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2011 Emergencia Youth Film Competition
Mexican American Cultural CenterThursday, April 21 4:00pm - FREE!
Ca Va Bien Joscelyne Ponder Say Sí 7 min, San Antonio, TX, 2010
The Dream Collector Samuel Jimenez, Mickey Martinez Say Sí 28 min, San Antonio, TX, 2010
Imagine Vincent Varga 7 min, Calgary, AB, Canada, 2010
Isa's final Draft Kadiatou Diallo, Nataly Garzon, Rayhan Islam, Jesus Villalba Global Action Project 10 min, New York, NY, 2010
Latinitas Stop Motion Shorts Latinitas Summer Camp Participants 2010 2 min, Austin, TX, 2010
Motivation Noel Robles Mustang Cinema Club 2 min, San Antonio, TX, 2011
Nitsidigo'i' Kneel Down Bread Kira Butler, Joshua Gregg Star School 5 min, Flagstaff, AZ, 2009
Steps From El Salvador Jenifer Alvarez 3 min, St. Paul, MN, 2010
The Story of Priest Point Tulalip Heritage School Students Longhouse Media 2 min, Tulalip Reservation, WA, 2010
Sugarcoat Lennon R. Maldonado Mustang Cinema Club 2 min, San Antonio, TX, 2010
Two Worlds Inside Out Moeko Crider, Dana Johnson, Delauni Cherry, Luis Contreras, Joshua Gregg, Eddie Metcalf, Braulio Ramos, Shalena Summers, David Sam, Courtney Teton Longhouse Media 2 min, Seattle, WA, 2010
Variance Tyler McCardle Say Sí 4 min, San Antonio, TX, 2010
We MarchEmileigh Potter Say Sí 12 min, San Antonio, TX, 2010
After Iraq
Sascha Weiss USA, Documentary, 2010 16 min, HD Cam, Color English
With major combat operations in Iraq officially ending in August 2010, hundreds of thousands of troops are returning home. After Iraq explores the personal readjustment experiences of three Texas-based Iraq War veterans as they deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, separation from family, and the physical and mental scars of battle. Through intimate and sometimes humorous interviews, the diversity of their experiences is seen.
World Premiere Producer: Sascha Weiss Cinematographer: Olivier Dalipagic Editor: Tat Ho Yee, Olivier Dalipagic Sound Design: Olivier Dalipagic, Sachin Shah, Michelle Mejia, Lauren Gerson Music: Michael Cozzi, Steve Hanson, Paul Lawler, Gustavo Santaolalla Print Source: Sascha Weiss, sascha.weiss@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Fri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
Aranceles Tariffs
Melo Viana Brazil, Experimental Narrative, 2009 16 min, DVCPro/35mm, Color Various languages with English subtitles
The tariffs placed on the distribution of films in Latin America stifles much of the creativity and virtuosity of some of the most inventive and realistic cinema in the world. Aranceles, shot in single-sequence panning movement, offers a panoramic metaphor of this situation in Latin American cinema, from the setting of a prison where these films are "jailed."
North American Premiere Producer: Sandra Zawadzki Production Companies: del Este Screenwriter: Melo Viana Cinematographer: Lucio Kodato Editor: Daniel Grizza Sound Design: Melo Viana Cast: Celia Baptista, Alfredo Bufrem, Marcelo Leoncio Print Source: Melo Viana, meloviana@yahoo.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Wed. April 27 1:00 PM FREE!
Arroz con leche: K Ool Utial K Kuxtal Rice Pudding: K Ool Utial K Kuxtal
Byrt Wammack Weber, Ana Rosa Duarte Mexico, Experimental Documentary, 2009 50 min, SVHS/DV/Super8, Color/Black & White Yucatec Maya, Spanish with English subtitles
When faced with homogenizing forces that would have her distance herself from her past and people, a Mayan woman is incited to explore her identity and how it relates to her culture. A ten-year collaboration between five Mayan women and their families, Arroz con leche shows the diversity of being a Maya woman at the turn of the twenty-first century.
North American Premiere
Byrt Wammack Weber works in film and other media to deal with questions of contemporary cultural identity, post-colonialism, autonomy, migration, and memory. Founder of several community-based and collaborative art initiatives in Mexico, his various works have been exhibited throughout the world. Ana Rosa Duarte was born in Chocholá Yucatan, a Mayan community. She has a doctorate in Social Anthropology, and is a founding member Yoochel Kaaj, which works to promote audiovisual expression through the use of technology and audiovisual media. Producer: Ana Rosa Duarte Duarte Production Companies: Yoochel Kaaj: Cine Video Cultura Screenwriter: Byrt Wammack Weber Cinematographer: Byrt Wammack Weber Editor: Byrt Wammack Weber Sound Design: Byrt Wammack Weber Music: Juan Palacios Cast: Ana Rosa Duarte, Carmita Tamayo Pool, Sidenilda Puuc, Juana Itzá, Lucía Cocom Print Source: Ana Rosa Duarte Duarte - Yoochel Kaaj: Cine Video Cultura, dduarte@uady.mx
Mexican American Cultural CenterSat. April 23 4:00 PM FREE!
Avenida Brasília Formosa Defiant Brasilia
Gabriel Mascaro Brazil, Experimental Documentary, 2010 85 min, HD, Color Portuguese with English subtitles
Individuals from various walks of life are all real people placed in a fictional structure: Brasilia Formosa Avenue, which runs along Recife's urban coastline. Through their daily routines, a poetic web of encounters, memories and desires offers insight into their contemporary reality and relationships with the newly constructed avenue.
Regional Premiere
Gabriel Mascaro graduated from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Brazil. His first feature, Um Lugar Ao Sol, won various international festival awards. Founder of the production company Simio, he also works as an educator for NGO Video in the Villages teaching film in indigenous communities.
Producer: Mannuela Costa, Gabriel Mascaro Production Companies: Plano 09 Produções Screenwriter: Gabriel Mascaro Cinematographer: Ivo Lopes Araújo Editor: Tatiana Almeida Sound Design: Carlos Montenegro Cast: Fabio Gomes de Melo Print Source: Alex Garcia - FiGa Films, alex@figafilms.com
Blattángelus Blatangelus
Araceli Santana Lancón Mexico, Documentary, 2010 70 min, HD, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Co-sponsored by the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival As a member of a traditional Catholic family, Jorge Sosa had always been immersed in schools, activities and unions, in which his homosexuality generated an unbearable ideological conflict. This ended when he decided to completely move away from the precepts and practices of his religion. Then, years later, after receiving the counsel of a priest, he reconciled himself with his identity and now leads a church whose main mission is to promote this same reconciliation of faith and sexuality for others, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Sosa's mission involves teaching about a god who promotes in his followers responsibility and full awareness of their freedom.
US Premiere
Araceli Santana Lancón, born in Mexico City in 1976, has worked as a literary and screenwriting professor at the Universidad de las Américas and the Centro de Escritores Juan José Arreola de Casa Lamm respectively. She is currently working on her first novel and initial research for her next documentary.
Producer: Roberto Canales Production Companies: RO Films, FOPROCINE Screenwriter: Araceli Santana Lancón Cinematographer: Pepe Guevara Editor: Roberto Canales Sound Design: Manuel Montaño Music: Gustavo Reyes, Jethro Carbonell Cast: Jorge Sosa, Juan Álvarez, Mauro Zamora Print Source: Javier Núñez - IMCINE, difuinte@imcine.gob.mx
Mexican American Cultural CenterSat. April 23 6:30 PM FREE!
Boys of Summer
Keith Aumont USA/Curaçao, Documentary, 2010 93 min, HD, Color Papiamentu, English with English subtitles
On a tiny Caribbean island, the Curaçao All-Stars have competed at the Little League World Series for an incredible seven consecutive years. They routinely beat teams from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic in the hopes of making it to the finals in the US. Over the course of one season, the boys face injuries and obstacles as they try to keep the winning streak alive. Team manager Vernon Isabella and his players learn the meaning of national pride in a story that travels from a humble island ball field to the international spotlight and back.
Texas Premiere
Keith Aumont is the director of two previous short films, American Exquisite and Joint Custody. Boys of Summer is his first feature.
