Moises Cardenas, an alumnus of San Diego City College, found success with his recent filmmaking endeavor “All In.”
At the 2025 San Diego City College Film Showcase, the film was nominated for multiple awards including best actress, best narrative short and won the award for best actor.
Cardenas reflected on his life as both a college student and filmmaker leading up to the achievements of this film.
“It took me a while to find my passion,” Cardenas said. “My parents saw me go through all that and they’re super supportive.”
Cardenas began to write the script for his romantic comedy short “All In” during his time at City College while enrolled in a screenwriting class.
“I first started my film school journey there at City,” Cardenas said. “Then I transferred to Long Beach State (University), which is where I went to film school.”
City College not only influenced Cardenas to pursue filmmaking, but it is also where he found inspiration from a community of diverse peers.
“I think what’s very beautiful about community college, especially at City is that I’ve made so many connections, made so many friends there along the way that come from different walks of life,” Cardenas said.
Filmmaker and City College professor Cy Kuckenbaker is a mentor that Cardenas was influenced by in his filmmaking journey and the creation of his short film.
“Thanks to a lot of his help, I’ve gotten the opportunity to put out scripts and films to festivals,” Cardenas said.
Kuckenbaker helped Cardenas write the script for “All In,” allowing Cardenas to show his hard work and dedication to getting the film right for his audience.
“It doesn’t take 15 or 20 minutes for him to absorb it, he gets it right away,” Kuckenbaker said. “Moises has consistently showcased a really high aptitude for seeking feedback and leveraging the feedback to make the work better.”
“All In” focuses on the relationship struggles between a woman mourning her deceased fiance, played by Rein Rius, and a man struggling to let go of online dating, played by Jeremy Rho.
What drove Cardenas to touch on the topic of modern dating was his personal experience and how dating significantly changed in comparison to our older peers.
“It’s just a very real thing that I was feeling,” Cardenas said. “What goes around commitment, what is the right amount of time to spend if you have that sort of baggage.”
Comedy was also a theme that Cardenas put into the film to showcase his passion and love for the genre.
“I grew up watching stuff like the Dave Chappelle Show and Kim Peele,” Cardenas said. “Just silly, stupid puns or catch phrases, that’s always been my soft spot.”
The 2025 San Diego Film Week event screened “All In” as part of their mission to celebrate filmmakers from different schools, studios and other communities on Sunday, Nov. 9 at the Digital Gym Cinema.
Cardenas encourages students with similar experiences to take their time in finding their passion.
“You’re your worst critic, and things seem so much bigger than they really are in your head,” Cardenas said. “For folks who are still trying to figure things out, take your time.”
This story was edited by David J. Bohnet and Itzel Martinez.
