Celebrate Latino Film at Cine las Americas International Film Festival + Win Film Passes!
There are few things I’m more passionate about than sharing Latino stories. It’s a sentiment that the organizers of the Cine las Americas International Film Festival must share. The 19th Annual film festival, which runs from May 4 to 8, brings together some of the world’s best films dedicated to telling diverse Latino stories.
It’s critical to support festivals like Cine las Americas because they help ensure Latino films are shown, narratives are shared and perspectives are broadened. There is so much to love about this year’s CLAIFF, it’s difficult to decide what to see, let alone what to spotlight in a blog post. I’m most excited to screen Hecho en Tejas the film series devotes to the two features and six short films shot or produced in our state. Maybe it’s the documentary competition that will get you through the doors. Or, perhaps it’s the 19 new releases that will have their Central Texas premiere that will draw you in. There is so much more (like a Mexican film showcase, young filmmakers screenings, and shorts screenings), it’s amazing the organizers fit it all in.
View all the trailers for CLAIFF’s new releases:
One of the most thrilling aspects of this particular festival is that it offers film-goers the chance to watch movies such as Ixcancul, filmed primarily in Kaqchikel, an indigenous language. To see beautifully shot films that showcase indigenous cultures and tell their stories respectfully and thoughtfully is an opportunity that should not be missed. The Grandfather of all Treaties, another film with a native focus, documents the real-life struggle of the First Nations people who struggle to maintain their culture and ecological stewardship central to their ways. The documentary, which is filmed in English and Kenien’keha, is having it’s U.S. premiere at the festival.
The festival begins May 4 with the opening night screening of Magallanes, a drama/thriller from Peru, Argentina and Spain. This tense film follows taxi driver Magallanes, who becomes an unexpected mastermind behind a plot to blackmail the son of his cruel former colonel who he fought under in the struggle against the Shining Path.
It heats up on Thursday, May 5 with multiple screenings at three different venues. At The Marchesa Hall & Theatre expect to see short films and feature length films from Cuba, Argentina, Guatemala/France and more. The Salvage Vanguard Theatre screens entries to the the documentary and narrative shorts programs. The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center will also screen selections from the Panorama program. Friday May 5th brings films from Portugal, the U.K., Brazil, Chile, the USA and more corners of the globe to three venues. And, the weekend offers full days of films
On Sunday, May 8, which is also Mother’s Day, the festival screens the Senorita Cinema Roadshow, a special selection of 10 Latina-directed short films. Curated by Señorita Cinema, an all-Latina film festival in Houston, the films run the gamut from comedy to experimental documentary to animation to music video.
Free Screenings
In addition to all of the feature presentations, Cine las Americas also hosts a number of screenings that are free and open to the public. How do you know which ones are free? Every film that is shown at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) is! Be sure to check the final schedule for details, as there are dozens of movies to enjoy.
I will see you there!
WIN TWO FILM PASSES TO CINE LAS AMERICAS
Valued at $100 each!
Visit Modern Tejana’s Instagram to enter for a chance to win two passes to Cine las Americas.
The Film Pass grants pass-holders preferential access to festival screenings, including opening and closing night, special screenings and events (like a fast pass). Just be sure to pick up tickets to the films you want to see at the venue at least an hour before the screening. Don’t be late and risk your seat! More details can be found on the Cine las Americas website.
