Santiago Tijerina
Award-Winning Documentary Documentary/Producer
Courts of Belonging
Documentary • 2025
Awards
Maine Outdoor Film Festival Emerging Filmmaker Award
Maine Humanities Council Major Grant
Press
PORTLAND FORECASTER
MAINE CAMPUS
BLAZING MUSKET
MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
Credits
“He [Santiago Tijerina] made some amazing creative decisions with cinematography and his editing choices, and it’s just got such a hopeful message. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. It’s awesome to see him just really coming into his own as a storyteller.”
— Nick Callanan, DIRECTOR OF MAINE OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVAL
“The sport of futsal, a version of soccer played on a hard surface with a smaller ball, has spread from its native South America to Europe, Africa and Asia. Today, it has a new home: Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood.” — Portland Forecaster.
Soccer has the power to address the most pressing global challenges facing underprivileged youth within the communities in which they operate. This story intimately explores the role of soccer in the lives of immigrant youth in Maine struggling with community integration, language barriers, social isolation, and mental health.
This story seeks to capture what it feels like to be an immigrant in Maine today, when stars are scattered, and how the benefits of the beautiful game extend far beyond the boundaries of the pitch, where those who share a passion for soccer can become creative problem solvers and leaders in their communities.
Most rcently screened at the Maine Outdoor Film Festival, the film has garnered awards and grants including, the Emerging Maine Filmmaker Award and the Maine Humanities Council Major Grant.
More from Portland Forecaster: “A passion for soccer, a connection to Maine immigrants and a project in documentary studies forcefully aligned for Portland resident Santiago Tijerina last fall when he directed the documentary short film ‘Courts of Belonging.’ Showcased at the Maine Outdoor Film Festival the film has gained awards and grants and is on its way to becoming a full-length feature.
‘Courts of Belonging’ highlights the futsal court located in Kennedy Park and how its games build community for immigrant and refugee residents of the neighborhood — Futsal, a version of soccer with a small ball on a paved surface with five players, first arose in South America and has steadily gained popularity internationally and in Portland. Responding to this enthusiasm for the sport in East Bayside, the city of Portland opened a futsal court in summer of 2021 — The documentary emphasizes how the futsal games offer a sense of belonging to socially isolated immigrants and refugees residing in East Bayside, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Maine.”