NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION

The films selected for this year’s New Directors Competition confront, at times directly and at others poetically, the lingering effects of absence. From the lack of a father figure to the disappearances of political dissidents and migrants, these six documentaries and fiction films ask about the untold stories that every family holds and their generational impact. The people and protagonists of the chosen features are multifaceted, navigating broad identity spectrums, not only in terms of gender but also linguistic and national ties. Ultimately, these narratives center relationally, where the self and the other are in constant dialogue.

The Devil Smokes

Mexico City, mid-90s. After the sudden disappearance of their parents, five siblings are left in the care of their grandmother. As they struggle to survive, the line between reality and something darker begins to blur. The grandmother, tormented by strange visions and rising fears, grows more distant, while the children’s grip on their own perceptions starts to unravel.

ELDER SON

Lila, a young Korean – Argentinean girl, navigates the contradictions of her identity and tries to find her place in the world. Her father, Antonio, arrives in Latin America 18 years earlier, and decides to bet everything on the promise of a young immigrant’s dream.

The Reserve

While most of the inhabitants of Monte Virgen struggle to collect their coffee, the forest ranger Julia discovers that a group of illegal loggers is destroying the Reserve. Determined to stop them, she looks for the support of a community that will soon turn its back on her. Alone on her quest, she will gradually lose the things she loves most except one thing: her dignity.

Comparsa

Director: Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson | Guatemala | 2024 | Spanish with English subtitles | 78 min

In a Guatemalan barrio silenced by fear, two teenage sisters lead a luminous rebellion —unleashing giant puppets, fi re, and artful performance in a joyful fight for survival.

Light Memories

Director: Misha Vallejo Prut | Ecuador | 2025 | Spanish with English subtitles | 85 min min

Photography, fractured memories and family secrets converge in a visually poignant exploration that digs into the effects of absent father figures throughout a family tree.

Lovers in the Sky

Dir. Fermin de la Serna | Argentina | 2025 | Spanish with English subtitles | 77 mins

Lovers in the Sky explores the stories of Cristina and La Bonita, two trans cooks who have spent decades working aboard cargo ships that tirelessly navigate the rivers of the Peruvian Amazon. Facing personal and social pressures, both women journey through and reinvent themselves within the territory of post-identity.
Cristina seeks to fulfill a promise she made to her late mother, while La Bonita is driven by her fear of burning forever in hell.