Recap of NFMLA INFocus: Latinx and Cinema Film Festival

New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presented the 2022 edition of NFMLA InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema Film Festival on September 23-24. The Festival was slated to run in-person for the first time since 2019 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. The program line-up consisted of three short film programs, filmmaker Q&A sessions, industry development programs and educational panels, including a panel centering around POV’s newest film The Last Out by Oscar nominated Sami Khan and Tribeca Film Festival Special Jury Mention Winner Michael Gassert.

The Festival featured independent films from emerging talent that highlight a range of genres, storytelling styles and narratives from filmmakers and stories hailing from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States.

NFMLA, with the partnership of the Academy, has brought together industry professionals, executives and creatives to support the programmed filmmakers and projects.

“This program is incredibly special to the NFMLA community and to Los Angelenos. We’re honored to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Latinx talent in partnership with the Academy. It’s a way to showcase the powerful Latinx talent locally and internationally. The Academy’s involvement helps to provide access for these filmmakers at another level and we’re forever grateful for this collaboration,” said NFMLA Programming Director Bojana Sandic and Executive Director and Co-Founder Larry Laboe.

The festival kicked off with virtual panels beginning in the afternoon on Friday, September 23rd and concluded on Saturday, September 24th with InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema Shorts I – Connection and Disconnection, a rich collection of narrative and documentary work about the nature of connection and disconnection.

A full list of official selections is available below.

● Pool Boy (Dir. & Writ. Luke Willis)
● Any Place (Dir. Minerva Rivera Bolaños, Writ. Fanie Soto, Minerva Rivera Bolaños)
● No Soy Óscar (Dir. & Writ. Jon Ayon)
● Ember (Dir. Manuel Del Valle, Writ. Alexandra Segel, Manuel Del Valle)
● Aion (Dir. & Writ. Giulio Meliani)
● All Because Of The Damned Blonde’s Son (Dir. Danilo Vargas Martinez, Cristian Roberto Hernández
Figueroa, Writ. Cristian Roberto Hernández FIgueroa)
● Breathe (Dir. & Writ. Victor Velasco)
● Preggers (Dir. Sylvia Ray, Writ. Marco Antonio Parra)

● Tundra (Dir. José Luis Aparicio, Writ. Carlos Melián)
● Who? How? And Where? (Dir. & Writ. Victoria Garza)
● Mancha (Dir. Nicole Mejia, Writ. Nicole Mejia, Don DiPetta)
● I’m A Vampire (Dir. & Writ. Sofia Garza-Barba)
● Noche Del Infierno (Hell Night) (Dir. Andrew Reid, Writ. Jesenia Ruiz, Vee Saieh)
● Bad Hombrewood (Dir. & Writ. Guillermo Casarin)
● Más Latina (Dir. & Writ Janeva Adena Zentz, Tim Young)
● Sabor Ártico: Latinos En Alaska (Arctic Flavor: Latinos In Alaska) (Dir. & Writ. Indra Arriaga Delgado)
● Tejano Night (Dir. & Writ. Alexander Rosales)
● Bertie The Brilliant (Dir. Gabriela Garcia Medina, Writ. Gabriela Garcia Medina, Joshua Sankar)

Additional Festival information is available at www.NFMLA.org/Events