Des Moines Latino Film Festival by Creative DSM

Greetings

Latino Center of Iowa, in partnership with the Chicago Latino Film Festival, has created Iowa’s first Latino film festival celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the Des Moines community through food, art, music, and performances featuring films from Latin America and Spain and showcasing the work of local Latin filmmakers. Diversity, equity and inclusion is paramount and art must be accessible to all people in our community. It is important for Iowa to retain our young people, and offering a vibrant cultural scene is key to making our communities an attractive place to live.

DEAR FRIENDS, Latino Center of Iowa (LCI) is happy to welcome you to the 2nd Annual Des Moines Latino Film Festival. We hope that you enjoy our expanded week of events, exceptional films, and the outstanding venues. We are very happy to offer in theater film screenings this year at the Des Moines Art Center, State Historical Building, and Tallgrass Theatre. We successfully navigated the challenges of returning to in person events last summer by providing outdoor and virtual events, but no theaters. Being able to experience film in a theater with a big screen, crisp and booming sound, and good climate control – that is the best cinematic experience. We are also excited to return to the beautiful Riverview Park on Saturday June 11 for an all-day celebration of film, music, food, and drink. LCI consists of a gritty and dedicated group of board members (Karin, Dave, Sandi, Bret, Manny, Paloma) that have volunteered a tremendous amount of time to plan, host, and fund this film festival. We have put in place a team of trusted professionals that have also contributed well beyond the call of duty, and we are so grateful. This includes our fearless coordinator Carolyn Jenison with Speak PR and our designer Jeremiah Elbel with Plastic A Designs. We took a huge leap this year to offer over twenty films. Our talented technical committee navigated strange new waters to review and judge film submissions thru a web portal system. The demand was there – we received 551 qualified submissions from all over the world. Thank you, Jessica Trinidad, Juan Esparza, and Oscar Reynaga. Finally, thank you to all the partners, sponsors, and festival attendees that support this project and arts and culture. This is a team effort which includes you all. I look forward to seeing you at the festival.

WARM REGARDS,

LUIS LEON PRESIDENT

thank you to our sponsors

thank you to our technical committee

Jessica Trinidad

Jessica is an award winning international bilingual professional voice actor recognized as one of the top voice actors in the industry for her ability to deliver accented English with a hint of Latin and neutral Latin American/Mexican Spanish. Jessica has been in the industry since 2009 training with some of the top coaches in the industry including Joan Baker, Rudy Gaskins, Donna Grillo, and more. Over the years, she has matured into a professional voiceover actor that has voiced for household names such as McDonalds, Wells Fargo, Johnson & Johnson, Pepsi, Popeyes, Burlington as well as with many other national and local brands.

Óscar Reynaga has taught at Central College in Pella, IA since 2007. He completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology and Spanish at the University of California, Berkeley and earned a master’s degree in the department of Spanish and

Óscar Reynaga

Portuguese at the University of Iowa. His teaching and research interests include contemporary Latin American and Latinx literature, film theory, popular culture and media studies.

Luis is connected and committed to

Filmmaker from Iowa.

our community's success as a native

Juan Esparza

Luis Leon

of the Valley Junction area and a local small business owner.

board president

A SPECIAL THANKS TO DARREN HUSHAK AND HIS TEAM AT PINNACLE RECORDING & PRODUCTIONS FOR TRAVELING WITH US FOR 5 DAYS AND SETTING UP AT 4 VENUES SWITCHING US FROM MIC TO FILM TO MIC TO MUSIC – WE COULDN’T DO THIS pinnacle-recording.com

WITHOUT YOU!

Our mission & vision OUR VISION Latino Center of Iowa is a space where the Latino community can unite, develop leadership, and share its culture and heritage. OUR MISSION Latino Center of Iowa provides a space that promotes culture and develops leadership and connections for the future of the Latino community and Central Iowa.

