27th Urbanworld Film Festival
November 1—5, 2023
Latinx and Latin American films co-presented by Cinema Tropical
Since its inception in 1997, the Urbanworld International Film Festival has been known as the filmmaker's festival and the people's festival, where it's all about celebrating and supporting amazing independent film. This year’s Urbanworld Festival will run from November 1-5 in New York City at AMC 34th Street and SVA Theater, featuring films from Argentina and the American Southwest, with Latin American and Latinx subjects in front and behind the camera.
CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT
(Crónicas de una santa errante, Tomás Gómez Bustillo, Argentina, 2023, 85 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
In the tiny town of Santa Rita lives Rita, an elderly chapel keeper. She and the women in her church group are in constant competition to see who is the most saintly. But no matter how many times she polishes the chapel floors, her effort is always overlooked. One day, in one of the back rooms, she stumbles upon the town's beloved statue of Santa Rita, believed to have been stolen decades ago. Seizing the opportunity, she stages a "miracle" that will finally anoint her as the most admired woman in town. With the reluctant help of her neglected husband, Rita finds that the road to sainthood is not exactly glamorous, while the world around her has been brimming with strange magic all along.
‘SHORTS 1: ON THE OTHER SIDE’
DON’T WAIT UP FOR ME
(Alain Alfaro, USA, 2023, 18 min. In English)
Joel Luna is a troubled writer with a dark past. In a moment of despair, he decides that he wants to end his life by hiring a hitman on himself in order to leave his family his life insurance. Throughout the course of a few weeks and after reconnecting with his family, he realizes that he has made a terrible mistake and tries to reverse the job. This event sends Joel down a path of fear, paranoia, and psychological reflection that will ultimately determine his fate.
OCTOBER MOURNING
(Frederick Thornton, USA, 2023, 18 min. In English)
The story of a Black man named Henry, and the grief he experiences after having recently and suddenly lost his father, Charles. Surrounded by friends and Family, Henry struggles to maintain his composure during the post-funeral reception at his home.
SHORTS 3: KINFOLK
HOMING
(Ricardo Varona, USA, 2023, 16 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles)
In a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, a reclusive pigeon keeper is tasked with caring for his estranged daughter for a day, but is blindsided by a revelation that could mean losing her for good.
JEROME
(Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz, USA, 2023, 14 min. In English)
Jerome (17) struggles with feelings of inadequacy when searching for his estranged father. Even still, he honors him, wearing an old pair of Blue Jordans. After a failed family dinner event he's forced to confront the long absence of his father. As he spirals toward a ghostly legacy, he copes the only way he knows: basketball. Will Jerome shed the history of the past and forge himself a new future?
SPACESHIP
(Jorge G. Camarena, USA, 2023, 18 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles)
Spaceship is the story of Maria, a Latina transwoman living in East LA with her daughter Alex. They have a close bond where they talk about their dreams and distant worlds, creating their own emotional safe place. After being evicted from their home, Maria struggles to find a second job in order to put a roof over their heads. It all comes crashing down when Alex's teacher questions Maria's parenting abilities and calls in child services. When the custody of her daughter is put at stake, Maria begins to unravel as she is forced to confront her buried traumas and fears while fighting to keep her family together.
‘SHORTS 4: DISNEY+ LAUNCHPAD’
BEAUTIFUL, FL
(Gabriela Ortega, USA, 2023, 21 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles.)
Desperate to win an ice cream contest with a flavor inspired by her late Tia Abuela's Puerto Rican treats, a teenage girl looks to her caravan neighbors to help her find the final recipe.
‘SHORTS 5: POV SHORTS’
SOL IN THE GARDEN
(Débora Souza Silva, Emily Cohen Ibañez, USA, 2023, 21 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles)
After 16 years of incarceration, Sol is released from prison, when she discovers that her freedom can be as challenging as living behind bars. Through a community gardening collective of formerly incarcerated horticulturalists in East Oakland, Sol strives to recover her humanity and sense of self. Sol In The Garden is a 22 minute short documentary film.
