Official Selections: Latinx Film Festival
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
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Narrative Short
La Estrella is a tender portrait of a tight-knit Mexican-American family grappling with the entrance of fentanyl into their community. Set across two timelines, the story follows José, a gentle, but withdrawn teenager unable to gain his momentum, and his older brother Diego, a charismatic and ambitious college student struggling with the stress of family expectations.
Director: Gabriela Díaz Arp @gabriela_arp
Producer: Anna Jimenez Lyle @annajimenezlyle
Writer: Gerardo Coello Escalante & Amandine Thomas
Cast: Maria Sager, Israel Alexander, Ramiro Salinas, Anett Castro, Santiago Varela, Rose Bianco
Cinematographer: Lara Aqel
Editor: Cecilia Delgado
NoMore Hurt Award, Best Mental Health Film, March 2026
ETHOS Film Awards, Award for Recovery Advocacy, April 2026
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/song4charlie/
Twitter: https://x.com/SongforCharlie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songforcharlie/
Paredes Entre Tú y Yo
Paredes Entre Tú y Yo (Walls Between You and Me)
Short
With her father's long-awaited green card interview just one day away, Miriam, a 21-year-old aspiring chef, returns home expecting to celebrate her birthday. Instead, she discovers her estranged father needs her help to secure his future in the United States. As old wounds resurface and unspoken grief lingers between them, father and daughter must confront years of resentment while navigating the fragile space between obligation, identity, and love. Set against the backdrop of a family food truck and an uncertain future, Paredes Entre Tú y Yo is an intimate portrait of forgiveness, sacrifice, and the ties that bind immigrant families across generations.
Director: Jacob Franco
Producer: Catalina Garayoa and Gonzalo Martin
Writer: Catalina Garayoa
Cast: Catalina Garayoa, Pedro Pano, Gary Gunter, Gonzalo Martin
Cinematographer: Augusto García
Editor: Rommel Villa Barriga
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paredesentretuyyo/
Forgive Them For they know not what they Do
Short Film
West coast Premiere
In the shadows of faith and crime, a priest, a nun, and a hired gun cross paths in a chaotic exchange where no one is who they seem. As sacred vows collide with violent secrets, one explosive night forces each of them to face what they truly believe in.
Director: Emanuel López Tavarez
Producer: Kenneth Soto Cancel, Marysol Giraña Vargas
Executive Producer: Emanuel López Tavarez
Co-Producer: Lucas Rodríguez
Writer: Fran Méndez
Cast: Fran Méndez, Sarah C. Hernández, James Michael, Omalik Rosado
Cinematographer: Dickie Cruz
Editor: Gerardo Hernández
Official Selection – Lusca Fantastic Film Fest 2025
Official Selection – International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival 2025
Official Selection – Puerto Rico Film Festival 2025
Filmed entirely in Puerto Rico with a local cast and crew, the project showcases Puerto Rican filmmaking talent while exploring universal themes of accountability, redemption, forgiveness, and faith.
Instagram: @perdonalosquenosabenloquehacen
Head of Household
Short
World Premiere
Head of Household centers on Nine-year-old Joshua who lives in a home defined by chaos, fighting, and emotional neglect. As the Christmas season approaches, his parents’ constant conflict leaves him and his baby brother largely uncared for. To cope, Joshua retreats into schoolwork, where order and achievement offer him a sense of control missing from his home life. Forced to grow up too quickly, Joshua quietly becomes the most responsible person in the house. Small acts of care reveal a child carrying the weight of an adult role.
Director: Juan Javier "Javo" Aguirre
Producer: Juan Javier "Javo" Aguirre
Writer: Juan Javier "Javo" Aguirre
Cast: Joshua Castillo, Cindy Ball, Casey Ball, Jayden Castillo.
Cinematographer: Juan Javier "Javo" Aguirre
Editor: Juan Javier "Javo" Aguirre
Camera: Vince Garcia
Instagram: @papapaco.films
Hilos de Luz (Threads of Light)
Documentary
Docuvision International Film Festival, 16th Puerto Rico Film Festival 2025 (PRFF), 13th Boston Indie Film Festival, 10th Dallas Movie Fest, 15th Philadelphia Latino Film Festival (PHL)
In the documentary THREADS OF LIGHT, blind sculptor Luis Felipe Passalacqua takes us by the hand and step by step into his sensitive world; he and the camera coexist, from the professional to the most intimate. His sense of humor and positive attitude are his allies in overcoming the hurdles in pursuing his dreams
Director: Berenice Manjarrez Vericat
Producer: Berenice Manjarrez Vericat, Bienvenida "Beni" Matias
Cast: Luis Felipe Passalacqua
Cinematographer: Berenice Manjarrez Vericat
Editor: Gisela Rosario Ramos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hilosdeluzdocu/