Producer: Ariana Garfinkel Production Companies: The Putty Division, Reno Productions Cinematographer: Keith Aumont Editor: Keiran Watson-Bonnice Sound Design: Carmine Degennaro Music: Jay Israelson Print Source: Ariana Garfinkel, ariana@boysofsummerfilm.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 6:00 PM FREE!
Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos
Charles D. Thompson, Jr., Michael Davey USA, Documentary, 2010 58 min, DigiBeta, Color Spanish, English with English subtitles
Brother Towns/Pueblos Hermanos is the story of two towns linked by immigration, family, and work: Jacaltenango, a highland, Maya town in Guatemala; and Jupiter, Florida, an American coastal resort where many Jacaltecos have settled. The film chronicles the reasons why people migrate across borders, how people make and remake their communities when they travel thousands of miles from home, and how people maintain families despite their travel. With immigration being such controversial topic, the film strives to include the voices of those opposed to as well as advocating for undocumented immigrants, and prompt a deeper dialogue about these issues.
Regional Premiere
Charles Thompson is a Lecturer in the Department of Cultural Anthropology and an adjunct professor in the Department of Religion at Duke. His other film works include The Guestworker and We Shall Not Be Moved. Michael Davey, a painter and editor, has worked in the production business for more than twenty years and during that time has edited a wide variety of programs including documentaries for PBS, the Discovery Channel, the Learning Channel, and Animal Planet.
Producer: Charles D. Thompson, Jr. Production Companies: Bullfrog Films Cinematographer: Michael Davey, Charles D. Thompson, Jr., Margaret Morales Editor: Michael Davey Sound Design: Michael Davey, Charles D. Thompson, Jr., Margaret Morales Music: La Tona, Santos Montejo, Musicians of Jacaltenango Cast: Filomeno Raymundo Diaz Print Source: Bullfrog Films, video@bullfrogfilms.com
Jones Auditorium at the Ragsdale Center, St. Edward's UniversityMon. April 25 7:00 PM FREE!
Canción de toquilla A Song of Toquilla You Decide
Javier Andrade Ecuador, Documentary, 2010 24 min, HD Cam, Color Spanish with English subtitles
The famous Toquilla straw hats, commonly known as Panama Hats, are not actually made in Panama. Instead, they are made in a rural community called Pile on the coast of Ecuador. The artisans here are the last who still possess the 250 year-old knowledge of making fine, handmade hats. But due to a falling dollar and younger generations choosing paths other than hat-making, this art is disappearing. As elders explain the process of making the hats, and how they are actively teaching the craft to the youth in the community, it is also evident that the artisans of Pile could quietly, suddenly disappear.
World Premiere Producer: Maria de Los Angeles Palacios Production Companies: PUNK Cinematographer: Olivier Auverlau Editor: Javier Andrade Sound Design: Cristina Arias Music: Kathiuska Lopera, Paco del Castillo, Filemon Macias Cast: Domingo Carranza, Pascuala Delgado, Idolo Espinal, Geronimo Carranza, Maribel de Carranza Print Source: Mariangeles Palacios, mariangelespb@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 1:00 PM FREE!
Columbus Day Legacy Bennie Klain USA, Documentary, 2010 35 min, MiniDV/8mm Super, Color/Black & White English
Columbus Day Legacy explores the quintessential American issues of free speech and ethnic pride against the backdrop of the ongoing Columbus Day controversy in Denver, Colorado. Since its recent incarnation in 1992, the 500th anniversary of America's "discovery," the Italian-American community in Denver has wholeheartedly celebrated its revered holiday, much to the dismay of the many local Native Americans. Both the Italian- and Native American communities are strong, vibrant, and tight-knit. Columbus Day Legacy conveys this sense of community on both sides of this vigorous debate while addressing the conflicts involving freedom of speech, the interpretation of history, and what it means to be an "American."
World Premiere
Producer: Leighton C. Peterson Production Companies: TricksterFilms Cinematographer: Marko Slavnic, Nancy Schiesari Editor: Bennie Klain Sound Design: William Riddle Music: Various Artists Print Source: Bennie Klain - TricksterFilms, bklain@tricksterfilms.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterSat. April 23 8:00 PM FREE!
Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle
John Ferry USA, Biographical Documentary, 2010 82 min, DigiBeta, Color English
Told in his own words, with wit and a sense of humor, Adam Fortunate Eagle Nordwall recounts his life from his childhood to present day. After a positive experience in Indian boarding schools, participating in the Indian take-over of Alcatraz Island in 1969, honing his creative skills on the Paiute-Shoshone Reservation, and being labeled an "enemy of the State" and losing virtually everything he owns, he continues to use humor to make his political and cultural point. He teaches viewers about his Native American art and spirituality, as well as his philosophy as it applies to life and his work.
Texas Premiere
John Ferry has been involved in documentary films for over 30 years. He studied acting and directing at Lawrence Merrick's Studio, and went on to produce and direct the award-winning Sitting Bull: A Stone in My Heart as well as Michelangelo: Self-Portrait.
Producer: Grace de Soto Ferry, John Ferry Production Companies: Lillimar Pictures Cinematographer: Marlon Cooper Editor: John Ferry Sound Design: Lillimar Pictures Music: Various Artists Cast: Adam Fortunate Eagle Print Source: John Ferry - Lillimar Pictures, info@lillimar.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterSat. April 23 8:00 PMFREE!
Dreams Awake
Kevin Gordon, Rebekah Meredith USA, Documentary, 2010 7 min, DVCPro HD, Color Spanish, English with English subtitles
Doroteo Garcia, like countless Mexican immigrants, came to the United States to make a better life for his family. What was meant to be a short separation from his family has now lasted longer than a decade. To deal with his loneliness, Doroteo turned to poetry to express himself. To combat the invisibility of immigrant workers, he also became a union activist. This film explores the many layers of this charismatic man by juxtaposing his poetry and storytelling with scenes of his life both inside and outside the art museum where he works.
Texas Premiere
Producer: Kevin Gordon, Rebekah Meredith Cinematographer: Kevin Gordon, Rebekah Meredith Editor: Rebekah Meredith, Kevin Gordon Sound Design: Kevin Gordon, Rebekah Meredith Print Source: Rebekah Meredith, rebekah_meredith@yahoo.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Fri. April 22 3:00 PM FREE!
El Cantante
León Ichaso USA, Biographical Drama, 2006 106 min, 35mm, Color Spanish, English
Spanning the 1960s to the 1980s, EL CANTANTE charts Hector Lavoe's rapid rise to success and fame as an artist whose music combined Puerto Rican tradition with streetwise modernity, unabashed emotion with straightforward realism. It reveals the singer not only as an architect of salsa but as its soul; the kind of artist, like Billie Holliday, Edith Piaf or La Lupe, who forges an uncanny emotional bond with his audience. Love, pain, joy, pride, sorrow, endurance: Hector Lavoe's singing contained the raw stuff of life as ordinary people - and he himself - knew it.
Leon Ichaso was born in Havana, Cuba. He left the island for exile in the United States with his mother and sister at age 14; his father joined them 5 years later having stayed behind to support the Cuban Revolution. Ichaso is known as "an actor's director," as a writer and director who does not compromise as he tells his tales, and as a filmmaker who specializes in gritty urban realism.
Producer: Julio Caro, Simon Fields, Jennifer Lopez, David Maldonado Production Companies: Nuyorican Productions, R-Caro Productions Screenwriter: Leon Ichaso, David Darmstaeder, Todd Bello Cinematographer: Claudio Chea Editor: David Tedeschi Sound Design: Sandy Berman Music: Willie Colón, Andrés Levin Cast: Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, John Ortiz, Manny Perez, Vincent Laresca, Federico Castellucio, Nelson Vasquez
Mexican American Cultural CenterBlack Box TheaterWed. April 27 9:00 PM Free
El Gallo: Niño Gallo El Gallo: Pepe Kid
Sergio Carvajal USA, Comedy/Drama, 2011 45 min, Digital, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Pepe Kid is a compelling story about a young boy who finds a magical rooster that helps him figure out who he really is. Pepe Kid is a stand alone short film from the El Gallo series. El Gallo is an independent, multi-channel experience taking place in Austin, TX, where different media are used to show the journey of a golden rooster, Sietecueros, and the characters he encounters.
