The 40th anniversary edition of the Sundance Film Festival is currently in full swing in Park City, Utah, and this year’s lineup features films by three Colombian-American filmmakers in two of the main sections of the festival: In the Summers by Alessandra Lacorazza and Ponyboi by Esteban Arango in the US Dramatic Competition; and IGUALADA by Juan Mejía Botero in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Lacorazza premiered her debut feature In the Summers starring René Pérez Joglar, aka Resident, in his acting debut, along with Lío Mehiel and Sasha Calle. The American drama follows two Latina sisters who, on a journey that spans the formative years of their lives, navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Lacorazza ia a queer Colombian American writer-director based in Brooklyn and a 2020 WGA East FilmNation NY Screenwriters fellow and 2020 NALIP Media Market fellow, Her short Mami premiered at the 2019 Palm Springs International ShortFest. Her work has been supported by NYFA and FOFIF, and has been a part of the Tribeca Film Festival Creators Market.
Arango is presenting his sophomore production Ponyboi, after he premiered his acclaimed directorial debut Blast Beat at the 2020 edition of Sundance. Unfolding over the course of Valentine’s Day in New Jersey, Ponyboi follows a young intersex sex worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past.
Named by Variety as one of 10 directors to watch in 2020, Arango’s work has screened in front of audiences at prestigious film festivals around the world to much acclaim. He is known for striking visuals and a lyrical style that can also be seen outside of his narrative films, most notably ¿Teo’s? Uno Dos music video featuring Jaden Smith. He is currently developing a sci-fi mystery thriller with TaylorMade Productions and a horror feature film with MGM International.
Mejía Botero’s documentary IGUALADA chronicles the amazing journey of Francia Márquez from grassroots activist to her history-making electoral campaign to be the first Black and first female president of her country. With exclusive access, the film narrates the empowering story of a Black woman from a rural background who dares to challenge the status quo by launching a presidential campaign in Colombia, a nation beset by profound racial and socio-economic disparities.
Mejía Botero is an award-winning film director with 25 years of experience in feature documentaries. His work focuses primarily on struggles for social justice around the world. His previous feature documentary, Death by a Thousand Cuts, shot along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, premiered at the HotDocs Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at DOC NYC.
The 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival runs January 18-28.
