NARRATIVE FILMS SYNOPSES

Contratiempo

Dir. José Paredes

(Mexico, 92 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/15 • 7:20 • S2

3/17 • 5:10 • DGC

Antonio “Dexter” Jimenez is a single father, divorced, focused on his work, and is barely getting by. But everything changes when his old friend finds him again after many years and decides to bring “Vulvox” back, their old rock band they founded back in the 90s. Frontera Filmmakers Showcase.

Cumplea Ero

Dir. Arturo Montenegro

(Panama, 96 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/10 • 9:00 • S2

3/12 • 5:00 • DGC

3/14 • 7:40 • DGC

Jimmy invites his close friends to a weekend of fun and excess at his beach house to celebrate his 45th birthday. The party comes to an abrupt end when Jimmy confesses that he has been diagnosed with ALS and wants to end his life after blowing the candles. Content advisory: This film discusses suicide and shows images following a suicide attempt. VOSes Showcase.

Dearest Eva

Dir. Kamryn Fall

(USA, 105 min., 2023, English, Drama)

3/11 • 2:15 • S11

3/12 • 12:00 • DGC

After a letter from her childhood crush arrives, a young Black woman struggles to balance love and happiness with her responsibilities as matriarch of her chaotic and dysfunctional 19th century family. ¡Viva Mujeres! Showcase.

Diamond In The Rough

Dir. Jeannette Godoy

(USA, 88 min., 2022, English, Comedy)

3/13 • 6:30 • S2

3/16 • 9:45 • S10

3/18 • 2:30 • DGC

Ariana can’t hold down a 9-5 job no matter how hard she tries, which isn’t that hard…. To help her navigate post-college life, her Tío gets her a seasonal membership at his country club and challenges her to make some friends. Will the country club change Ariana—or will it be the other way around? ¡Hay que reírse! Showcase.

DRY GROUND BURNING

Dir. Joana Pimenta, Adirley

Queirós

(Brazil/Portugal, 154 min., 2022, Portuguese w/ English subtitles, Docu-Fiction)

3/10 • 5:35 • DGC

3/19 • 8:10 • S10

Just released from prison, Léa returns home to the Brasilia favela of Sol Nascente and joins up with her half-sister Chitara, the fearless leader of an all-female gang that steals and refines oil from underground pipes. Living in constant opposition to Bolsonaro’s fiercely authoritarian and militarized government, Chitara’s women claim the streets for themselves as a declaration of radical political resistance. Spotlight Films Showcase.

El Empleado Y El Patr N

Dir. Manolo Nieto (Uruguay / Argentina / Brazil, 110 min., , 2021, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/11 • 9:15 • S2

3/12 • 1:50 • S2

An accident causes cataclysmic consequences for an employee and his boss as they try to act in the best interest of their respective newborns and families. Spotlight Films Showcase.

Finlandia

Dir. Horacio Alcala

(Mexico / Spain, 97 min, 2021, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama/Fantasy)

3/11 • 7:15 • DGC

3/18 • 6:30 • S2

Outside of Oaxaca lives a group of Muxes, third gender and non-binary people, who make a living sewing and looking after their elders. Parallel to this, designers in Spain plot to appropriate their designs. The film follows their lives, indulging in their intoxicating ‘velas’ and grieving their lost loves, all in the beautiful setting of rural Mexico. Starring Noé Hernández. ¡Somos! Cine LGBTQ+ Showcase.

Gol De Plata

Dir. Kenneth Müller (Guatemala / El Salvador, 73 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Sports Drama)

3/14 • 6:15 • S2

3/18 • 11:15 AM • S2

Inspired by the life of Guatemalan soccer player, Juan Carlos Plata! The film narrates intimate moments of a young man who, despite the adversity he was born in, dared to dream and scored a historic goal against the world champion, Brazil, bringing an entire nation together during the 1998 Gold Cup. VOSes Showcase.

La Hija De Todas Las Rabias

Dir. Laura Baumeister

(Nicaragua, 87 min., 2021, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/19 • 6:10 • S10

Eleven-year-old María lives with her mother Lilibeth on the edge of Nicaragua’s largest garbage dump. Their future depends on selling a litter of purebred puppies to a local gang member. When the deal falls through, Lilibeth has to move to the outskirts of the city and leave María to work at a recycling factory. VOSes Showcase.