World Premiere
Sergio Carvajal is a Venezuelan-American artist, filmmaker, performer and songwriter. He has written and directed an array of narrative, documentary, and experimental shorts which have been featured in festivals such as Tribeca, SXSW, Traverse City, among many others.
Producer: Sergio Carvajal Production Companies: Facundo International Screenwriter: Sergio Carvajal Cinematographer: Drew Daniels Editor: Sergio Carvajal Sound Design: Sergio Carvajal Music: Esteban Alvarez Cast: Ramon Maldonado, Candelario Palma, Abel Valdez Print Source: Julie Agee, JulieeAgee@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 6:30 PM FREE Episode Screening!
Master Class - Mexican American Cultural Center - Wed. April 27 4PM - FREE Master Classes!
El hada buena: Una fabula peronista The Good Fairy: A Peronist Tale
María Laura Casabé Argentina, Science Fiction/Fantasy, 2010 85 min, MiniDV, Color Spanish with English subtitles
In a near-future Argentina where the government has returned to a Peronist benefactor model of society... siblings Esther and Horacio have adapted to this new way of living by participating in the public options of children who are up for adoption. Families flock to these auctions in hopes of buying a child who is worthy of winning the Perón Sponsorship, which provides a life-long pension to the family of the winning child. With Juan Domingo the Seventh, Esther and Horacio may have found a candidate for the prize. El hada buena shows a fantasy world where all the rules have changed, and all the hopes and dreams of Argentina's citizens lie in a false leader.
International Premiere elhadabuenapelicula.blogspot.com
Laura Casabé, one of the founders of Horno Productions, worked as cinematographer on several of the company's shorts titled Plop videos. El hada buena: Una fabula peronista is her first feature.
Producer: Eugenia Tramezzani, Micaela Sleigh Production Companies: Horno Producciones Screenwriter: Laura Casabé Cinematographer: Laura Casabé Editor: Eugenia Tramezzani Sound Design: Mariano Suarez Music: Federico Haro Cast: Alejandro Parrilla, Rodrigo Lico Lorente, Orlando Mastropaolo, Walter Cornás, Lidia Epztein, Hernan Losicer, Rocio Rodriguez Presedo Print Source: Laura Casabé, lauracasabe@yahoo.com.ar
Blue Starlite Drive-In Tue. April 26 11:00 PM FREE!
El perro del hortelano Dog in the Manger
Renzo Zanelli Peru, Comedy/Human Rights, 2010 90 min, HD, Color Spanish, English with English subtitles
Co-Sponsored by the Rainforest Partnership El perro del hortelano is a comedy about Brus, an indigenous artist, and his efforts to organize his community against the American oil company, Kenny Oil. Searching for answers, Brus joins a local NGO, only to find himself entangled in the subversive work of an American researcher, Angie. As Brus explores the surreal world of volunteers and development experts, he ultimately discovers his own way of bringing strength to his community.
Austin Premiere
A native of Peru and the US, Renzo Zanelli has worked for nearly 10 years as a director of photography, editor, director and producer. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Renzo founded Magic Flute Films, and has incorporated youth education and media projects into his work.
Producer: Annika Beaulieu Production Companies: Selva Rica Screenwriters: The Selva Rica Cooperative Cinematographer: Renzo Zanelli Editor: Renzo Zanelli Sound Design: Renzo Zanelli Music: Chicha Libre, Renzo Zanelli Cast: Brus Rubio Churay, Annika Beaulieu, Kenny Luna, Rodrigo Carbajal Mas, Valbina Miguel Print Source: Selva Rica, info@selvarica.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterWed. April 27 6:00 PM FREE!
El ring y sus titanes The Ring and Its Titans
Miko Meloni Bolivia/Italy, Documentary, 2010 40 min, DV CAM, Color Spanish, Italian with English subtitles
El ring y sus titanes tells the story of the Lucha Libre matches that take place between the cities of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia. Cholitas, men, dwarves, superheroes and monsters are the focus of the ring, and they all reflect, in a surreal parade, the complex reality of the contemporary Bolivia. A fresco of idiosyncrasies, contaminations, bereavement and Andean cultural myths, El ring y sus titanes shows that for a "luchador," it is not the difference between reality and fiction, or the game and victory that matters, but just to keep on fighting.
North American Premiere Producer: Miko Meloni Production Companies: Maravilla Tambo Screenwriter: Miko Meloni Cinematographer: Miko Meloni Editor: Diego Pascal Panarello Sound Design: Miko Meloni Music: Belkings Cast: Los Luchadors Print Source: Maravilla Tambo, maravillatambo@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Fri. April 22 3:00 PM FREE!
Electrodomésticos: El frío misterio Electrodomesticos: The Cold Mystery
Sergio Castro San Martín Chile, Music Documentary, 2011 120 min, HD, Black & White Spanish with English subtitles
At the beginning of the 80s, two musicians from Santiago were experimenting with strange recordings, including those of a blender. In 1984 they met an ex-air-traffic controller with similar interests, and formed one of the most experimental rock bands in Chile. Electrodomésticos: El frío misterio reveals the story of a movement and artistic protest as carried out by this influential band. Winner of the jury award for Best Film at the Festival Internacional de Cine y Documental Musical INEDIT-NESCAFÉ.
International Premiere www.promedia.cl/electrodomesticos
After a career in architecture, Sergio Castro San Martín entered the Escuela de Cine de Chile in 2005. His first film, Paseo, screened at various festivals and won the jury award for Best Chilean Film at SANFIC 5. He is currently working on his second feature, La mujer de barro.
Producer: Marco Martinez Production Companies: Promedia Cine Screenwriter: Sergio Castro San Martin Cinematographer: Sergio Armstrong, Diego Pequeno Editor: Sergio Castro San Martin Sound Design: Roberto Espinoza Music: Electrodomesticos, Primeros Auxilios, Carlos Cabezas, Silvio Paredes Cast: Carlos Cabezas, Silvio Paredes, Ernesto Medina Print Source: Sergio Castro San Martín - Promedia Cine, scastro@promedia.cl
Mexican American Cultural Center Mon. April 25 7:00 PM FREE!
As a celebration of young filmmakers, Cine Las Americas presents the Emergencia Youth Film Competition, a special section of the festival open to filmmakers ages 19 and younger.
The 2010 Emergencia screenings contain a great selection of youth films produced by a diversity of individuals and organizations. The selection includes works from the multidisciplinary arts program Say Si! in San Antonio TX, the Real to Reel Digital School in Lynn MA, Puyallup youth from Seattle WA, Navajo youth from Arizona, the Global Action Project in New York City, and young filmmakers in California.
The award for Best Emergencia Film will be granted by an invited Youth Film Jury, comprised of students who attend the Boys and Girls Club of the Austin Area after-school programs at LBJ High School in Austin.
Thursday April 22 – 4 to 7 PM – FREE!Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC)600 River Street, Map
Entre paredes de agua Between Water Walls
Rosa Martha Fernández Mexico, Experimental/Drama, 2010 30 min, HD, Color No dialogue
Flavio belongs to a species of amphibians destined to suffer an evolutionary change that will force them from the security of their habitat in the depths of the ocean. His underwater life vacilates between fear of the change and fascination of the world around him. However, after being seduced by the songs of a group of mermaids, he must balance his love and desire for them with his biological destiny.
US Premiere
Producer: Rosa Martha Fernández Production Companies: Mitologías en Producción, Rosa Martha Fernández, IMCINE, Canal 22 Screenwriter: Claudia Lavista, Rosa Martha Fernández Cinematographer: David Torres, Santiago Navarrete Editor: Rosamarta Fernández, Omar Carrum Sound Design: Rogelio Sosa, Ricardo Arzola Music: Rogelio Sosa Cast: Omar Carrum, Johnny Millán, Víctor Manuel Ruiz, Agustín Martínez, Xitlali Piña, Karen de Luna, Claudia Lavista, Eva Audelo, Juan Carlos Vázquez Print Source: Javier Núñez - IMCINE, difuinte@imcine.gob.mx
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 2:00 PM FREE!
