22nd Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Sept 5-15, 2024
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August 26, 2024
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September 1, 2024
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September 5, 2024(2 events)
7:00 pm: Opening Night: La Suprema7:00 pm: Opening Night: La Suprema 
Director Felipe Holguín Caro in attendance! SFU Woodward's 9:15 pm: Opening Night Party9:15 pm: Opening Night Party 
Join us for the Opening Party at a new venue this year... THE PEARL at 881 Granville Street!! Featuring music by Ypsilone, followed by the irresistible salsa beats of the Wasakaka All Stars!! |
September 6, 2024(3 events)
4:00 pm: Skin in Spring4:00 pm: Skin in Spring 
Sandra, the new security guard at a shopping centre, crosses paths with a bus driver during her daily commute through Medellín. Through various experiences of desire, she begins a journey towards self-discovery and reclaiming her sexuality. Nominated for Best First Feature Award at Berlinale, 2024. The Cinematheque 6:15 pm: Tomorrow Before After/Mañana antes después6:15 pm: Tomorrow Before After/Mañana antes después 
Director Alfonso Quijada in attendance! 6:15 pm: English narration The Cinematheque 8:30 pm: Mañana antes después/Tomorrow Before After8:30 pm: Mañana antes después/Tomorrow Before After 
Director Alfonso Quijada in attendance! 6:15 pm: English narration The Cinematheque |
September 7, 2024(4 events)
2:00 pm: La Suprema (with Kuayé)2:00 pm: La Suprema (with Kuayé)
Repeat screening of LA SUPREMA. Preceded by the short film KUAYÉ (13 min). The Cinematheque 4:15 pm: Igualada (with Three Rooms)4:15 pm: Igualada (with Three Rooms) 
In Colombia, a nation marred by profound racial and socio-economic disparities, a Black woman from a rural background challenges the status quo by launching a presidential campaign. Re-appropriating the term “igualada,” Francia Márquez, catapults a movement to the upper echelons of power, by refusing to “know her place.” Fifteen years in the making, this documentary peels back the curtain on how unprecedented change can happen. Nominee, Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival, 2024 Preceded by the short film THREE ROOMS (dir. Andrea López, 10 min) The Cinematheque 6:15 pm: Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake)6:15 pm: Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake) 
Rafa's unexpected pregnancy threatens the pink and extravagant teenage world she lounges about in with her best friend, Gabriela. Although abortion in Chile is illegal, with enough money it's not impossible, and together they must navigate the hostility of the system to find a way out of their predicament. Winner of Best Director of Photography at BAFICI - Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, 2023. Preceded by LUPE Q AND THE GALACTIC CORN CAKE with Javier Badillo and Magda Ochoa in attendance! The Cinematheque 8:30 pm: Sign Here8:30 pm: Sign Here 
Director Enrique Vázquez and actress Regina Blandón in attendance! In the near future, the ideal love relationship only lasts 4 years. The 4EVER company adeptly pairs single people with their perfect next match. When Fran is set up with Roque, she feels something new. Will 4 years be enough, or will they defy the system? The Cinematheque |
September 8, 2024(4 events)
2:00 pm: Offerings of Life2:00 pm: Offerings of Life 
Curated by Akira Iahtail & Masa’n Selene Galindo A celebration of life and cinema, these short films showcase the traditions we cultivate and how we are affected by them. Through recreated memories, storytelling, rituals, resistance, and the confrontation of intergenerational cycles, they champion agency, autocriticism, and the possibility of happiness. The Cinematheque 4:00 pm: Paths of Bulla and Tambó / Al Sabor Afro4:00 pm: Paths of Bulla and Tambó / Al Sabor Afro 
Producer Natalia Rodriguez Garavito in attendance! The documentary PATHS OF BULLA AND TAMBÓ: The Moñitos Heritage is a compilation of portraits of Bullerengueros and Bullerengueras from Moñitos, Córdoba, Colombia. Through songs and drumbeats, it creates sensitive and musical journeys that encourage encounters and conversations among people of different ages, vocations, and social conditions. AL SABOR AFRO unfolds the culinary history of Afro-descendant women in the municipality of Moñitos, Córdoba (popularly called “the paradise of the Caribbean”) through the eyes of Amalia, a young entrepreneur from the community. The Cinematheque 6:00 pm: Sign Here6:00 pm: Sign Here 
