester. Kermit the frog from “The Muppets” and Audrey II from “Little Shop of Horrors” made performance appearances on stage, in puppet form.
The Billy awards is an event the Film Society hosts every year to showcase the works of the club members to an audience leading to the award ceremony where club members are awarded for participation and categories such as best acting.
The new generation of executive board members handed out personalized awards to the actors, producers and screenwriters ranging from roses to mock-up Oscar trophies.
Michael Olsen, a history student, showcased his film “Streetwise,” in which he took home the Billy award for best screenwriter. He took inspiration from Martin Scorsese films like “Goodfellas” to create a mobster style short film about a struggling drug addict with a debt to pay.
He explained he hopes to create films that leave the audience with that life-changing feeling after walking out of the theatre.
“I want it to be an enjoyable cinema-going experience,” Olsen said.