Historia de un día The Story of a Day
Rosana Matecki Venezuela, Documentary, 2009 89 min, DV, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Historia de un día begins by observing the peaceful life of farmers living in a rural area in Latin America. Day breaks. A woman touches her eyebrows. A man shaves. Chickens are set loose and goats are fed. Little or nothing is said but the soundtrack gradually evolves into a rich, subtle combination of background noise and added sounds. This observation takes on a more contemplative mood, when attention is focused on the other subjects of the film.
Austin Premiere
Rosana Matecki studied communications in Caracas, Venezuela, has directed 12 documentaries, and has worked as a producer, director, researcher and/or screenwriter on various projects, including Ancestral Women and El último Don. She is the founder of Kiiskakuna Productions.
Producer: Rosana Matecki Production Companies: Kiiskakuna Cinematographer: John Márquez, Emil Guevara Editor: Lucas Villegas Sound Design: Cecilia Nava Music: Alejandro Rodríguez Cast: Famille Guerrero Carrizales, Avendaño Rodríguez Zabala, Hernandez Epieyú, Pushainá y Girnú Print Source: Latinofusión, latinofusion@latinofusion.com.mx
Mexican American Cultural Center Mon. April 25 8:00 PM FREE!
Humanimal
Francesc Morales Chile, Experimental/Horror, 2010 83 min, HD, Color No dialogue
In a world where people dress up as animals, innocent and timid Turtle is competing with Fox for the attentions of Cat. Bunny has also come to stir things up, and Turtle is confronted with moral corruption. Things turn violent as the relationships between the animals and the outside world escalate.
North American Premiere
After studying at the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Chile, Francesc Morales gained international regard with the 30+ short films he produced, wrote and directed. Currently working on several new projects for 2011, Humanimal is his first feature.
Producer: Francesc Morales Production Companies: Efecto Moral Films Screenwriter: Francesc Morales, Ximena Quiroz Cinematographer: Claudia Serrano Editor: Francesc Morales Sound Design: Benjamín Lechuga Music: René Roco Cast: Ramón Llao, Jenny Cavallo, Sebastián Layseca, Cecilia Levi, Cristobal Tapia-Montt, Francisco Gormáz, Felipe Avello, Jimena Núñez, Martín Morales Print Source: Francesc Morales, info@humanimal.cl
Blue Starlite Drive-InSat. April 23 11:00 PM FREE!
Incidente Incident
Mariano Cattaneo Argentina, Horror, 2011 72 min, HD, Color Spanish with English subtitles
In 2001, a factory employee murdered 16 of his co-workers for no apparent reason. Two years later, after learning that the murderer practiced Enochian magic, a documentary team enters the factory with a team of investigators and a priest to uncover what really happened. The group is never heard from again. Now, in 2010, a retired police officer shows the video of what really happened in the factory that night. A horror film in the style of [REC] and Diary of the Dead, Incidente creates non-stop tension in this dark, Argentine thriller.
International Premiere
Mariano Cattaneo was born in 1979 and has directed numerous shorts appearing in festivals throughout the world, including Casa Tomada, La Carta 282, Bienvenidos al Horror, Templario and The Raven. Incidente is his first feature.
Producer: Ezio Massa Production Companies: MFA Films, QK Films Screenwriter: Mariano Cattaneo Cinematographer: Mariano Cattaneo Editor: Mariano Cattaneo Sound Design: Fernando Lopez Avero Music: Andres Borghi Cast: Juan Manuel Rodil, Melisa Fernandez, Diego Sampayo, Simon Ratziel, Cristian Stevenot, Paula Carruega, Galit Gurovich Print Source: Ezio Massa - MFA Films, massaezio@hotmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterWed. April 27 7:00 PM FREE!
Kidnappeando
Norbi Zylberberg Mexico/USA, Comedy, 2010 13 min, HD, Color Spanish, English with English subtitles
Kidnappeando is an independent short film that embraces, in a sarcastic and comedic way, the streetwise attitude of a young guy in pursuit of a long-delayed dream.
World Premiere
Producer: Ornella Jaramillo Production Companies: Lost In Traducción Screenwriter: Norbi Zylberberg Cinematographer: Robert Smith Editor: Alex Neuman Sound Design: Pablo Solorzano Music: Gustavo Farias Cast: Francisco "Paco" Hernandez, Linda J. Carter, Nancy Lantis, Mark Hickman Print Source: Norbi Zylberberg, norbigeorge@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
Konün Wenu: La entrada al cielo The Threshold to Heaven
Francisco Javier Toro Lessen Chile, Drama/Fantasy, 2011 78 min, HD, Color Mapudungun with English subtitles Akun, a young Mapuche boy whose mother died some years ago, lives with his grandparents in the middle of the mountains in Alto Bío Bío. As they walk along the base of the Kallaquen Volcano, Akun's grandfather, in an effort to assuage his pain over losing his mother, tells him about Konün Wenu, the entrance to heaven located at the summit of the volcano. In the hopes of finding his mother, Akun sets out alone to find Konün Wenu, but gets lost in the woods along the way. On his solitary journey, Akun runs into a variety of supernatural characters, some of whom are helpful, and others who are not.
World Premiere Francisco Javier Toro Lessen was born in Talcahuano, Chile in 1983. After studying communications at the Instituto Duoc UC and the Universidad San Sebastián in Concepción, Chile, he directed a TV series and various documentaries about the Mapuche.
Producer: Ramon Alberto Avila Hernandez Screenwriter: Francisco Javier Toro Lessen Cinematographer: Jorge Aguilar Arevalo Editor: Francisco Toro Lessen Sound Design: Marco Bravo Rebolledo Music: Kalule, Alvaro del Canto, Diego Fuentealba Cast: Francisco Toro Lessen Print Source: Imaginaria Audiovisual, contacto@imaginariaudiovisual.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterMon. April 25 3:00 PM FREE!
La Salsa Cubana
Eric Joseph Johnson, Sarita Streng USA/Cuba, Music/Dance Documentary, 2011 81 min, MiniDV, Color Spanish with English subtitles
A salsa dance group from Guanabacoa, located on the outskirts of Havana, is attempting to win the Cuban national dance competition. It is a story and event that engrosses the country. Along the group's journey to the competition, viewers can hear Cuban music, delve into the dancers' lives, learn a bit about the history of dance, and of course, see vibrant dancing.
Regional Premiere
Dancers and directors Eric Joseph Johnson and Sarita Streng were co-teachers and performers before filming La Salsa Cubana. Johnson currently works as a freelance engineer, and Streng runs the Community Dance Program in Albuquerque, NM. Producer: Eric Joseph Johnson Production Companies: Me Priva Pictures Screenwriter: Eric Joseph Johnson Cinematographer: Alvaro Rangel Editor: Eric Joseph Johnson, David Leach Sound Design: Eric Joseph Johnson, David Leach, Eduardo "Tatico" Collazo Music: David Calzado y su Charanga Habanera, Beny Moré, Chucho Valdés y su Cuarteto, Orquesta Aragón, Adalberto Alvarez y su Son, Elio Revé y su Charangón, Issac Delgado y su Orquesta, Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini, Pupy y los que son son, Grupo Changui de Guantanamo, and many more Print Source: Eric Joseph Johnson, ericjjohnson@hotmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterMon. April 25 1:00 PM FREE!
La hija natural Love Child
Leticia Tonos Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico, Melodrama, 2011 95 min, HD, Color Spanish with English subtitles
As a child, María was a simple and sensitive young girl with the strange habit of putting ladybugs in her mouth. After her mother dies in an accident, 18 year-old María decides to look for the father she has never met. She travels to a nearby town taking what few belongings she has. She finds her father, Joaquín, living in a dark, old house in the middle of an abandoned banana plantation, which the locals claim is haunted by spirits. He lives there with an enigmatic Haitian as his only companion. Having no one else in the world, she has no option but to stay with this drunken and recently widowed old man, and confront the ghosts of the past that haunt them both.
Regional Premiere
A graduate of the London Film School, Leticia Tonos is more interested in posing questions than making statements, and as a result, is involved in projects that will lead to deeper reflection. Always concerned about social issues, she has also directed several videos for non-profit organizations.