Director Enrique Vázquez and actress Regina Blandón in attendance! In the near future, the ideal love relationship only lasts 4 years. The 4EVER company adeptly pairs single people with their perfect next match. When Fran is set up with Roque, she feels something new. Will 4 years be enough, or will they defy the system? The Cinematheque 8:30 pm: My Aunt Gilma (with Iris)8:30 pm: My Aunt Gilma (with Iris) 
13-year-old Isabel takes care of her aunt Gilma, who was beaten by her partner Raphael and admitted to a hospital in the turbulent city of Caracas. During the hospital stay, Isabel promises Gilma to keep a secret. Despite the chaos surrounding them, Isabel will do anything to save her aunt and accomplish her promise. Preceded by the short film IRIS (Montreal/Brazil, 17 mins) with director Gabriela de Andrade in attendance. The Cinematheque |
September 9, 2024(5 events)
2:00 pm: Milonga2:00 pm: Milonga 
Rosa (Paulina García) still lives under her husband’s rules, even though he died six months ago. The deteriorated relationship with her son has distanced her from her only family. When she meets Juan, a divorced man with whom she shares a passion for tango, she begins to rediscover herself and something begins to change. But before she can take a step forward, she is confronted with some uncomfortable truths. Winner of the Audience Award at IFF Cine Las Americas, 2024 Cineworks 4:00 pm: Meet Me There4:00 pm: Meet Me There 
The fate of a pumpkin-coloured parka, a dancing bird-like figure on a beach, a woman waiting for a promise carried in a tiny vial, messages sent to a faraway friend, an amphibian’s view of solitude, we all arrive here from different places with different desires. With precision and heart, these five shorts by Latin-Canadian filmmakers invite us into distinct, poignant, and wondrous versions of affinity. Cineworks 5:15 pm: The Soldier's Lagoon5:15 pm: The Soldier's Lagoon 
Directed by Pablo Alvarez-Mesa, this riveting experimental work delves deep into the misty Páramo region, into an ecosystem rich in water, but also saturated with oral narratives that populate the territory like foggy patches. Reflecting on the construction of oral history and its relation to the land, the film traverses a living and elusive archive, suspended between Simon Bolivar’s past and Colombia’s present. The Cinematheque 6:45 pm: Fito's Havana (with Starlit)6:45 pm: Fito's Havana (with Starlit) 
Fito Páez, the soul of Argentine rock, meets again with Havana, city of the heart, and many friends. In this love letter to Cuba, the artist reflects on the country: its history, people, musicians, and its contradictions. Preceded by STARLIT by Raúl Pérez (4 min). The Cinematheque 8:15 pm: All The Fires (with Passiflora)8:15 pm: All The Fires (with Passiflora) 
A teenager's journey of self-discovery takes him on a path of fire and destruction. In his search for answers, he must confront his past, his sexuality, and his place in the world. Nominated for the Golden Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival, 2023 Preceded by PASSIFLORA with director Gabriel Nunes Souza in attendance. The Cinematheque |
September 10, 2024(4 events)
2:00 pm: Skin in Spring2:00 pm: Skin in Spring 
Sandra, the new security guard at a shopping centre, crosses paths with a bus driver during her daily commute through Medellín. Through various experiences of desire, she begins a journey towards self-discovery and reclaiming her sexuality. Nominated for Best First Feature Award at Berlinale, 2024. Cineworks 4:00 pm: Short Films in Competition: Program 14:00 pm: Short Films in Competition: Program 1 
Curated by Ana Tonso & Dani Rodríguez Chevalier Beginning with disappearance, this shorts program delves into the various types of absence present in our lives. As we dive deeper, the exploration of grief intensifies, addressing processes of denial, internal and personal searches, and the reconstruction of losses. And then, what remains? What lingers as memories and stories we choose to tell? This showcase celebrates human resilience and the ability of cinema to capture and transform pain into something we can share and talk about, providing a meeting point for reflection and emotional connection. Cineworks 6:00 pm: Rotting in the Sun6:00 pm: Rotting in the Sun 
Sebastián Silva is detached from life, struggling to succeed in the art world and habitually taking ketamine. When he meets social media influencer Jordan Firstman at a nudist beach, the two discuss collaborating but fate has other plans. Winner of Grand Jury Award for Screenwriting at Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival, 2023 The Cinematheque 8:15 pm: Cassandro8:15 pm: Cassandro 