Luis Leon Board President

Bret Sikkink Board Member

David Peters Board Member

Manny Toribio Board Member

Sandi Hurtado-Peters Board Treasurer

Karin Stein Board Member

Paloma Chapman Board Member

FEATURE/

special thanks to today's host:

JUNE 7, 2022

TUESDAY

4700 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA 50312

Justin Lerner’s third feature after The Automatic Hate and Girlfriend, and his first in Spanish, takes audiences deep into the heart of Guatemala’s urban gang warfare to tell the story of a young girl determined to wage revenge on those responsible for her sister’s disappearance. After Bea doesn’t come home after a party, her sister Sarita adopts a fake identity to join a gang. She may not have the skills needed to survive this brutal underworld, but Sarita will do whatever it takes to find Bea. Featuring a cast of mostly non-actors, some of whom contributed their own stories to the script, Cadejo Blanco is a nail biting, compelling crime drama. El tercer largometraje de Justin Lerner después de The Automatic Hate and Girlfriend, y su primero en español, transporta al público al corazón de la guerra entre pandillas en Guatemala para contar la historia de una joven decidida a vengarse de los responsables por la desaparición de su hermana. Cuando Bea no regresa a casa después de una fiesta, su hermana Sarita adopta una identidad falsa para unirse a una pandilla. Puede que no tenga las destrezas necesarias para sobrevivir en este brutal inframundo, pero Sarita hará lo que sea necesario para encontrar a Bea. Con un elenco compuesto en su mayoría por no actores, algunos de los cuales contribuyeron sus propias historias al guión, Cadejo Blanco es un drama cautivador y mordaz sobre el crimen en las urbes.

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Sonadora Sonador / Dreamer (2020) Genre | Drama, Immigration Country | USA Director | Vergi Rodrigues,

Diana Zollicoffer Film Length | 8 min Language | English

Lily Cruz, a DACA recipient, travels on a medical volunteer mission and upon returning to the USA a TSA agent isn’t so welcoming. Lily Cruz, una beneficiaria de DACA, viaja en una misión de voluntariado médico y al regresar a los Estados Unidos, un agente de la TSA no es tan acogedor.

TUESDAY

FEATURE/

Bantú Mamá (2021)

JUNE 7, 2022 Genre | Drama Country | Dominican Republic Director | Iván Herrera Film Length | 77 min. Language

Spanish

and

French

w/English Subtitles

Emma, a French woman of African descent, travels to the Dominican Republic where she is arrested for drug trafficking. En route to the authorities, her transport van is in an accident, and she is saved by a brother and sister who were passing by. They are orphans who, along with their younger brother, have learned to fend for themselves in the only manner they know how - intimidation and drug trade. Emma becomes a de facto mother figure for the kids, openly sharing with them knowledge about her cultural background while finding commonalities with AfroDominican culture leading Emma to reconnect with her roots. Emma, una francesa de ascendencia africana, viaja a República Dominicana donde es detenida por tráfico de drogas. De camino a las autoridades, la camioneta que la transporta sufre un accidente y un hermano y una hermana que pasaban por el área la rescatan. Son huérfanos que, junto a su hermano menor, han aprendido a valerse por sí mismos de la única manera posible: a través de la intimidación y el narcotráfico. Emma se convierte en una figura maternal, compartiendo abiertamente con ellos su trasfondo cultural a la vez que descubre puntos en común con la cultura afro-dominicana lo cual la lleva a reconectarse con sus propias raíces.

4:30-5:30 Reception 5:30-5:40 Introduction 5:40-7:45 Cadejo Blanco 7:45-8:00 Intermission 8:00-8:10 Dreamer 8:10-9:30 Bantú Mamá Special Thanks to tonight’s host, the Des Moines Art Center. This festival is made possible by the support and generosity of all our sponsors, with special thanks to the following:

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Bravo Polk County Iowa Public Radio FESTIVAL DAY SPONSORS

Business Publications Corporation Parks Area Foundation Green State Credit Union MidAmerican Energy CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

Contributing Sponsors Affinity Credit Union Collins Community Credit Union Des Moines Art Center Des Moines Water Works Jessicat Productions La Q Buena Law Offices of Argueta & Gomez Lincoln Savings Bank LT Leon PlasticA Design Produce Iowa Royalty Photography & Events Speak PR West Bank

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El trastero / The Storage Room (2016) special thanks to today's host:

600 E Locust St Des Moines, IA 50319

Javier goes to a repository in a polygon where his parents rented a storage room to keep the furniture from the family home. Javier recalls moments of his childhood and finds in a drawer pictures of his family life. As if all that wasn´t enough emotional charge, Javier discovers a handwritten letter by his mother.