Producer: Leticia Tonos Production Companies: Producciones Línea Espiral Screenwriter: Leticia Tonos Cinematographer: Sonnel Velazquez Editor: Raúl Marchand Sound Design: David Hernández Music: Miguel Hiraldo Cast: Julieta Rodríguez, Víctor Checo, Andrés "Velcro" Ramos, Gastner Legerme, Frank Perozo Print Source: Leticia Tonos, lety@lineaespiral.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 8:00 PM FREE!
La isla - Archive einer Tragödie La isla - Archives of a Tragedy
Uli Stelzner Germany/Guatemala, Human Rights Documentary, 2010 85 min, HDV, Color/Black & White Spanish with English subtitles
At the end of the 20th century, members of the Guatemalan police and armed forces killed and abducted thousands of people. However this unprecedented, modern genocide goes unpunished. To this day, a system of terror and impunity relies on silence and a lack of evidence. But in July 2005 an explosion in the Guatemalan capital led to the discovery of the archive of Guatemala's National Police. "The Island," as it was known then, was the secret prison of the notorious national police squads. Millions of documents were uncovered that helped trace a story of tragedy and inconceivable atrocities, and revealed that a young generation of archive workers was willing to free their country from the suffocating grip of its own history.
Regional Premiere
Born in 1961 in Germany, Uli Stelzner is an author, director and producer living and working in Berlin and Central America. He is also co-founder of the independent media group ISKA, as well as director of the Human Rights Festival in Guatemala.
Producer: Uli Stelzner, Elke Benz, Zoran Solomun, Gabriela Melendez Production Companies: Iskacine, Ohne Gepaeck Filmproduktion, Asociación Luciérnaga Screenwriter: Uli Stelzner Cinematographer: Guillermo Escalon Editor: Alina Teodorescu Sound Design: Eduardo Cáceres Music: Nim Alae, Paulo Alvarado Print Source: Ohne Gepaeck Filmproduktion, Info@Ohnegepaeck.De
Mexican American Cultural CenterThur. April 28 3:00 PMFREE!
La reina del pueblo The Queen of the People
Juan Andrés Bello Venezuela, Documentary, 2010 65 min, DigiBeta, Color/Black & White Spanish with English subtitles
The first time Venezuelans went to vote, they did so in order to choose a beauty queen. In 1944, Caracas hosted the 7th Baseball Amateur World Series and the organizers decided the beauty queen of the event would be elected via popular vote. As the campaign begins, the country is divided into two factions. On one side, there are the supporters of Oly Clemente, the daughter of the President's secretary; on the other, those of Yolanda Leal, a school-teacher from a poor neighborhood in Caracas. The country was going through a transition to democracy and the newly formed political organizations understood this as a means to promote their ideas. It was an opportunity to test if the citizens were ready to choose who was going to govern.
US Premiere www.produccionestriana.com/lareinadelpueblo.htm
Juan Andrés Bello, born in Venezuela in 1970, is a director and producer dedicated to Latin American history, culture and art topics. Director of the award-winning El Cerrito, Bello has also participated in projects for A&E and The Biography Channel.
Producer: Constanza Burucua Production Companies: Producciones Triana Screenwriter: Juan Andrés Bello Cinematographer: Enrique Blein Editor: Juan Andrés Bello Sound Design: Setfano Gramitto Music: Varios Authors Cast: Yolanda Leal, Olga Risquez, Nelly Blanco Yepes Print Source: Constanza Burucua - Producciones Triana, cburucua@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 1:00 PMFREE!
María en tierra de nadie Maria in Nobody's Land
Marcela Zamora Chamorro El Salvador/Guatemala/Mexico, Human Rights Documentary, 2010 86 min, MiniDV, Color Spanish with English subtitles
This documentary shows the parallel immigration stories of three Salvadoran women on a journey through Mexico. Doña Inés, a 60 year-old woman, is searching for her daughter who went missing shortly after she decided to immigrate to the US five years ago. Marta and Sandra, tired of the domestic violence they endured at home and hoping to overcome their impoverished lives, decide to make the trip through Mexico with only thirty dollars in their pockets. These women, Doña Inés' daughter, and countless other immigrant women face prostitution, human trafficking, rape, kidnap, and even death on a journey not often brought up in immigration debates.
North American Premiere Marcela Zamora studied journalism in Costa Rica and went on to study film at the International School of Film and Television of San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba (EICTV). María en tierra de nadie is her first feature documentary.
Producer: Marcela Zamora, Oscar Martinez, Edu Ponces Production Companies: Elfaro.net, Ruido Photo, Idheas Screenwriter: Marcela Zamora Cinematographer: Keren Shayo Editor: Leopoldo Nakata Sound Design: Gina Villafañe Music: Sigried Masías, Leticia Servín Print Source: Marcela Zamora, zamora_marcela@hotmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterMon. April 25 6:00 PM FREE!
Mañana Tomorrow
Felipe Holguin Colombia, Drama, 2009 13 min, 16mm, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Ramon is a 10 year-old boy living with his mother, Mayi, in a poor neighborhood of Cartagena, Colombia. He dreams of becoming a great soccer player just like his father, whom he has never met. But Mayi is against this dream, believing she will end up alone and abandoned by Ramon, just as she was by Ramon's father. The situation becomes complicated in the lead-up to an important match for Ramon.
Austin Premiere
Producer: Maria Teresa Gaviria Production Companies: Cumbia Films Screenwriter: Felipe Holguin Cinematographer: Alex Khudokon Editor: Firasz Akkach Sound Design: Juan Daniel Caro Music: Systema Solar Cast: Andres Castelar, Alberto Borja, Marta Melendez Print Source: Maria Teresa Gaviria - Cumbia Films, cumbiafilms@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 6:00 PM FREE!
Much'Tal Jedz "Cuando hablamos, lo hacemos una sola vez" Much'Tal Jedz "When We Speak, We Only Do So Once"
Byrt Wammack Weber Mexico, Experimental/Drama, 2009 35 min, Super 8 Film/DV, Color/Black & White Yucatec Maya with English subtitles
When something begins terrorizing a Mayan village, the people know they must do something to overcome it. Their strategies lead them to a famous archaeologist and eventually, to an unexpected solution. Based on recent and historical events, this film is about the Mayan struggle to maintain their autonomy.
Texas Premiere
Producer: Colectivo Turix Production Companies: Yoochel Kaaj: Cine Video Cultura Screenwriter: Byrt Wammack Weber, Colectivo Turix Cinematographer: Byrt Wammack Weber Editor: Byrt Wammack Weber Sound Design: Byrt Wammack Weber, Elías Puc Music: Elías Puc Cast: Rodolfo Nahuat, Juan Kuyoc, Francisco May, Ofelio Nahuat, Jaime Magaña Print Source: Ana Rosa Duarte Duarte - Yoochel Kaaj: Cine Video Cultura, dduarte@uady.mx
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 1:00 PM FREE!
New Children / New York
Gisela Sanders Alcántara USA/Chile/Guatemala/Mexico/Puerto Rico, Documentary, 2010 63 min, MiniDV, Color English, Spanish with Spanish and English subtitles
New Children/New York is an intimate portrait of the struggles and perseverance of young immigrants coming of age in inner-city New York. Set in a community workshop in Bushwick, a low-income neighborhood of Brooklyn with many Latino immigrants, the documentary follows three young people who are studying filmmaking. Their gripping, self-exploratory films, excerpted throughout the documentary, reveal the confidential perceptions of these youth who dramatically straddle the opposing cultures of the U.S. and their homelands. They confront accounts of lost tradition, family separation, death and destitution, and ultimately are galvanized to explore their histories to understand who they are, where they come from and where they're going.
Regional Premiere www.newchildren-newyork.com, www.ojo-de-agua.org
A graduate of The City College of New York and the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico, the past work of Gisela Sanders Alcántara includes the dance film series Parallelos and Al borde del cuerpo. Currently she works at CUNY TV and teaches video production with the La Union community organization.
Producer: Lauren Mucciolo Production Companies: Ojo de Agua Arte y Producción Screenwriter: Lauren Mucciolo Cinematographer: Dan Akiba Editor: Andrea Chignoli Sound Design: Giacomo Buonafina Music: Maya Martinez, Yarimir Caban Cast: Desiree Camacho, Fausto El Piro, Miriam Patricia Torres, Lauren Mucciolo, Gisela Sanders Alcántara Print Source: Lauren Mucciolo, newchildrennewyork@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterSat. April 23 1:00 PMFREE!
