25th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

Program

Cine Las Americas presents five films representing the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and El Salvador. These shorts represent individual and community topics and concerns in their contemporary contexts. The works screened in this category are eligible for a Jury Award for Best Documentary Short.

In 1984, an unlikely meeting between Dr. Clyde Snow, a legendary American forensic scientist, and a group of Argentine students would ultimately change the course of forensic science and human rights forever.

Celebrate a special section of the Festival showcasing works by filmmakers 19 years or younger. The works screened in this category are eligible for an Audience Award for Best “Emergencia” Youth Film.

The 7th annual Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase features short films by women and non-binary filmmakers from the U.S.-Mexico border regions of El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, México.

“Hecho en Tejas” is a series of films produced in Texas. The films are eligible for a Jury Award and Audience Award presented in partnership with the Texas Film Commission (TFC) and the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) and support from HEB.

When Kiran Singh (Nardeep Khurmi), a 1st Gen Punjabi-American truck driver and expectant father, hears pounding coming from inside his truck’s trailer, he finds Elena (Caroline Valencia), a young Mexican-American girl stowed away onboard. Kiran’s already tumultuous life takes a drastic turn as he seeks to reunite her with her family. As the pair ride across the changing American landscape, Kiran faces what it means to be a father while Elena learns how to trust again. They connect through family, dreams of the future, and a healthy debate over God’s existence, all while the ghosts of the past, racially charged encounters, and the threat of I.C.E. linger over their journey.

Manuela, a Latin American immigrant, walks through the empty streets of Los Angeles, scouring the area for work. After getting a job as a nanny, Manuela meets Alma, who is initially resistant to her. While Alma's mother is gone on a business trip, Manuela and Alma swim in the pool, clean the house, and form a maternal bond. Manuela takes on more and more of a motherly role until one day she learns that her entire world as she knows it has just changed and she must make a huge decision.

FLAMIN’ HOT is the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) who as a Frito-Lay janitor disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican-American heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.

A free showcase of short films not in competition, the Panorama Shorts Showcase is a selection of six films representing the United States and Mexico. The films include three documentaries, children's/fantasy short, and a western. Cine Las Americas considers this diverse array of important films as essential to share with central Texas audiences.

Join us for screening and party at Nepantla, USA. The works screened in this category are eligible for an Audience Award for Best Music Video.