Private Project

The Shoe

A tasteless prank from a bully sets off a series of events that spoil the plans of his charming progressive wife.

  • Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos
    Director
    Cora, Dialogues of Death, Vacuity
  • Sofía Alejandra Díaz Garza
    Director
  • Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos
    Writer
  • Sofía Alejandra Díaz Garza
    Writer
  • Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos
    Producer
  • Analuisa Ordaz Romo
    Key Cast
    "Priscila"
  • Ricky Rojas
    Key Cast
    "Víctor"
  • Andrés Luna
    Key Cast
    "Febo"
  • Dan Farrell
    Key Cast
    "Santiago"
  • Juan Carlos Flores
    Key Cast
    "Miiguel"
  • Justin Pérez
    Key Cast
    "Erasmo"
  • Sabrina Milán
    Key Cast
    "Violeta"
  • Vianney Martínez
    Key Cast
    "Rubí"
  • Yessenia Bailey
    Key Cast
    "Sasha"
  • Mauricio De la Maza-Bennignos
    Photography
  • Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos
    Music
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    El zapato
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Horror, Spoof, Absurdist, Surrealist
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 29 minutes 34 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 4, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    Mexico
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Rome International Movie Awards
    Rome
    Italy
    June 4, 2025
    Gold Award: Indie Feature Film
  • Paris FIlm Awards
    Paris
    France
    May 5, 2025
    Best Indie Feature Film
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence
    Italy
    May 5, 2025
    Best Indie Feature Film
  • London Movie Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 5, 2025
    Best Indie Feature Film
  • Milan Gold Awards
    Milan
    Italy
    June 5, 2025
    Gold Award
  • Depth of Field International Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach, DE
    United States
    August 17, 2025
    Award of Exceptional Merit
  • 2025 WSXA Paris // International Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    June 29, 2025
    Finalist
  • lil' spooky fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 4, 2025
    Quarter Finalist
  • Golden Bridge İstanbul Short Film Festival
    Istanbul
    Turkey
    September 5, 2025
    Semi-finalist
  • Pražské filmové ceny Indie Mania
    Prague
    Czechia
    October 22, 2025
    Nominee
  • January 9, 2026
    New York City
    United States
    January 9, 2026
    Semi-Finalist
Director Biography - Mauricio De la Maza-Benignos, Sofía Alejandra Díaz Garza

Mauricio de la Maza-Benignos is a Mexican conservationist, naturalist, zoologist and multi award winning filmmaker and musician. He is also a member of Mexico's National System of Researchers. In addition to his work in ichthyology, he is an agronomist and zootechnician, a jurist, an administrator, and an editor. His documentaries and features have produced him more that 50 awards in festivals throughout the world.

Sofía Alejandra Díaz Garza is currently studying a BSc in communications at the University of Nuevo Leon, where she is minoring in filmmaking. El zapato (The Shoe) is her first film, where she has a role both as co-screenwriter and co-director.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"El Zapato" (The Shoe) is a feature film with an original script that mixes various film genres and offers a deep analysis around human diversity in the context of extremism and division that currently afflicts our society, even when these alien characteristics or lifestyles do not pose a danger to others.

"The Shoe" is the story of a group of friends, with marked individual differences, who decide to meet in a remote area for a few days. But their plans are frustrated when an external element leads to a situation of rejection of what is unconventional, taking things to the excess.

Through a unique and disruptive style, which opposes derogatory representations, the film invites us to see beyond the obvious, as well as to question the human qualities which reside in all of us; as well as the consequences of constant social debate with regards to opposing positions.

The film recognizes the significance of the visibility of sex-gender dissidence, both within and beyond the film. One of the outstanding participations is that of the transgender actress Yessenia Bailey.