New Children / New York Compilation The film New Children/New York, in Cine Las Americas' Feature Documentaries in Competition this year, documents the process by which three Latino Youths from inner-city New York learn to pick up the camera and tell their own stories in their own ways through that medium. We are proud to present this compilation of New Children/New York youth films, representing many of the youth who participated in the workshops, beyond the three profiled in the documentary. Desconocido Stranger Fausto el Piro 11 min, Ecuador, 2010 Fight Fight Fight! New Children/New York Youth Group 7 min, USA/Ecuador/Puerto Rico/Dominican Republic/Mexico, 2010 G-Boys Bryan Lopez 8 min, Puerto Rico, 2010 iTofu Desiree Camacho 6 min, Puerto Rico/Dominican Republic, 2010 Mojados Miriam Patricia Torres 6 min, Ecuador, 2010 My Life Kelvin Lara 6 min, Dominican Republic, 2010 Sad Churro Family Joshua Carrero 7 min, Puerto Rico/Aruba/USA, 2010 Toronjil con 12 esencias Toronjil with 12 Essences Miriam Patricia Torres 15 min, Ecuador, 2010 Un Ecuatoriano en Nueva York An Ecuadoran in New York Fausto El Piro 5 min, Ecuador, 2010 Wrong Way Michael Vasquez 8 min, Colombia, 2010 Mexican American Cultural CenterSat. April 23 2:30 PM FREE!
No Meio do Rio Entre as Árvores Within the River Among the Trees
Jorge Bodanzky Brazil, Human Rights Documentary, 2010 73 min, Digital, Color Portuguese with English subtitles
Within the Amazon Basin, there are a total of 35 communities living across 16.4 million acres of conservation areas of rainforest. The river is the only means of access to these communities. No Meio do Rio Entre as Árvores captures images of an abundant world, full of beauty, but where predatory economic exploration has left its marks.
World Premiere
Jorge Bodanzky was born in São Paulo in 1942. Director of various films, such as Iracema, Uma Transa Amazônica, O Terceiro Milênio, and Igreja dos Oprimidos, he has produced and directed hundreds of documentaries and currently holds visual art and music workshops with communities in the Amazon.
Producer: Beto Lacerda, Jorge Bodanzky Screenwriter: Jorge Bodanzky Cinematographer: Jorge Pennington Editor: Rodrigo Menecucci Sound Design: Alice Bodanzky Music: Thiago Cury, Marcus Siqueira Cast: Indigenous peoples of the Amazon Print Source : Raiz Distribuidora, distribuidora@raizprod.com.br
Jones Auditorium at the Ragsdale Center, St. Edward's UniversityTue. April 26 7:00 PM FREE!
Our Guadalupe
Chelsea Hernandez, Juan Elizondo, Lacey Triplett USA, Documentary, 2010 7 min, HD, Color English
From the same house where they were born and raised, three sisters invite old childhood friends over to reminisce on how the church was, and still is, a central part of their lives and the community.
World Premiere Producer: Chelsea Hernandez, Juan Elizondo, Lacey Triplett Production Companies: East Austin Stories Cinematographer: Chelsea Hernandez, Juan Elizondo, Lacey Triplett Editor: Chelsea Hernandez, Juan Elizondo, Lacey Triplett Sound Design: Greg Armstrong Music: Eric Vormelker, Lisa Schneider Cast: The Salas Sisters Print Source: Chelsea Hernandez, chelseahernandez@mac.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
Paraíso Paraiso
León Ichaso USA, Thriller/Drama, 2009 100, HD, Color/Black & White Spanish, English with English subtitles The monotonous life of Miami radio personality Remigio Gallegos changes abruptly when he answers the phone to find out that a son he has never met is waiting for him at the immigration office. Along with his mother's cross, the young man brings with him a haunted past. Paraiso explores generational and class divides within the Cuban exile community in southern Florida. Part thriller, drama, and existential romance, the film explodes with heart, color, music, and a desperate tale. Regional Premiere www.paraisothefilm.blogspot.com Leon Ichaso was born in Havana, Cuba. He left the island for exile in the United States with his mother and sister at age 14; his father joined them 5 years later having stayed behind to support the Cuban Revolution. Ichaso is known as "an actor's director," as a writer and director who does not compromise as he tells his tales, and as a filmmaker who specializes in gritty urban realism. Producer: León Ichaso, Lisa Rhoden Boyd Production Companies: Camino Verde Films Screenwriter: León Ichaso Cinematographer: Henry Vargas, Henry Lynk Editor: Juan Carlos Garza, Sebastián Jiménez Sound Design: Bruno Canale Music: Alfredo Triff Cast: Miguel Gutiérrez, Adrián Más, Tamara Melián, Lili Rentería, Ariel Texido, Juan David Ferrer, Aliani Sánchez, Larry Villanueva, Sandra García, Rosie Iguanzo, Roberto Poveda Print Source: León Ichaso, Lichaso1@aol.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Black Box Theater Tuesday, April 26, 9pm Free!
Periferias interiores Internal Outskirts
Sergio García Locatelli Spain/Peru, Documentary, 2009 19 min, DVCAM, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Seen through the eyes of an exile, the large, Latin American city of Lima, Peru provides a sense of nostalgia and yearning for director Sergio García Locatelli. Filming the city during a grey, misty winter, the historic heart of the city, in all its reconstruction and restructuring, shows the coexistence of two worlds: that of an aristocratic past and of the current inhabitants who emigrated in search of the "Lima dream." The film takes audiences on a panoramic tour of Lima and its outskirts - a place where poverty exists visibly within the margins of wealth.
North American Premiere
Producer: Marino León Production Companies: Quechua Films Screenwriter: Karla Villavicencio, Eva Hurtado, Sergio García Cinematographer: Rodrigo Morcos, Hugo Carmona Editor: Sergio García Locatelli Sound Design: Omar Pareja, José Balado Music: Alonso Acosta performing Beethoven Print Source: Sergio García Locatelli - Quechua Films, sergiogarcia@quechuafilms.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Thur. April 28 1:00 PM FREE!
Red Casas del Migrante Scalabrini Network of Scalbrini Migrant Houses
Marcela Morán Guatemala/Mexico, Social Issue Documentary, 2010 14 min, MiniDV, Color/Black & White Spanish with English subtitles
Red Casas del Migrante Scalabrini deals with a network of five immigrant shelters in Mexico and Guatemala run by Scalabrini missionaries. Through interviews with immigrants, the film explores the causes of migration, as well as connects their local experiences to larger world issues.
World Premiere
Producer: Alejandra Moran Production Companies: Morán Production Screenwriter: Marcela Morán Cinematographer: Fernando Silva Editor: Marcela Morán Sound Design: Marcela Morán Cast: Ademar Barilli, Luiz Kendzierski, Francisco Pellizzari, Mauro Verzelitti, Abraham Ochoa Rios Print Source: Marcela Morán, moranmarcela@hotmail.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Mon. April 25 6:00 PM FREE!
Rosa patria Rose Homeland
Santiago Loza Argentina, Biographical Documentary, 2009 96 min, HD, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Nestor Perlongher was an Argentine poet, sociologist, political activist and one of the founders of the Homosexual Liberation Front. By focusing on this important activist, a humorous and nostalgic collage of images, letters, and testimonies of members of the Homosexual Liberation Front movement help reconstruct a little-known part of Latin American history: the struggle of homosexuals during the years of change and repression in the 1970s.
North American Premiere
Born in Córdoba, Argentina in 1971, Santiago Loza has written and directed various acclaimed films including Los labios, La invención de la carne, Cuatro mujeres descalzas, and Extraño.
Producer: Liliana Paolinelli Production Companies: Mandragora Producciones Screenwriter: Santiago Loza Cinematographer: Paula Grandio Editor: Lorena Moriconi Sound Design: Leandro de Loredo Music: Cristian Bazzo, Carlos Casella Cast: Rodolfo Fogwill, María Inés Aldaburu, Fernando Noy, Juan José Sebreli, Sara Torres Print Source: Paula Grandio - Mandragora Producciones, paula.grandio@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Wed. April 27 3:00 PMFREE!