Gael García Bernal stars as Saúl “Cassandro” Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, Texas, who rose to international stardom when he created the character Cassandro, the "Liberace of Lucha Libre." In doing so he not only upended the macho wrestling world, but also his own life. Also stars Bad Bunny! The Cinematheque |
September 11, 2024(4 events)
2:00 pm: Guián (with Three Rooms)2:00 pm: Guián (with Three Rooms) 
As a consequence of her grandma Guián passing away, Nicole starts meeting up with people who had known her. In them, Nicole finds a poetic resemblance between these members of the Chinese-Costa Rican community and her deceased grandma. From these conversations Nicole finds the need to go to Engping, the village in Southern China that her grandma fled amidst the rise of communism. This will be the first time Nicole steps onto Chinese soil. Having never learned Chinese, she must confront the reality of a country and culture she thought she knew. Received Special Mention as part of the Burning Lights Competition at Visions du Réel, 2023. Preceded by the short film THREE ROOMS (dir. Andrea López, 10 mins) Cineworks 4:00 pm: In memoriam: Narcisa Hirsch4:00 pm: In memoriam: Narcisa Hirsch 
Born in Germany yet Argentine by choice, Narcisa Hirsch was the pioneer of Argentine experimental cinema. This selection of six short films approaches Narcisa’s work from its beginnings in the late 1960s up to her last film Materia Oscura (2023). Narcisa’s gaze is expansive, it cuts across forms and the reflections it creates leave us in a narcotic state in which time and space slowly transform. She described this process as follows: “Cinema is what flows and leaves, that which doesn’t stay, an image every twenty-fourth of a second; cinema is being a dark room with others sharing a ritual. Yet, above all, it is the luminosity of the images, images that in being projected make visible other images, the internal, the ones that are kept, the dark and forgotten ones, in that beam of light that travels through the terrain to uproot us from where we are sitting and leave us melting with this light in a quasi passionate encounter.” Cineworks 6:00 pm: Bridges Over the Sea (with Teresa's Choice)6:00 pm: Bridges Over the Sea (with Teresa's Choice) 
Director Patricia Ayala in attendance! Preceded by the short film TERESA'S CHOICE with director Marlene Castaños in attendance. The Cinematheque 8:15 pm: Fields of Presence8:15 pm: Fields of Presence 
Director Jorge Lozano in attendance. "This poetic experimental documentary is a tribute to my daughter, Briana Sarita, and her multifaceted life, a collaborative reflection intertwining fiction film archives, acting, and photographs to evoke memories and breathe life into moments and events. Her singing serves as a connecting thread, offering parallel interpretations. The film explores events since 1978, employing a non-chronological and non-linear approach, providing a unique artistic perspective. Shot in Colombia, Spain, and Costa Rica, it culminates in Victoria, BC, where she was tragically murdered in March 2021. However, the film focuses on celebrating her life and her essence employing diverse formats, including super 8mm, VHS, Super VHS, 3/4″, 4K HD, Drone 5K video, GoPro, and Instant 360." The Cinematheque |
September 12, 2024(4 events)
2:00 pm: Open Sky (with The Vampires of Poverty)2:00 pm: Open Sky (with The Vampires of Poverty) 
A Peruvian father labours patiently, chipping at the white volcanic stone that forms an extraordinary landscape. His son is part of the modern world: he uses cameras and drones in order to create the digital model of a church on a computer. Separated by the mysterious death of the wife/mother figure in the family, these men do not connect, and yet their paths cross in a ghostly manner. Preceded by THE VAMPIRES OF POVERTY (1977, 28 min) Cineworks 4:00 pm: Short Films in Competition: Program 24:00 pm: Short Films in Competition: Program 2 
Curated by Ana Tonso and Dani Rodríguez Chevalier Water, access, being on the map, the first love, pleasure, history, and community are themes addressed in this collection of short films that illuminate various facets of the infinite and multiple realities that make up the experience of Latin American people. Through these narratives, the complexities and nuances of daily life are explored, highlighting the struggles and joys that define and recreate the region’s communities and individuals. Cineworks 6:00 pm: Elis and Tom (with Spell)6:00 pm: Elis and Tom (with Spell) 
