CineFest Latino Boston, a film festival in its fifth year, returns with an exciting mix of screenings and events to spotlight dynamic Latinx stories in cinema. Running from September 30 through October 4, the festival has expanded into Cambridge, with screenings taking place at the historic Brattle Theatre in addition to the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Museum of Fine Arts, Emerson Paramount Center and more.
While organizing a film festival at so many screening venues presents logistical challenges, Sabrina Avilés, the founder and executive director of CineFest Latino, “really wanted to take it to a national level in terms of recognition and actually an international level as one of the best film festivals in the United States for Latino and Latin American voices.” The expansion into more venues serves that mission.
“It’s just about really carefully curating the communities, the conversations, and the screenings, and the partnerships so that whatever we do is done well, and honors my community because we should present films in a manner that sparks conversation.”
A filmmaker herself, Avilés sought out the Brattle because she “wanted to be in a place that honors the work that the filmmakers have dedicated because a lot of times, we make these independent films and we’re the last people that get paid, but it’s so satisfying to be (able) to show your films and in spaces that are worthy of showing these films.”
This year’s lineup spans a wide range of genres and perspectives, with filmmakers representing Peru, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and so many more. When asked for any personal favorites, Avilés laughed, claiming “That’s like asking a mother who of your children is your favorite.”
A good starting point is the festival’s opening night film, “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez,” a documentary about the Chicano artist who brought a new perspective to the arts. This film won the Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award and its director, David Alvarado will be doing a Q&A.
“Sana Y Salva” is a Puerto Rican and Dominican Republic co-production that Avilés describes as “kind of a black comedy a la (the) Coen Brothers.” Director Ari Maniel Cruz, best known for his collaborations with the global megastar Bad Bunny, including a short film for his hit song “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOTos,” will be there with the film’s leading actress, Julietta Rodriguez, for a Q&A after the screening on October 3 at the Emerson Paramount Center.
“One of my favorites,” Avilés said, “and it’s only because it’s such an uplifting film,” is “Runa Simi”, a documentary about a Peruvian voice artist’s quest to dub “The Lion King” into Quechua, the ancestral language of the Incas. Avilés sees in “Runa Simi”’s story a reflection of her festival’s mission. “What better gift than that to give to a community and let them be seen? That’s the larger goal of the festival.” “Runa Simi” will screen on October 3, also at the Emerson Paramount Center.
Then there is the festival’s closing night film on October 4 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre: “La bola negra.” This Spanish epic follows the interconnected lives of three gay men through three generations and has become a critical darling, having won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for its Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, known professionally as Los Javis. The screening of this Oscar hopeful will be followed by a closing night party, also at the Coolidge, which will be open to the public, allowing for the opportunity to meet and mingle with other attendees and filmmakers.
A film festival is about more than just the films it showcases, and CineFest Latino has multiple events for the first time, including a mixer and panel discussion about ethical storytelling and an actor’s workshop on October 4 organized in partnership with the SAG-AFTRA New England Latino Committee.
Any film festival with aspirations for greatness must present a dynamic mixture of new, fresh artists and more critically established auteurs. This year’s version of CineFest Latino achieves that goal, bolstering Boston’s dynamic arts scene and giving audiences the opportunity to hear from voices that too often go unheard.
CineFest Latino Boston runs from Sept. 30 – Oct. 4 at various theaters in Boston, Brookline and Cambridge. The full schedule can be viewed at the website, and tickets can be purchased online or at theater box offices.