Se Meu Pai Fosse de Pedra If My Father Were Made of Stone
Maria Camargo Brazil, Biographical Documentary, 2010 19 min, 8mm/Super16mm/Digital/HD, Color Portuguese with English subtitles
The sculptor Sergio Camargo died 19 years ago. If the bones left in the grave are in fact his remains, would his sculptures be living remains? What is ephemeral and what is lasting? Is there a possible eternity? Seen through the eyes of his daughter, Maria, Sergio Camargo is examined both as an artist and a man.
North American Premiere Producer: Maria Camargo Production Companies: CaradeCão Filmes Screenwriter: Maria Camargo Cinematographer: Tuca Moraes Editor: Leo Alves, Maria Camargo Sound Design: Bruno Fernandes Music: Tim Rescala Cast: Maria Camargo, Celso do Prado, Miguel Camargo Kubrusly, Clara Camargo Vianna, João Camargo de Souza Dantas, Nina Camargo de Souza Dantas Print Source: Maria Camargo, miacamargo@uol.com.br
Mexican American Cultural Center Fri. April 22 3:00 PM FREE!
Soldados da Borracha Rubber Soldiers
Cesar Garcia Lima Brazil, Documentary, 2010 26 min, HD, Color Portuguese with English Subtitles
Between 1942 and 1945, fifty-five thousand Brazilian men worked in the Amazon to extract rubber as part of the World War II effort. At the end of the war, they received no tributes and continued extracting rubber in the forest in the Brazilian state of Acre, where most of them later died. Acre was the site of the largest number of these workers, and in this film four survivors of this period share their stories.
World Premiere www.soldadosdaborracha.blogspot.com
Producer: Susanna Lira, Luciana Freitas Production Companies: Modo Operante Produções Screenwriter: Cesar Garcia Lima Cinematographer: Pedro Faerstein Editor: Tito Gomes, Cesar Garcia Lima Sound Design: Etienne Chambolle Music: Caldo de Piaba Print Source: Luciana Freitas - Modo Operante Produções, luciana@modooperante.com.br
Mexican American Cultural Center Fri. April 22 3:00 PM FREE!
TL-1: Mi reino por un platillo volador My Kingdom for a Flying Saucer
Tetsuo Lumière Argentina, Science Fiction, 2004 111 min, HDV, Color/Black & White Spanish with English subtitles
Young Lumi, born in a small town without a movie theater, fell in love with movies by watching them on TV. Inspired by his favorite, The War of the Worlds, he dreams of making a movie about flying saucers attacking Buenos Aires. Once a teenager and living in Buenos Aires, he never stopped making cheap movies and waiting for the chance to become rich and famous to finally make his dream film. But one day he faints while filming. After being taken to the hospital, he learns that he has a brain tumor and only a few months to live. Despite having no job, no money, no girlfriend and being on the verge of death, he is not discouraged. He spends his last weeks making his dream film, whatever it takes.
North American Premiere
Tetsuo Lumière is a film director, writer, producer and actor born in Argentina. After attending several film courses at the Buenos Aires University Rojas Center, he directed his first short comedy, The Strange Spoon-stabbed Woman Affair. His first feature, TL-1: Mi reino por un platillo volador, was well received by critics and won numerous awards. He is currently working on his new project, TL-3: Destiny is My Fate.
Producer: Tetsuo Lumière Production Companies: Compañía General de la Imagen Screenwriter: Tetsuo Lumière Cinematographer: Sergio Nemirovsky Editor: Tetsuo Lumière Sound Design: Luis Aguero, Tetsuo Lumiere, Hugo Meyer, Sergio Nemirovsky Music: Peter Tchaikovsky, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Modest Mussorgsky, Antonio Vivaldi, Edvard Grieg, Fryderyk Chopin, Claude Debussy Cast: Anna Maria Castel, Walter Gavazzi, Facundo Estrada, Verónica Mor, Adrián Goldbergereno, Amauri Sola, María Méndez, Claudia Schijman, León Dugodni, Florencia Smayenka, Elvelyn Bliman Print Source: Paul Hudson - Outsider Pictures, info@outsiderpictures.us
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 7:00 PM FREE!
The Big Deal
Lucy Rodriguez USA, Drama/Comedy, 2011 13 min, HD, Color English
Find out what happens when Michele brings home her white, agnostic, vegan boyfriend to meet her Mexican, Catholic, meat-eating family. Based on a chapter from the book How to be a Chicana Role Model by Michele Serros.
World Premiere myjourneythroughindiewood.blogspot.com
Producer: Lucy Rodriguez, Onahoua Rodriguez Production Companies: Much & Lulu Screenwriter: Lucy Rodriguez Cinematographer: Matthew Boyd Editor: Sharon Frankel Sound Design: Brian Sorbo Cast: Onahoua Rodriguez, Catalina Maynard, Carlo Alban, Daniel Zacapa Print Source: Lucy Rodriguez, lucy@lulustuff.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterTue. April 26 8:00 PM FREE!
The Dreamers
Paloma Gonzalez, Harry Lindner USA, Documentary, 2010 13 min, HDV, Color English
The Dreamers offers a look at the lives of undocumented youth, and the reality they face of not being able to pursue their dreams despite their success in school.
World Premiere Producer: Paloma Gonzalez, Harry Lindner Screenwriter: Paloma Gonzalez, Harry Lindner Cinematographer: Paloma Gonzalez Editor: Paloma Gonzalez Sound Design: Paloma Gonzalez Music: Alexa Yunes Cast: Jorge Gonzalez, Rick Noriega, Carlos Cruz, Ernie Sandoval, Juan Gonzalez Print Source: Paloma Gonzalez, pgsaxju@aol.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
The Myth of Time
Jaguar X Guatemala/USA, Experimental Narrative, 2010 92 min, Super16mm/35mm, Color Spanish, English, Mayan with English subtitles
The unwritten chapters of the Mayan Popol Vuh are related in The Myth of Time by sharing the story of a boy, the Dark-Eyed One, and his transformation into manhood. The story takes place in a world where a holocaust has just occurred and we follow the Dark-Eyed One through his creation, experiences as a child soldier, first love, and ultimately The Revelation.
Regional Premiere
Jaguar X, born in Atlanta, Georgia, and a graduate of New York University, has worked as a poet, actor and director of three films: The Dinner Party; La cabra, recipient of a Kodak materials grant; and The Myth of Time, filmed over five years in Guatemala.
Producer: Scorpion Hernandez Production Companies: Le Rwa Entertainment Screenwriter: Jaguar X Cinematographer: Gordon Arkenberg, Steven Huber, Cesar Gutierrez Miranda, Axel Rodil Editor: Le Rwa Entertainment Sound Design: Le Rwa Entertainment Music: Scorpion Hernandez, Luis Juárez Quixtán and Ludwin Juárez Quixtan Cast: Daniel Posada, Scorpion H., Enrique Valencia, Alicia Chong, Jaguar X, David Sterne, Rob Morgan, Josue Sotomayor Print Source: Jaguar X - Le Rwa Entertainment, lerwa000@yahoo.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterWed. April 27 1:00 PM FREE!
The Secret Friend
Flavio Alves Brazil/USA, Comedy, 2010 15 min, 35mm, Color English
A reclusive, elderly widow, Anna Marshall (Viola Harris), lives in quiet desperation following her husband's death until she begins receiving daily phone calls from a silent stranger. At first finding the calls intrusive, Anna soon finds herself waiting for the phone to ring with growing anticipation each day. This prompts her to reach out to her silent prankster, and an odd, mysterious friendship evolves. But when the calls abruptly end, a devastated Anna is compelled to do something quite surprising to fill the unbearable void.
Texas Premiere
Director: Flavio Alves Production Companies: Queens Picture Producer: Raina Oberlin Screenwriter: João Silvério Trevisan Cinematographer: Adam McDaid Editor: Chris Houghton Sound Design: Carmine Picarello Music: Jack Woodbridge Cast: Viola Harris, Siobhan Fallon, Beau Hauser, Richard Scott Print Source Contact: Queens Picture, info@queenspicture.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterWed. April 27 6:00 PM FREE!
