22nd Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Sept 5-15, 2024

  • Opening Night: La Suprema

    Opening Night: La Suprema


    September 5, 2024

    Director Felipe Holguín Caro in attendance!
    A feisty teenage girl dreams of being a boxer, but life is not making it easy for her. She lives in the remote community of La Suprema, so remote, in fact, that it's not even on the map. When she learns that her estranged uncle is going to be boxing for the World Championship, she becomes obsessed with watching the match... There's just one hitch: no one in the village has a TV and there's no electricity for miles.
    Winner of the Audience Award at FICCI - Cartagena Film Festival, 2024

    SFU Woodward's
    149 West Hastings Street
    3rd Floor
    Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4
    Canada
    Opening Night Party

    Opening Night Party


    September 5, 2024

    Wasakaka All Stars singing on stage

    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!!

    881 Granville St
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L1
    Canada
  • Skin in Spring

    Skin in Spring


    September 6, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Tomorrow Before After/Mañana antes después

    Tomorrow Before After/Mañana antes después


    September 6, 2024

    Director Alfonso Quijada in attendance!
    In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman, with the help of an abandoned dog, searches for other survivors while trying to cope with an unborn child growing inside of her.

    6:15 pm: English narration
    8:30 pm: Spanish narration with English subtitles

    The Cinematheque
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Mañana antes después/Tomorrow Before After

    Mañana antes después/Tomorrow Before After


    September 6, 2024

    Director Alfonso Quijada in attendance!
    In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman, with the help of an abandoned dog, searches for other survivors while trying to cope with an unborn child growing inside of her.

    6:15 pm: English narration
    8:30 pm: Spanish narration with English subtitles

    The Cinematheque
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • La Suprema (with Kuayé)

    La Suprema (with Kuayé)


    September 7, 2024

    Repeat screening of LA SUPREMA. Preceded by the short film KUAYÉ (13 min).
    A short documentary film filled with the rhythm, flavour, and joy of the music of the Colombian Pacific. Fredy “Sebastián” Cuero, charismatic artist and marimba player, guides us from Guapi, Cauca, to Cali with his contagious smile and optimism, and his dream of being one of the best players in the world.

    The Cinematheque
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Igualada (with Three Rooms)

    Igualada (with Three Rooms)


    September 7, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake)

    Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake)


    September 7, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Sign Here

    Sign Here


    September 7, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Offerings of Life

    Offerings of Life


    September 8, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Paths of Bulla and Tambó / Al Sabor Afro

    Paths of Bulla and Tambó / Al Sabor Afro


    September 8, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Sign Here

    Sign Here


    September 8, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    My Aunt Gilma (with Iris)

    My Aunt Gilma (with Iris)


    September 8, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Milonga

    Milonga


    September 9, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Meet Me There

    Meet Me There


    September 9, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    The Soldier's Lagoon

    The Soldier's Lagoon


    September 9, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Fito's Havana (with Starlit)

    Fito's Havana (with Starlit)


    September 9, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    All The Fires (with Passiflora)

    All The Fires (with Passiflora)


    September 9, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Skin in Spring

    Skin in Spring


    September 10, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Short Films in Competition: Program 1

    Short Films in Competition: Program 1


    September 10, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Rotting in the Sun

    Rotting in the Sun


    September 10, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Cassandro

    Cassandro


    September 10, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Guián (with Three Rooms)

    Guián (with Three Rooms)


    September 11, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    In memoriam: Narcisa Hirsch

    In memoriam: Narcisa Hirsch


    September 11, 2024

    skin

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Bridges Over the Sea (with Teresa's Choice)

    Bridges Over the Sea (with Teresa's Choice)


    September 11, 2024

    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.

    Preceded by the short film TERESA'S CHOICE with director Marlene Castaños in attendance.

    The Cinematheque
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Fields of Presence

    Fields of Presence


    September 11, 2024

    Still from 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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Open Sky (with The Vampires of Poverty)

    Open Sky (with The Vampires of Poverty)


    September 12, 2024

    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)
    A classic film of Colombian cinema by directors Carlos Mayolo & Luis Opsina that simulates being a documentary about filmmakers who exploit misery with mercantilist purposes. It is a scathing criticism of “porno-misery” and the opportunism of the dishonest documentary making “socio-political documentaries” in the third world to sell them in Europe and win prizes.

    Cineworks
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Short Films in Competition: Program 2

    Short Films in Competition: Program 2


    September 12, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Elis and Tom (with Spell)

    Elis and Tom (with Spell)


    September 12, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Wild Woman (with Convivial Rebelion)

    Wild Woman (with Convivial Rebelion)


    September 12, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Bridges Over the Sea

    Bridges Over the Sea


    September 13, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Four Seasons of Youth

    Four Seasons of Youth


    September 13, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street (entrance in back lane)
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Emerging Filmmakers: Reconfiguring the Real

    Emerging Filmmakers: Reconfiguring the Real


    September 13, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    The Count

    The Count


    September 13, 2024

    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
    Winner of Best Script at Venice International Film Festival, 2023

    The Cinematheque
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    When Evil Lurks

    When Evil Lurks


    September 13, 2024

    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.
    Winner of Best Feature Film at Gérardmer Film Festival, 2024.

    The Cinematheque
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
  • Children of the Coast

    Children of the Coast


    September 14, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Co-Presented with VQFF: Queer Pix: Queride

    Co-Presented with VQFF: Queer Pix: Queride


    September 14, 2024

    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
    Open Sky

    Open Sky


    September 14, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Placeada: The Intimate Story of an Ex-Assassin

    Placeada: The Intimate Story of an Ex-Assassin


    September 14, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Vera and the Pleasure of Others

    Vera and the Pleasure of Others


    September 14, 2024

    ¡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
    Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake)

    Outsider Girls (with Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake)


    September 14, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    This Is Ballroom

    This Is Ballroom


    September 14, 2024

    ¡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
    🔥FUEGO / FOGO Cuir Party 🔥

    🔥FUEGO / FOGO Cuir Party 🔥


    September 14, 2024

    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
    44 West 4th Avenue
    Vancouver, BC V5Y 1G3
    Canada
  • CHILEMONOS: Animated Shorts Program

    CHILEMONOS: Animated Shorts Program


    September 15, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Nudo Mixteco (w/ The Doldrums or How to Cure Sadness)

    Nudo Mixteco (w/ The Doldrums or How to Cure Sadness)


    September 15, 2024

    Mother and daughter sitting and talking

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7
    Valentina or the Serenity

    Valentina or the Serenity


    September 15, 2024

    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
    1131 Howe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7