JUNE 8, 2022

WEDNESDAY

Javier acude a un depósito en un polígono donde sus padres alquilaban un trastero para guardar los muebles de la casa familiar. Javier recuerda momentos de su infancia y encuentra en un cajón cuadros de su vida familiar. Como si todo eso no fuera suficiente carga emocional, Javier descubre una carta manuscrita de su madre.

FEATURE/

English Subtitles

In her powerful feature debut, Ángeles Cruz intertwines the stories of three Mixtec women determined to take control of their lives as the residents of their fictional town of San Mateo gather to celebrate their patron saint. María returns to San Mateo to bury her mother and ask her childhood love Piedad to leave with her. Esteban returns to the village after three years to discover that his wife Chabela is living with another woman and demands that a community tribunal prosecute her. Toña wants to rescue her daughter from her abusive uncle. Nudo Mixteco’s poignant tales of migration, poverty and sexual identity introduces audiences to a community and a culture whose stories are seldom told on the big screen. En su poderosa ópera prima, Ángeles Cruz entrelaza las historias de tres mujeres mixtecas decididas a tomar el control de sus vidas mientras los residentes del pueblo ficticio de San Mateo se preparan para celebrar a su santo patrón. María regresa al pueblo para enterrar a su madre y pedirle a su amor de infancia, Piedad, que se vaya con ella. Esteban regresa después de tres años para descubrir que su esposa Chabela vive con otra mujer y exige que un tribunal comunitario la juzgue. Toña quiere rescatar a su hija de su tío abusivo. A través de estos conmovedores relatos sobre migración, pobreza e identidad sexual, Nudo Mixteco introduce al público a una comunidad y a una cultura cuyas historias son raras veces vistas en la pantalla grande.

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Lo que no fue en tu año / Back Then (2020) Genre | Drama, Domestic Violence

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8, 2022

Country | Peru Director | Hernan Velit Film Length | 15 min Language | Spanish w/English Subtitles

Lucia and Jorge, both in their forties, divorced and with one child each, had sex 5 months ago. One afternoon, in bed, they have for the first time a conversation about who are they and where they come from. Lucía y Jorge, ambos de unos cuarenta años, divorciados y con un hijo cada uno, tuvieron relaciones sexuales hace 5 meses. Una tarde, en la cama, tienen por primera vez una conversación sobre quiénes son y de dónde vienen.

4:30-5:30 Reception 5:30-5:40 Introduction 5:40-5:56 El trastero 6:00-7:30 Nudo Mixteco 7:30-7:45 Intermission 7:45-8:00 Back Then / Lo que no fue en tu año 8:00-10:00 Private Desert / Deserto particular This festival is made possible by the support and generosity of all our sponsors, with special thanks to the following:

FEATURE/

Deserto particular / Private Desert (2021) Country | Brazil, Portugal

Business Publications Corporation

Film Length | 120 min.

Portuguese

Polk County

FESTIVAL DAY SPONSORS

Director | Aly Muritiba

Bravo Iowa Public Radio

Genre | Drama, LGBTQ

Language

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Parks Area Foundation w/English

Subtitles

Green State Credit Union MidAmerican Energy CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

Brazil’s official selection for the 94th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film tells the story of 40-year-old Daniel, who has been suspended from active police work and is under internal investigation. When Sara, the woman he has connected with online, goes missing, he drives to search for her in Bahia, in the northeast of the country. Thousands of miles from home, Daniel meets a man who can put the two in touch again, though under very specific conditions. Winner of the Audience Award at the Venice Film Festival and shot in lush colors by Armando Luis Arteaga (Ixcanul), Private Desert is a gripping tale of an impossible love and an engrossing inquiry into masculinity in contemporary Brazilian society.