Time for a Hero
James Stevens USA, Musical/Comedy, 2010 16 min, HDV, Color English
Tate dreams of being a superhero just like his old friend, and local superhero, Hero. When Tate suddenly gets his own superpower to change back clocks, he goes to Hero, hoping to become his partner in justice. However, Hero rejects him, which prompts Tate to become Time Warp, an evil villain set on revenge.
Austin Premiere
Producer: Mark Sullivan, Christine Tolson, Sarah Russell, James Stevens Screenwriter: James Stevens and Sarah Russell Cinematographer: Allen Ho Editor: Sarah Russell Sound Design: Sarah Russell Music: Sarah Russell Cast: Braden Hunt, Jesse Allen, Sarah Agnew Print Source: Sarah Russell, sarah.russell.editing@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
Tongues of Stone
Jason Blalock Argentina/USA, Documentary, 2009 45 min, MiniDV/BetaSP, Color Spanish with English subtitles
The Rolling Stones have conceded that they are more popular in Argentina than any other country in the world, which is strange since they didn't play a single concert in Buenos Aires until 1995 - two decades into their career. But their absence didn't stop two generations of "rollingas" from sporting the Stones' trademark tongue and developing their own Stones-themed bands, bars, soccer clubs, restaurants, and fashion crazes. Through engaging and often hilarious interviews, performances, and archival footage, Tongues of Stone investigates the legendary status of the Rolling Stones in Argentina, and reveals the strange power of rock 'n' roll in the least likely of places.
World Premiere
Producer: Jason Blalock Cinematographer: Jason Blalock Editor: Jason Blalock Sound Design: Karolina Knopp, Alysha Yagoda Music: Jovenes Pordioseros, Ratones Paranoicos, Viejas Locas Print Source: Jason Blalock, jcblalock@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Sat. April 23 5:00 PM FREE!
Trust: Second Acts in Young Lives
Nancy Kelly USA, Documentary, 2010 78 min, MiniDV, Color English
Trust follows Marlin, a young Hondureña living in Chicago who has lived through some of the harshest cruelties imaginable: sexual abuse followed by severe depression. Propelled by her participation in the Albany Park Theater Project, a neighborhood teen theater company which makes original plays based on company members' stories, Marlin experiences a healthy movement away from identifying herself with those traumas in a documentary that is both uplifting and transformative.
Texas Premiere
Nancy Kelly, a veteran independent filmmaker of more than 25 years, is director of Smitten, Downside UP, and Thousand Pieces of Gold. Currently she is in production on Moments in Time, about how the Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area were saved from development.
Producer: Nancy Kelly Production Companies: Kelly+Yamamoto Productions Screenwriter: Nancy Kelly Cinematographer: Daniel B. Gold, Dana Kupper Editor: Kenji Yamamoto Sound Design: Phil Perkins Music: Todd Boekelheide Print Source Contact: Nancy Kelly - Kelly+Yamamoto Productions, nancy@kelly-yamamoto.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterWed. April 27 8:00 PM FREE!
Ukuku Ukuku - The Bear Man
Gastón Vizcarra Peru, Fantastic, 2009 20 min, HDV, Color Spanish, Quechua with English subtitles
The Ukuku is a mythological character from the Andes whose main function is to ascend to the high snow-capped peaks and bring back the ice that many Peruvian people consider to be sacred. But when one Ukuku climbs the high peaks and does not find any ice, his journey to fufill his sacred mission takes him ever-closer to the modern Peruvian coast, where he will finally find ice and an unexpected destiny.
Texas Premiere www.facebook.com/pages/Ukuku/227798254993
Producer: Gastón Vizcarra Production Companies: Aguardiente Producciones Screenwriter: Gastón Vizcarra Cinematographer: Rafael Vizarreta Editor: Alfredo Ferreyros Sound Design: David Romero Music: Miguel Figueroa Cast: Sergio Espinoza, Hermelinda Luján, Akinori Sato, Miguel Vergara, Christian Bjork Print Source Contact: Gastón Vizcarra - Aguardiente Producciones, gastonvizcarra@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural Center Mon. April 25 3:00 PM FREE!
Um Dia com Frederico Morais A Day with Frederico Morais
Guilherme Coelho Brazil, Biographical/Experimental Documentary, 2010 60 min, HDV/Super 8mm, Color/Black & White Portuguese with English subtitles
Frederico Morais is a 74 year-old art critic, curator and former director of the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. Morais allows director Guilherme Coelho into his home to view a little-known audio-visual project of sequences of photos shown on slides with accompanying audio recordings. With this project he creates a unique dialogue with the artists he critiques; in analyzing their works of art, he creates his own to provide his critical commentary.
World Premiere
Born in 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Coelho studied economics, documentary filmmaking, journalism and theater at Stanford University. He is also the director of numerous films including the series Portraits in Contemporary Art, Fernando Lemos-Behind the Image, Cildo, and 5 +5 +.
Producer: Mariana Ferraz Production Companies: Matizar Filmes Screenwriter: Guilherme Coelho, Letícia Simões, Marcia Watzl Cinematographer: Alberto Bellezia Editor: Marcia Watzl Sound Design: Denilson Campos Print Source: Mariana Ferraz, mariana@matizar.com.br
Mexican American Cultural CenterThur. April 28 1:00 PM FREE!
Vanilla: The Sacred Orchid
Curtis Craven Mexico/USA, Docmentary, 2010 27 min, BetaSP, Color Spanish with English subtitles
Vanilla is a New World spice originating from the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Two different groups of people are involved in its production: the indigenous people who have been growing it on small farms for centuries, and descendants of Italian immigrants who have been processing and selling the bean since the mid-1800s. Vanilla: The Sacred Orchid examines the relationship these two cultures have with the plant during its yearly cycle, from the hand-pollination of the flowers, to the harvesting and subsequent drying of the bean.
World Premiere Producer: Curtis Craven Production Companies: Hecho a Mano Productions Screenwriter: Curtis Craven Cinematographer: Curtis Craven Editor: Curtis Craven Sound Design: Curtis Craven Music: Voladores de Papantla, Curt Voelkel Cast: Patricia Vonne, Cristina Lopez, Daniel Eduardo Hurst Print Source: Curtis Craven - Hecho a Mano Productions, ccraven322@yahoo.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
Vecino Neighbor
Argenis Mills Cuba/Dominican Republic/Brazil, Drama, 2010 11 min, 35mm, Color No dialogue
Samuel is a Latino immigrant who goes to Europe searching for a better life. Shortly after moving into his apartment, an upstairs neighbor complains about the noise and threatens to turn him in to immigration. As Samuel becomes more obsessed with not making any noise, he goes to great extremes to quiet each and every sound.
Texas Premiere
Producer: Viana González Production Companies: EICTV Screenwriter: Daniel Rodríguez de Castro Cinematographer: César Zayas Editor: Rocío Gattinoni Sound Design: Salomé Román Music: Luís Díaz Cast: Yarién Rodríguez, Osvaldo Doimeadiós Print Source: Jorge Rey - EICTV, promocioninternacional@eictv.org.cu
Mexican American Cultural CenterMon. April 25 1:00 PM FREE!
¿Tacos o tacos? ¿Tacos or Tacos?
Robert Lemon USA, Documentary, 2010 14 min, Digital, Color English, Spanish with English subtitles
Austin, TX is seeing a strong emergence of new food cultures, which in turn is shaping community identities throughout the city. By juxtaposing immigrant taco trucks on the East side of Austin to the new, trendy food trucks in the eclectic and eccentric neighborhood of South Austin, ¿Tacos or Tacos? shows that taco trucks are more than just a place to eat for Mexican immigrants.
Texas Premiere www.facebook.com/pages/Tacos-or-Tacos/160105000713358
Producer: Robert Lemon Screenwriter: Robert Lemon Cinematographer: Robert Lemon, Aaron Fine Editor: Robert Lemon, Aaron Fine Sound Design: Robert Lemon Music: Guy Clarke, Banda El Grullo Cast: Sarah Courington, Robert Lemon, Jaime Malendez Print Source: Robert Lemon, rdlemon@gmail.com
Mexican American Cultural CenterFri. April 22 8:00 PM FREE!
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