Ponyboi by Esteban Arango
Several Latin American films and filmmakers were awarded at the 36th edition of NewFest: The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, winning top honors for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, Best International Narrative, and Best Documentary, as well as multiple Audience Awards.
Ponyboi, by Colombian director Esteban Arango, won the Grand Jury Award for U.S. Narrative Feature. Based on the award-winning short film Ponyboi, this exhilarating, neon-lit journey explores the underbelly of New Jersey. Breakthrough writer and producer River Gallo stars as Ponyboi, navigating gender affirmation amid a perilous battle for survival in settings from laundromats to mob dens to 24-hour diners. When a drug deal on Valentine’s Day goes awry, chaos erupts, forcing Ponyboi to confront both personal and existential challenges.
Brazilian film Baby by Marcelo Caetano took the Grand Jury Award for International Narrative Feature. "A compelling, richly enveloping narrative with a cast of layered, authentic, huggable misfits searching for connection and family in unorthodox, sometimes destructive, but always deeply relatable ways," noted the jury.
The story follows Wellington, 18, who, recently released from a juvenile detention center in São Paulo, finds himself without family, friends, or resources. He turns to Ronaldo, a charismatic older man who introduces him to survival in the city’s underworld. However, their passion soon turns tumultuous, leading Wellington into dangerous territory.
In the Documentary/Nonfiction competition, Argentine filmmaker Lola Arias’ Reas won the Grand Jury Award. This breathtaking nonfiction musical, which took Berlin by storm, explores the dynamics between long-term and newly admitted inmates in a women’s prison in Buenos Aires. Through imaginative re-creations of daily prison life—including budding romances, voguing workshops, and a rock band formation—the formerly incarcerated ensemble delivers compelling performances that challenge and affirm their experiences.
Duino, the debut feature by directors Juan Pablo Di Pace and Andrés Pepe Estrada, received a Special Mention for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. The film follows Argentine director Matías (played by co-director Di Pace), who, thirty years after a summer at an international school, receives an unexpected wedding invitation reconnecting him with old friends, including his elusive first love, Alexander. As past and present intertwine, Matías must face the lingering demons of his youth in this romantic drama.
Brazilian film This Is Ballroom by Juru and Vitã won the Audience Award for Best Documentary/Nonfiction Feature. This upbeat tribute to the Brazilian ballroom scene celebrates LGBTQ+ and non-white communities carving out creative spaces in a repressive society. Reas was the runner-up for the Audience Award in the Documentary/Nonfiction competition.
Additionally, the festival honored Academy Award-nominated Afro-Latinx actor Colman Domingo with the 2024 Voice & Visibility Award, recognizing his legacy and exceptional contributions to theater, television, and cinema."
