25th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

Program

Removed from their family home and forced into Canada’s residential school system, Cree musical prodigy Aline and her siblings are plunged into a struggle for survival. BONES OF CROWS is Aline's journey from child to matriarch, a moving multi-generational epic of resilience, survival and the pursuit of justice.

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.

After witnessing the murder of her friend, Kenya, a trans woman and sex worker, embarks on a path of struggle and search for justice that leads her to face the fear and pain of seeing herself reflected in that tragic ending.

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.

Martinez, a lonely accountant who really prizes his daily monotony, is pushed by his hierarchy to retire. While his life stability is threatened, his neighbor, a woman of his age, is found dead in her home after several days. Although he has never met her, her death will make him realize that his life is still ahead of him.

Steeped in the long oral tradition of Waorani storytelling, Gange Yeti shares her own coming-of-age story as a young Waorani woman living deep within the Amazon rainforest. Following Gange and her community for over 11 years, the film captures her transition from a quiet teenager into a confident young mother at a critical turning point for her culture and rainforest. As the granddaughter of one of the last Waorani elders who lived in complete isolation before outside contact, Gange is determined to capture her grandmother’s unique experience while she still can -- balancing school, motherhood, and tradition along the way.

Cine Las Americas presents a selection of five narrative shorts representing six countries. The films are personal and each telling rich stories that will resonate with viewers. The works screened in this category are eligible for a Jury Award for Best Narrative Short.

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.