This April, seven film festivals across the country are entirely dedicated to Latinx and Latin American cinema or feature a substantial selection of films from these regions. These events will showcase numerous recent features and short films, providing local and national audiences with the opportunity to experience some of the finest contemporary films from Latin America and the Latinx USA.
Make sure to check them out!
CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
April 3—13
The 48th edition of the Cleveland International Film Festival will feature a sidebar for Latinx & Hispanic cinema featuring films that elevate stories, topics, and themes that are embedded in both Latinx and Hispanic communities, including films from Spain and North, Central, and Latin America. The sidebar will screen 19 films including the documentary film The In Between by Robie Flores, the Mexican children’s fable Valentina or the Serenity by Ángeles Cruz and the Brazilian queer drama Toll by Carolina Markowicz.
CHARLOTTE LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
April 4—14
Since 2020, Cine Casual has organized Charlotte’s Latin American film series, connecting Charlotte’s growing Latino population with high-quality programming that celebrates our cultures, encourages cross-cultural understanding, and fosters a sense of belonging. This year, their Latin American film series becomes the Charlotte Latino Film Festival, celebrating its inaugural edition from April 4 to 14, 2024. Each film screening is intentionally paired with a pre- or post-film experience, from panel discussions with local leaders to dance and musical performances tied to the film’s themes. Some highlights include Maite Alberti’s Oscar nominated The Eternal Memory, Josué Méndez The Monroy Affaire, and Miguel Ángel Ferrer’s The Shadow of the Sun.
MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL
April 5—14
The Miami Film Festival is a world-class platform for International, American, and Ibero-American films. The Festival showcases the work of the world’s best emerging and established filmmakers to the diverse cosmopolitan community of Miami. For its 41st edition on 2024, this year´s program includes some Latin American titles, such as Rodrigo García Sáiz' directorial debut Rain, Astrid Rondero's and Fernanda Valadez' Sujo, and Martín Rejtman's La práctica.
CHICAGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
April 11—22
The Chicago Latino Film Festival began in 1985 with 14 films projected onto a concrete wall for an audience of 500. Today, the Festival screens close to 100 films from all over Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and the United States. The Festival offers Chicago film lovers from all walks of life the opportunity to view films that might otherwise be inaccessible because they have yet to secure a distributor or streaming deal. Its programming reflects recent trends in Iberoamerican cinema, from films that have become a sensation in the international festival circuit or were box-office hits in their country of origin or have yet to be released theatrically.
Commemorating its 40th anniversary, this year's CLIFF program will feature multiple in-person screenings with guest appearances, educational programs, and special Opening and Closing Night galas. Some highlights include The Bubble / La burbuja, The Sacred Family / La sagrada familia, Red Monet / Vermelho Monet, amongst others.
HAVANA FILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK
April 12—18
Aiming to enrich and expand the vision of Latin American culture in the United States and its effects on global filmmaking, this year's program includes multiple New York, US, and world premieres of contemporary cinema from the region, award-winning documentaries that explore iconic Latin American literary, cinematic, and musical figures; and retrospectives of remastered classic films that have left an indelible mark on cinematic production around the world. This year’s program includes The Wild Woman by Cuban filmmaker Alán González, Nelsito’s World by Cuban director Fernando Pérez, and Igualada by Colombian filmmaker Juan Mejía Botero.
CINEMA TUCSÓN
April 24
Cinema Tucsón, the ongoing monthly series of Mexican films at the Fox Tucson Theatre, will present in April, the documentary film The Echo. Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the Berlin, Chicago and Morelia film festivals, the most recent work by Mexican-Salvadoran Tatiana Huezo (Prayers for the Stolen) is an epic, intimate, and lyrical portrayal of life set in a small rural mountain village. Teenagers take care of their sheep and their elders, and while the frost and drought punish the land, they learn to understand death, illness, and love with every single act.
LATIN WAVE: NEW FILMS FROM LATIN AMERICA
April 25—28
The annual Latin Wave series provides the opportunity for Houstonians to see new films from Latin America, and to meet internationally acclaimed filmmakers. The nature of the festival allows audience members to interact with the filmmakers in Q&A sessions and informal conversations. These dialogues enrich the understanding of contemporary filmmaking in Latin America. This year´s Latin Wave 17 will showcase 10 dynamic new films from emerging and established talents in the Latin American film industry, such as Kleber Mendonça Filho´s Pictures of Ghosts, Lila Avilés’ Tótem, and Felipe Gálvez Haberle’s The Settlers.