Los Angeles, February 1974. Tom Jobim, the incarnation of Bossa Nova, and Elis Regina, then Brazil’s most popular singer, met to record what would become one of the most iconic albums in the history of Brazilian music. Through a collection of rare images, never seen before, “Elis & Tom” reveals the conflict and the joy of this unique moment, travelling in time and exposing the intimacy of the creative process as well as the extraordinary personalities of these fantastic artists. Preceded by the short film SPELL (dir. Khalil Charif, 6 min) The Cinematheque 8:15 pm: Wild Woman (with Convivial Rebelion)8:15 pm: Wild Woman (with Convivial Rebelion) 
One minute Yolanda is dancing her heart out at a house party in Cuba and the next she is running against the clock to find her son and disappear, as an incriminating video begins to circulate. Winner of Best Actress (Lola Amores) at Málaga Film Festival, 2024. Preceded by the short film CONVIVIAL REBELLION with director Sidartha Murjani in attendance. The Cinematheque |
September 13, 2024(5 events)
2:00 pm: Bridges Over the Sea2:00 pm: Bridges Over the Sea –
Director Patricia Ayala in attendance! Alicia and Michael, her teenage son, live in a palafitic neighbourhood in Tumaco, an area in the Colombian Pacific that concentrates all the beauty and also the terror of this country. She knows that the armed group, which controls her neighbourhood, can recruit her son at any time. It is why she guards him, watches over him and protects him. But one day, Michael does not return from school and she begins a frantic search that will lead her to face her worst fears, finding the way out in the love and solidarity of her people. Cineworks 4:00 pm: Four Seasons of Youth4:00 pm: Four Seasons of Youth 
A wannabe movie director films his experience at one of the most important universities in Brazil. As the years go by, we follow the hopes and fears of students facing an unprecedented educational crisis. Cineworks 5:45 pm: Emerging Filmmakers: Reconfiguring the Real5:45 pm: Emerging Filmmakers: Reconfiguring the Real 
Sara Galvis, Maria Sarem, Kai Lium-Hall & Adrian Hoz in attendance! This shorts program presents the work of local filmmakers whose creative narratives shed light on the ups and downs of relationships. Featuring: COSMIC LOVE (Maria Clara Saram), THE PERFORMANCE (Kai Lium-Hall), AZAI (Sara Galvis) & DOG SOUP (Patricio Cartas). The Cinematheque 7:15 pm: The Count7:15 pm: The Count 
After living 250 years in this world, Augusto Pinochet, who is not dead but an aged vampire, decides to die once and for all. Nominated for Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards, 2024 The Cinematheque 9:30 pm: When Evil Lurks9:30 pm: When Evil Lurks 
When the residents of a small rural town discover that a demon is about to be born among them, they desperately try to escape, but it may be too late. Winner of Best Feature Film at Sitges Film Festival, 2023. The Cinematheque |
September 14, 2024(8 events)
2:00 pm: Children of the Coast2:00 pm: Children of the Coast 
Following Afro-Mexican musicians from Costa Chica, this documentary immerses us in the region’s popular culture. Its music reveals the history of a community that pays tribute to its people, the sea, and its land. The Cinematheque 2:30 pm: Co-Presented with VQFF: Queer Pix: Queride2:30 pm: Co-Presented with VQFF: Queer Pix: Queride 
Directors Daniel E. Carrera and Ana Gutiérrez Salgado in attendance! Queride—Darling in English— brings together five fierce filmmakers from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico to celebrate queer, trans, and non-binary stories. With fresh insights, these heartwarming films explore complex and intimate relationships, sharing insights into LGBTQIA+ Latine ways of loving, letting go, and finding joy with friends, lovers, and family. International Village 4:15 pm: Open Sky4:15 pm: Open Sky
Director Felipe Esparza Pérez in attendance! A Peruvian father labours patiently, chipping at the white volcanic stone that forms an extraordinary landscape. His son is part of the modern world: he uses cameras and drones in order to create the digital model of a church on a computer. Separated by the mysterious death of the wife/mother figure in the family, these men do not connect, and yet their paths cross in a ghostly manner. The Cinematheque 6:15 pm: Placeada: The Intimate Story of an Ex-Assassin6:15 pm: Placeada: The Intimate Story of an Ex-Assassin 
Director Alejandra Sanchéz in attendance! PLACEADA reveals the riveting and disturbing story of Gabriela López, a woman who entered the ranks of organized crime in Juarez, Mexico at the age of 13, and at 16 dedicated herself to planning and executing murders. After 20 years in prison, she is now trying to find a new meaning to her existence. She doesn't want to go back to prison or return to her previous life...or end up dead by saying too much. This is an intimate testimony that offers a platform for discussion around what are the possible origins and causes of a violence that has kept the entire country on edge. The Cinematheque 8:00 pm: Vera and the Pleasure of Others8:00 pm: Vera and the Pleasure of Others 