Contributing Sponsors

A seleção oficial do Brasil para a 94ª edição do Oscar de Melhor Longa-Metragem Internacional, conta a história de Daniel que com 40 anos de idade foi suspenso do trabalho policial ativo e está sob investigação interna. Quando Sara, uma mulher com quem se relaciona virtualmente, desaparece, ele dirige para procurá-la na Bahia, no nordeste do país. A milhares de quilômetros de casa, Daniel conhece um homem que pode colocar os dois em contato de novo, embora em condições muito específicas. Vencedor do Prêmio do Público no Festival de Cinema de Veneza e filmado com cores exuberantes por Armando Luís Arteaga (Ixcanul), Deserto particular é um conto cativante sobre um amor impossível em condições adversas e também é um fascinante estudo sobre masculinidade na sociedade brasileira atual.

Law Offices of Argueta & Gomez

Affinity Credit Union Collins Community Credit Union Des Moines Art Center Des Moines Water Works Jessicat Productions La Q Buena Lincoln Savings Bank LT Leon PlasticA Design Produce Iowa Royalty Photography & Events Speak PR West Bank

SHORT/

special thanks to today's host:

600 E Locust St Des Moines, IA 50319

A spoiled teenager boy starts a secret search for a mysterious man to do his deceased father a last and unexpected favor. Un adolescente mimado comienza una búsqueda secreta de un hombre misterioso para hacerle un último e inesperado favor a su difunto padre.

JUNE 9, 2022

THURSDAY

FEATURE/

Queer Afro-Puerto Rican multidisciplinary artist Macha Colón makes her feature filmmaking debut with this idiosyncratic dark comedy about funeral arrangements, old age and facing death with dignity. Isabel (veteran television and stage actress Luz María Rondón in her first movie-starring role) crafts a beautiful custom-made funeral for her beloved husband. The arrangement catches the attention of Toña (Sharon Riley, another acting legend in the island) who, with other women neighbors, takes part in the local funeral scene. She asks Isabel to design custom funerals for their ailing neighbors and Isabel happily embraces her new line of work until Toña makes an unexpected confession. La artista multidisciplinaria queer afropuertorriqueña Macha Colón hace su debut cinematográfico con esta idiosincrática comedia negra sobre arreglos funerarios, la vejez y cómo enfrentar la muerte con dignidad. Isabel (la veterana actriz de teatro y televisión Luz María Rondón en su primer papel protagónico en el cine) elabora un hermoso funeral hecho a la medida para su amado esposo. El arreglo llama la atención de Toña (Sharon Riley, otra leyenda de la actuación en la isla) que, junto a otras vecinas, asiste y participa en los funerales del vecindario. Toña le pide a Isabel que diseñe funerales personalizados para sus vecinos y ésta acepta felizmente hasta que Toña hace una confesión inesperada.

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Let Everything Collapse (2021) Genre | Drama, Comedy

THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2022

Country | Argentina Director | Jenni Merla Film Length | 10 min Language | Spanish w/English Subtitles

Catalina wants to fall in love. She wants magic in a world full of coldness, disconnection and immediacy. Is such the strength of her desire that in one night that she cannot perceive that she is alone pulling a rope and that sometimes it is better to let go of it in time than to hold on and have it hit you square in the face. Catalina quiere enamorarse. Quiere magia en un mundo de frialdad, desconexión e indiferencia. Es tal la fuerza de su deseo que no puede percibir que está sola tirando de una soga y que a veces es mejor soltarla a tiempo que aferrarse y que te pegue de lleno en la cara.

FEATURE/

Mexico 1994: presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio is assassinated at a political rally in Tijuana and a separatist group calling itself The Zapatistas led by a charismatic pipe-smoking masked man emerges from Chiapas. It’s also the year Sofía will turn fifteen and she hates the idea of having a quinceañera. She has moved to a new neighborhood and is bored out of her wits until she meets the rebellious Eva. Marcelino Islas Hernández’s rambunctious and charming coming-of-age story about finding love, enduring heartbreak, and doing mischief is both a love letter to and a stunning acting showcase for his daughter Sofía Islas. México 1994: el candidato presidencial Luis Donaldo Colosio es asesinado en un mitin político en Tijuana y surge de Chiapas un grupo separatista autodenominado los Zapatistas liderado por un carismático enmascarado fumador de pipa. También es el año en que Sofía cumplirá sus quince y odia la idea de que le celebren una quinceañera. Se ha mudado a un nuevo vecindario y está mortalmente aburrida…hasta que conoce a la rebelde Eva. Esta bulliciosa y encantadora historia de Marcelino Islas Hernández sobre el amor, la angustia y el hacer travesuras es tanto una carta de amor como una impresionante plataforma para el talento histriónico de su hija Sofía Islas.