Historias Para No Contar

Dir. Cesc Gay

(Spain, 100 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Comedy)

3/18 • 7:55 • S11

3/19 • 9:00 • S11

A light-hearted collection of five stories about unexpected romantic encounters, shocking revelations, and our inability to govern our emotions. Featuring an all-star cast, including Argentine actor Chino Darín, Maribel Verdú, Antonio de la Torre, María León, and Quim Gutiérrez. Spotlight Films Showcase.

HUESERA

Dir. Michelle Garza Cervera (Mexico, 97 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Horror)

3/12 • 7:10 • DGC

3/19 • 6:20 • S11

Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off… Un mundo extraño Showcase.

El Infierno

Dir. Luis Estrada (Mexico, 148 min., 2010, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Crime)

3/10 • 7:00 • S10

Luis Estrada’s scathing El infierno shocked audiences with its ruthless portrayal of corruption and cartel violence in Mexico while immortalizing Joaquín Cosío’s El Cochiloco as one of the most unforgettable characters in Mexican cinema. Joaquín Cosío Tribute.

Lecciones Para Canallas

Dir. Gustavo Moheno (Mexico, 104 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Comedy)

3/09 • 7:00 • S11

3/14 • 7:20 • S11

Joaquín Cosío plays Barry El Sucio, a con man looking for his next big score. The unexpected arrival of his daughter (Danae Reynaud) leads to complications that turn into promising opportunities for him and his girlfriend (Diana Bovio). Joaquín Cosío Tribute.

Manco C Pac

Dir. Henry Vallejo

(Peru, 92 min., 2020, Spanish, Quechua w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/09 • 5:15 • DGC

3/11 • 12:00 • S10

3/13 • 5:15 • DGC

Elisban arrives in the city of Puno, too late to meet his friend Hermogenes, with whom he was going to work. Homeless and without money, he survives from unstable small jobs, in a city that sharpens his loneliness at every step. The inertia of continuing to move forward may lead him to a better fate. Spotlight Films Showcase.

Maqu Llame Otra Vez

Dir. Guillermo Calderón

(Mexico / Chile, 81 min., 2023, Spanish, No English subtitles, Comedy)

3/17 • 7:30 • S11

3/19 • 4:15 • S11

Regina Blandón, Paulina Gaitán, and Ilse Salas star in Maquíllame otra vez, a film about a pair of make-up artists who are struggling to make ends meet and get an irresistible professional offer from a chaotic former friend that threatens to upend their lives. Mexico Today Showcase

MATANDO CABOS

Dir. Alejandro Lozano

(Mexico, 99 min., 2004, Spanish, No English subtitles, Crime Comedy)

3/11 • 7:00 • S11

Bumbling crooks Jaque and Mudo mistakenly kidnap their millionaire boss and embark on a wacky adventure after reaching out to wrestler Ruben “Mascarita” (Joaquín Cosío) for help. Joaquín Cosío Tribute.

LOS MECÁNICOS

Dir. Julio Román

(Puerto Rico / USA, 87 min., 2023, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Comedy)

3/11 • 4:45 • S11

3/13 • 4:30 • S2

Linda inherits a mechanic shop on the brink of bankruptcy and enlists a group of actors pretending to be mechanics to help her fix a racing car that will yield her a big cash prize. ¡Hay que reírse! Showcase.

Co-presented by House of Puerto Rico

UN MUNDO PARA JULIUS

Dir. Rossana Diaz Costa (Peru / Argentina / Spain, 104 min., 2021, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/17 • 6:00 • S2

An affluent young boy from Lima, Peru loses his innocence as he learns about the injustices the staff in his home face on a daily basis. Based on the book by Alfredo Bryce Echenique. Special Presentations.

Nuestros D As M S Felices

Dir. Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière (Argentina, 100 min., 2021, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Drama)

3/11 • 2:05 • DGC

3/15 • 4:55 • S10

Agatha (74) and Leonidas (36) maintain a codependent mother-son relationship: Agatha never fell in love again, and Leonidas does not dare to build a life outside the doors of the family home. One day, Agatha suddenly wakes up in the body of a little girl: as herself, but seven years old, prompting the return of Agatha’s eldest daughter, who arrives to heal old wounds. ¡Viva Mujeres! Showcase.

Oscuros Amores

Dir. Gerardo Chijona (Cuba, 89 min., 2022, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Comedy)

3/16 • 8:15 • S11

3/19 • 7:15 • DGC

Over the course of a night, three dark love stories intertwine revealing shocking surprises about human desire in Gerardo Chijona’s latest exciting provocation. Spotlight Films Showcase.