¡Calientico!, a sizzling collaboration between VLAFF and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival In this erotic coming-of-age comedy, 17-year-old Vera runs a secret business renting out an apartment to her classmates who need a place to get intimate. Bored by the banal routine of high school and volleyball practice, she discovers her own sexual desires as she covertly eavesdrops on her classmate’s most private moments. Join us afterwards for the FUEGO/FOGO Cuir Party at THE BIRDHOUSE! International Village 8:15 pm: Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake)8:15 pm: Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake) 
Rafa's unexpected pregnancy threatens the pink and extravagant teenage world she lounges about in with her best friend, Gabriela. Although abortion in Chile is illegal, with enough money it's not impossible, and together they must navigate the hostility of the system to find a way out of their predicament. Winner of Best Director of Photography at BAFICI - Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, 2023. Preceded by LUPE Q AND THE GALACTIC CORN CAKE with Javier Badillo and Magda Ochoa in attendance! The Cinematheque 8:30 pm: This Is Ballroom8:30 pm: This Is Ballroom
¡Calientico!, a sizzling collaboration between VLAFF and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival! On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, the city’s top ballroom houses convene in a sweaty, euphoric competition, in this electrifying portrait of contemporary queer Brazil. Join us afterwards for the FUEGO/FOGO Cuir Party at THE BIRDHOUSE! International Village 10:00 pm: 🔥FUEGO / FOGO Cuir Party 🔥10:00 pm: 🔥FUEGO / FOGO Cuir Party 🔥 Voguing. DJs. Gogo Dancers. Brazilian Batucada. Come party Latine Queer/Cuir style with VLAFF and VQFF! This night promises a fiery lineup of Latine excellence. Come hungry, Boteco Brazil will be waiting for you with delicious bites to fuel your tank so that the flame of perreo burns all night long. Somebody call 911, there’ll be fire burning on the dancefloor. VQFF Passholders, VLAFF Passholders, and ticket holders from the following screenings get free entry: Queer Pix: QUERIDE, THIS IS BALLROOM, and VERA AND THE PLEASURE OF OTHERS. Show your physical pass/ticket or digital ticket at the door for entry. The Birdhouse |
September 15, 2024(3 events)
2:00 pm: CHILEMONOS: Animated Shorts Program2:00 pm: CHILEMONOS: Animated Shorts Program 
A collaboration between CHILEMONOS, one of Latin America’s leading animation festivals, and VLAFF, this one-hour program is suitable for all audiences and brings together short films and video clips from recent years, showing the diverse themes, visions, colours, and styles that constitute Latin America. Join us for a free FLIPBOOK ANIMATION WORKSHOP after the screening with Margarita Cid Lizondo, director of the CHILEMONOS Festival. The Cinematheque 3:30 pm: Nudo Mixteco (w/ The Doldrums or How to Cure Sadness)3:30 pm: Nudo Mixteco (w/ The Doldrums or How to Cure Sadness) 
Director Ángeles Cruz in attendance! In a compelling and carefully crafted narrative, three women’s stories intertwine during the celebration of San Mateo, the patron saint, in a Mixtec village in Oaxaca. María returns home to bury her mother and face her father’s rejection. An unpleasant reunion awaits Chabela when her husband, Esteban, returns from the US, after not having heard from him in three years; Toña relives her own childhood pain when she suspects her daughter is facing the same fate as her. Self-reliant and defiant, all three women face a confrontation that leads to a powerful turning point in their lives. Preceded by the short film THE DOLDRUMS OR HOW TO CURE SADNESS The Cinematheque 6:00 pm: Valentina or the Serenity6:00 pm: Valentina or the Serenity 
Director Ángeles Cruz in attendance! After Valentina's father disappears in an accident, she puts all her efforts into believing that he is still alive. With the help of her friend Pedro, she searches for him everywhere, trying to conjure his existence. An intimate and moving look into the depths of loss and the curative power of love. Winner of the Golden Colón for Best Film at Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival, 2023 The Cinematheque |
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October 1, 2024
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October 5, 2024
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October 6, 2024
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