25th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

Program

“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.