4:30-5:30 Reception 5:30-5:40 Introduction 5:40-5:57 The Heirs / Os Herdeiros 6:00-7:40 Gardenia Perfume / Perfume de gardenias 7:40-8:05 Intermission 8:05-8:10 Let Everything Collapse 8:15-9:40 My Girlfriend is the Revolution / Mi novia es la revolución This festival is made possible by the support and generosity of all our sponsors, with special thanks to the following:

PRESENTING SPONSORS Bravo Polk County Iowa Public Radio FESTIVAL DAY SPONSORS Business Publications Corporation Parks Area Foundation Green State Credit Union MidAmerican Energy CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS Contributing Sponsors Affinity Credit Union Collins Community Credit Union Des Moines Art Center Des Moines Water Works Jessicat Productions La Q Buena Law Offices of Argueta & Gomez Lincoln Savings Bank LT Leon PlasticA Design Produce Iowa Royalty Photography & Events Speak PR West Bank

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special thanks to today's host:

The Hatman is a horror/suspense story of how Dr. Gregory Knight, a university psychiatrist, treats a student for sleep paralysis but notices the striking similarities between the students' experiences and her former roommate, who is now missing. Served as Director, Writer, Executive Producer, and Editor.

2019 Grand Ave Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50265

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The Hatman Vol. I1 (2020) Genre | Drama Country | USA Director | Charlie Gandez Film Length | 23 min

FRIDAY

JUNE 10, 2022

Language | English

The Hatman Vol. II follows Jessica during a therapy session, as she struggles to overcome childhood trauma resulting from the events that took her family from her. The Hatman Vol. II sigue a Jessica durante una sesión de terapia, mientras lucha por superar el trauma infantil resultante de los eventos que le quitaron a su familia.

Short/

Mateo, an ex-employee of a self-service store has turned into a zombie. His conscience and memories remain intact, therefore, his life has become a deep thought about the meaning of life he would like to share; the only problem is, Mateo is no longer able to share what he thinks. Mateo, un exempleado de una tienda de autoservicio se ha convertido en un zombi. Su conciencia y sus recuerdos permanecen intactos, por lo tanto, su vida se ha convertido en un pensamiento profundo sobre el significado de la vida que le gustaría compartir; el único problema es que Mateo ya no es capaz de compartir lo que piensa.

short/

FRIDAY

Don Javier (2021)

JUNE 10, 2022

Genre | Western, Horror Country | Brazil Director | Cadu Rosenfeld Film Length | 9 min Language

Portuguese

w/English

Subtitles

Faced with an unforeseen sacrifice on an abandoned road, a priest will comfort the last moments of a man's life while dealing with his terrifying premonitions. Frente a un sacrificio imprevisto en un camino abandonado, un sacerdote consolará los últimos momentos de la vida de un hombre mientras lidia con sus aterradoras premoniciones.

FEATURE/

Four months pregnant as the result of a rape, Carla goes to a clandestine clinic in the middle of a rainy night in 1970s Argentina to seek an abortion. Irina, the doctor in charge, refuses to perform one given the advanced stage of Carla’s pregnancy and proposes to give her refuge until the child is born and sold to a wealthy couple. To say that the meeting with that couple doesn’t go as planned would be an understatement. And so begins a spiral of violence that solidifies an erotically charged bond between both women, one that leads to madness and murder. Embarazada de cuatro meses como resultado de una violación, Carla acude a una clínica clandestina en medio de una noche lluviosa en la Argentina de los años 70 para abortar. Irina, la médica a cargo, se niega a realizar la operación, debido a lo avanzado del embarazo de Carla y le propone darle refugio hasta que nazca el niño y luego venderlo a una pareja adinerada. Decir que la reunión con esa pareja no sale según lo planeado sería quedarse corto. Y así comienza una espiral de violencia que solidifica un vínculo cargado de erotismo entre ambas mujeres, un vínculo que conduce a la locura y al homicidio.

