DreamTown, the debut documentary feature by New York-based filmmaker Betty Bastidas, was the winner of the jury award for Best Film at the 2nd edition of the Ecuadorian Film Festival, while the fiction film Vengo volviendo / Here and There by Isabel Rodas and Gabriel Paez was the favorite with the public, winning the Audience Award.
DreamTown tells the inspiring story of three young soccer players—Aníbal Chala, Ulises de la Cruz, and Carlos Maldonado—who chase success in the face of extraordinary challenges. Entwined with their athletic dreams are the hopes of all Afro-Ecuadorians for whom soccer is more than a sport,it’s a means to attain recognition and respect.
Vengo volviendo tells the story of Ismael, who was raised by his grandmother and lives an internal struggle marked by migration. He thinks about traveling to the United States, and having settled on the date and travel expenses, it is life that will force him to face what he fears most: his fate.
The 2nd edition of the Ecuadorian Film Festival in New York took place June 2-5 at the Village East Cinema, Syndicated Theater, and the Queens Museum.
