A Moment in Time
A Moment in Time is a melancholic coming-of-age romance about two international solo backpackers who meet at a San Francisco hostel and spend a fleeting week together, discovering that maybe the greatest connections are the ones just passing through.
When Lina, a 22-year-old solo traveler, arrives in San Francisco after weeks of backpacking, she finds herself immersed in the exciting world of hostel life. Between exploring the city and forming friendships with travelers from around the world, she meets Elias, a young French architecture student and fellow backpacker with whom she develops an immediate connection.
Against the nostalgic charm of San Francisco, with its passing cable cars, old bookstores, colorful Victorian houses, and the Palace of Fine Arts, Lina and Elias spend their days wandering through the city, getting lost in conversation, and discovering its little corners together. Through spontaneous adventures, late-night conversations, and quiet moments, they begin to experience the city through each other's eyes, sharing stories of their lives back home and the futures they imagine for themselves.
Meanwhile, the friendships formed at the hostel grow just as quickly. Strangers become close friends, sharing meals, nights out, and memories of a city they are all experiencing together for the first time. But as the week comes to an end, one by one, their friends begin leaving for their next destinations. As their own departure dates approach, Lina and Elias are faced with the bittersweet reality of traveling: that sometimes the people who leave the greatest impression on us are the ones just passing by for a moment in time.
Writer/Director: Lynette Esparza
Lynette Esparza is a Latina Bay Area–based filmmaker and multidisciplinary creative working across film, fashion, and visual storytelling. Currently a graduating senior studying Cinema at San Francisco State University, she is drawn to character-driven stories exploring human connection, identity, memory, and the fleeting moments that shape our lives.
Her short film Memories on Rewind premiered at the QWOCMAP Film Festival, and she previously served as Bay Area Director of The Great Film Club. She is also the co-founder of This Is Not a Film Festival, a San Francisco–based screening initiative that brings local filmmakers and creative communities together to showcase their work at the historic Artists' Television Access, a longstanding space for independent and underground filmmaking.
Alongside her studies, Lynette works across film production, creative direction, and marketing, with experience at Patriot Pictures, Stern Grove Festival, and other creative organizations. Her work has also taken her to Paris Fashion Week, where she created photo and video content surrounding brands including Casablanca, Maison Mihara Yasuhiro, and Ray-Ban.
Producer: Maxwell Ingels
Maxwell Ingels is a Bay Area filmmaker and producer with over seven years of experience in cinematography and editing and three years as a colorist. He studied at UC Berkeley and has earned three Cinematic Arts and Production Club awards for cinematography. His cinematography credits include Stoned Immaculate, A Marinara Affair, Tyrannosaur, Cloud Study, and Hi Mom, It's Agnes. He directed the documentaries Befriend and Grant Pipeline, along with several music videos. Maxwell also owns and operates a production company serving Bay Area technology startups.
Producer: Paul Kmiec
Paul Kmiec is an award-winning filmmaker and educator in San Francisco. He earned his BFA in Filmmaking from the SUNY Purchase Film Conservatory in New York and his Master's in Film & Television from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He is a returning Film Instructor at the SUNY Purchase Pre-Baccalaureate Film Institute and the resident Acting for Film Instructor at the International Theatre & Dance Project in Greece. Paul's films have screened and won awards at festivals nationwide and abroad.
His short film, which he produced and co-conceived, Read Em’ & Weep, took home the Best New England Film Award at the 2023 Provincetown Film Festival. His short, Stay for Tea, was awarded Best Fiction Film at the 2021 Vermont International Film Festival and was featured on Vermont PBS Television. Paul also served as the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Film Festival, spearheading the organization’s successful revival from 2024 through 2026. Paul is currently producing the upcoming feature film The Cutting Room Floor by writer/director Victoria DeMartin starring Laura Piccoli, Alec Baldwin, and Karen Allen.
Producer: Sydney Rincon
A Colombian-American filmmaker, Rincón was born in Huntington Beach, CA. She grew up as an artist and local activist figure before pursuing her Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Cinema Studies at San Francisco State University.
Rincón has established herself as a producer, director, actor, and assistant director in the Bay Area. Her SFSU undergrad thesis film, Sensus Mori (2025), has screened in 83 festivals across 16 countries. Rincón co-founded FemmeFields Productions LLC* in 2026 to support women and femme creatives in the Bay Area film scene.
Director of Photography: Phil Elleston II
Phil Elleston II is a San Francisco-based cinematographer. He worked in the camera department on The Last Black Man in San Francisco and as a Studio Camera Operator Intern on The Matrix Resurrections alongside cinematographer John Toll. He has photographed narrative shorts and made video content for clients including Apple and Facebook. Born and raised in San Francisco, Phil works closely with directors to develop the visual approach to their films and supports social justice through his artistic work.
Talent
Mathieu Torloting
Mathieu Torloting is a French film and television actor. His film credits include Le Grand Bain, directed by Gilles Lellouche, and Encore heureux. His television work includes War of the Worlds, Les Bracelets Rouges, and Infiltré(e).
How to Donate:
Donate by credit card at the Donate button above. To donate by check or direct deposit, visit this page.