4:30-5:30 Reception 5:30-5:35 Introduction 5:35-5:43 The Hatman Vol. I 5:43-6:05 The Hatman Vol. II 6:10-6:40 Q&A with Iowa Filmmaker Charlie Gandez 6:40-7:00 Intermission 7:00-7:03 Mateo 7:03-7:12 Don Javier 7:12-8:54 The Attachment Diaries / El apego This festival is made possible by the support and generosity of all our sponsors, with special thanks to the following:

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Teo / Theo (2021) special thanks to today's host:

710 Corning Ave Des Moines, IA 50313

A couple goes to design their first child to a gene-editing clinic, hoping that the kid will have the successful and happy life that has eluded them. Una pareja va a diseñar a su primer hijo a una clínica de edición de genes, con la

JUNE 11, 2022

SATURDAY

esperanza de que el niño tenga la vida exitosa y feliz que se les ha escapado.

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After a lifetime together, Susana has been abandoned by her husband. She is in denial and holds on to the past. One day, she needs the help of her neighbor, Gloria, a freespirited woman who Susana can’t stand. But the friendship that emerges between them arises in Susana the desire to live in the present. Después de toda una vida juntos, Susana ha sido abandonada por su marido. Ella está en negación y se aferra al pasado. Un día, necesita la ayuda de su vecina, Gloria, una mujer de espíritu libre que Susana no puede soportar. Pero la amistad que surge entre ellos surge en Susana el deseo de vivir en el presente.

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Empujando los limites / Pushing The Limits (2020) Genre | Documentary

SATURDAY JUNE 11, 2022

Country | Argentina Director | Pablo Herman Aulita Film Length | 30 min Language | Spanish w/English Subtitles

Jean Maggi, shortly after birth, contracted a disease for which he could never walk. Since then only one thing has been proposed: to exceed every limit for “live standing." When he reached the highest route in the Himalayas with his adapted bicycle, he marked a true world landmark. This documentary produced by J.J. Campanella records the most moving epics of the man who became an inspirer without limits. Jean Maggi, poco después de nacer, contrajo una enfermedad por la que nunca pudo caminar. Desde entonces solo se ha propuesto una cosa: exceder todos los límites para "estar de pie en vivo". Cuando llegó a la ruta más alta del Himalaya con su bicicleta adaptada, marcó un verdadero hito mundial. Este documental producido por J.J. Campanella registra las epopeyas más conmovedoras del hombre que se convirtió en un inspirador sin límites.

FEATURE/

El niño y la montaña / The Boy and The Mountain (2021) Genre | Animation Country | Chile Director | Santiago Aguilera & Gabriel

Monreal Film Length | 12 min Language | Spanish w/English Subtitles

Hernán is a child who likes to daydream, but in his studies he is not doing well at all. His father constantly urges him to improve, advising him that he must reach very high to succeed in life. Hernán dispenses with his dream, gradually forgetting it to devote himself to his studies. Over time, and already become a successful entrepreneur, Hernán achieves the dream that his father instilled in him, reach high, until one day he will realize that he has not really achieved something he always longed for. Then he will make the crucial decision to fulfill his dream, but fate will play tricks on him. Hernán will have to face a new challenge that will change the meaning of his life. Hernán es un niño al que le gusta soñar despierto, pero en sus estudios no le va nada bien. Su padre lo insta constantemente a mejorar, aconsejándole que debe llegar muy alto para tener éxito en la vida. Hernán prescinde de su sueño, olvidándolo poco a poco para dedicarse a sus estudios. Con el tiempo, y ya convertido en un exitoso emprendedor, Hernán logra el sueño que su padre le inculcó, llegar a lo más alto, hasta que un día se dará cuenta de que realmente no ha logrado algo que siempre anheló. Luego tomará la decisión crucial para cumplir su sueño, pero el destino le jugará malas pasadas. Hernán tendrá que enfrentarse a un nuevo reto que cambiará el sentido de su vida.

