The Latin American Cultural Center opened its doors for CineAméricas for a free film festival over three evenings in October. Audiences gathered to watch, listen, and talk about stories from across the Americas, with snacks and soft drinks to keep the conversation going.
Thursday, October 15: Heritage on Screen
The festival opened with Jaripeo, Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s highly regarded 70-minute film exploring heritage and LGBTQ+ identities against the backdrop traditional, hyper masculine rodeos in Mexico. The screening was followed by a conversation with special guest, Dr. Ever Osorio Ruiz, scholar of Latin America, media, social movements, and feminisms, who enriched the experience with an academic and personal perspective to the discussion.
Ever Osorio Ruiz joins the audience after the screening of Jaripeo.
Friday, October 16: A Night of Horror
On the second night, the festival turned to Latin American horror. The evening began with the short, Guatemalan film Madrugada (20 min), directed by Sebastián Lojo, followed by Virgen de la Tosquera (The Virgin of the Quarry Lake), the 93-minute Argentinian feature by Laura Casabé.
Horror night brought a full house for Madrugada and Virgen de la Tosquera.
Saturday, October 17: Denise Zmekhol
The festival closed with two documentaries by Brazilian director Denise Zmekhol: Children of the Amazon (72 min) and Skin of Glass (91 min). Having her with us in person was the highlight of the weekend. Her presence, made possible through a collaboration with Pitt’s Center for Latin American Studies gave the evening a special warmth, and her conversation with the audience gave the films a deeper meaning.
CLAS Director Keila Grinberg in conversation with Brazilian filmmaker Denise Zmekhol.
We thank our audience and participants for a successful run of current, independent Latin American films and look forward to the next CineAméricas.