Central New York’s ‘Dogs on the Sendero’ Now Streaming Nationwide

A Central New York locally produced film, Dogs on the Sendero, is now available across major streaming platforms.

The Story Behind ‘Dogs on the Sendero’

The film invites viewers on a heartfelt journey about surviving loss. Directed by Michael Flores, a filmmaker and teacher from Frankfort, the movie tells the story of Sol, a man coping with the tragic loss of his wife in a school shooting. What follows is a cross-country road trip that Sol and his wife had planned together accompanied by their loyal dog Rosie.

Flores, who also stars as Sol, explained the film’s deep emotional core in an interview with WKTV:

“Anybody who's ever been in the situation of grief, or surviving loss, or questioning their destination, or even their journey in general, is going to take something from this film,” he said."

 

Themes of Grief, Healing, and Cultural Roots

The story is especially personal for Flores. His real-life wife has been a teacher for 20 years and has experienced lockdowns. Those scary moments inspired him to approach the story from multiple perspectives: those directly involved in such tragedies, as well as the loved ones left behind.

"When these tragedies happen, the bullets hit so many more people than just the victims of these tragedies. It hits everybody that they care about. Those people are left to kind of pick up the pieces of their own lives."

As Sol travels, he not only confronts his grief but also reconnects with his Mestizo roots, a blend of Hispanic and Native American heritage, adding a powerful layer of identity and rediscovery to the narrative. The word Sendero means "path" in Spanish, symbolizing the journey they took together both on and off screen.

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One of the unique aspects of Dogs on the Sendero is its strong connection to the local community. The film features an ensemble cast and crew from the area and was shot in familiar places like Utica, Ilion, Mohawk, Pine Lake, and Frankfort. It has already won nearly 20 awards at various film festivals. Flores credits much of the film’s existence to the generosity and passion of local supporters:

“If it wasn't for the generosity and the giving from people in this area and the wanting for this industry to make a footprint here, Dogs on the Sendero wouldn't exist”

Distributed by Good Deed Entertainment, Dogs on the Sendero is now streaming on Amazon, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, Google Play, and YouTube.