• 11:00-12:00 Food & Frivolities • 12:00-12:30 Welcome & Sponsorship Shout Outs • 12:30-12:50 Theo (2021 SciFi Fantasy) | Directors Eduardo Bunster & Belen Arbarza | Chile | Run Time 18 min • 12:55-1:25 Living All of Life / Vivir Toda la Vida (27 minutes) (2021 Drama/Comedy) | Director | Mexico | Run Time 27 min • 1:30-2:00 Pushing The Limits (2020 Documentary) | Director Pablo Herman Aulita | Argentina | Run Time 30 min • 2:00-2:30 Intermission • 2:30-2:45 The Boy and The Mountain / El niño y la montaña (2021 Animation Short) | Directors Santiago Aguilera & Gabriel Monreal | Chile | Run Time 12 min • 2:45-3:45 DJ Music by LaQBuena | Food | Vendors • 3:45-5:15 Music – Mariachi Femenil Tecalitlan USA • 5:30-6:45 Bye Bye Chicago (2021 Drama) | Directors Roma Diaz & Enrique Gaono, Jr | USA | Run Time 72 min • 6:45-7:15 Q&A with Filmmaker Enrique Gaona, Jr • 7:15-8:30 130 Children / 130 hermanos (2021 Documentary Animation) | Director Ainara Aparici | Mexico | Run Time 74 min • 8:30-9:00 Music - Eco Madres • 9:00-10:30 Music – Orquesta Alto Maiz Times subject to change For more information www.latinocenterofiowa.org or call 515.491.0226.

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Bye Bye Chicago (2021) Genre | Drama

special thanks to today's host:

Country| USA Director | Roma Diaz & Enrique Gaono, Jr Film Length | 72 min Language | Spanish w/English Subtitles

JUNE 11, 2022

SATURDAY

710 Corning Ave Des Moines, IA 50313

The Chicago-based Mexican playwright and director Roma Díaz (founder of the Tecolote Theater Company) makes his fiction feature debut alongside Enrique Gaona, Jr. with this compassionate, deeply moving tale about the friendship between an aging, dying Mexican immigrant and a young Colombian college student. Miguel left Mexico at a young age, giving up his passion for music and singing. Now he is alone, without family, friends or money. Dalia, the college student, and neighbor, lends more than a sympathetic ear to his anecdotes and reflections; she encourages him to reconnect with friends and family as he faces death. El dramaturgo y director mexicano radicado en Chicago Roma Díaz (fundador de la Compañía de Teatro Tecolote) hace su debut en el largometraje de ficción junto a Enrique Gaona, Jr. con esta historia profundamente conmovedora sobre la amistad entre un inmigrante mexicano anciano y moribundo y una joven estudiante universitaria de Colombia. Miguel salió de México a una edad temprana, renunciando a su pasión por la música y el canto. Ahora está solo, sin familia, amigos ni dinero. Dalia, la estudiante, presta más que un oído compasivo a sus anécdotas y reflexiones; ella lo alienta a volver a conectarse con amigos y familiares mientras enfrenta la muerte.

SHORT FEATURE/

Over the span of their long marriage, Melba and Víctor adopted over 130 orphaned or abandoned children, caring for them as if they were their own. This documentary follows them and the more than 30 children they currently care for as they go about their daily lives, from sunrise when they all wake up and get ready to go to school to sundown. Their life is one of organized chaos, where the oldest children serve as big brothers to new, teary-eyed arrivals while they prepare to face a new life as young adults outside this household. Melba y Víctor adoptaron a más de 130 niños huérfanos o abandonados a lo largo de su matrimonio, cuidándolos como si fueran sus propios hijos. Este documental los sigue a ellos y a los más de 30 niños que actualmente cuidan desde el amanecer cuando todos se despiertan y se preparan para ir a la escuela hasta el anochecer. Su vida es una de caos organizado, donde los niños de mayor edad sirven como hermanos mayores para los recién llegados, con sus ojos lacrimosos, mientras se preparan para enfrentar una nueva vida como adultos jóvenes fuera de este hogar.