Documentary Shorts Competition

Q&A with filmmakers will follow the screening.

DelMar
Directed by Lucy Morales Carlisle
Texas Premiere

A young surfer on the cusp of adulthood navigates life between two worlds. Brenda is one of several women in her family known locally in El Zonte for her surfing prowess. She began competing at the age of 15 and quickly rose through the ranks, making her dreams of traveling and surfing around the world more attainable. At the age of 17 however, she makes the decision to move to Maryland, a state far from beaches to reunite with her mother whom she has never met.

Healing of the Dragon Fly
Directed by Nina Barbier
Texas Premiere

Joe Pulliam is an Oglala Lakota Sioux artist living in Rapid City in the state of South Dakota. Father of 4, Pulliam opened an art gallery exclusively with his work, painting on ledgers inspired by his culture and traditional life. This documentary tells his story and his artistic journey from Pine Ridge reservation to his last exhibition.

Nyanga
Directed by Medhin Tewolde Serrano
Texas Premiere

During the colonial era, Nyanga was kidnapped off the coast of Africa, brought to Mexico and enslaved. Though forced to work on the master’s plantation, he never stopped dreaming of freedom. Based on historical facts, and using shadow theater and handmade cinema, ‘Nyanga’ is an homage to resistance against colonial chains.

María Presente, La Memoria en Nuestras Voces
Directed by Julia Cohen Ribeiro
Texas Premiere

An Afro-Argentine filmmaker travels around Buenos Aires to reconstruct the story of María Remedios del Valle, a black woman who fought in the Wars of Argentine Independence and was recognized as Mother of the Nation.

Strawberry Picker
Directed by Eugenia Renteria
Austin Premiere

From a little boy growing up in labor camps to a world-class artist, Strawberry Picker provides a look at generations of struggle and resilience in the Chicano art community through the experiences of Juan R. Fuentes.

Sangre Violenta / Sangre Violeta
Directed by Edna Diaz & Arturo R. Jiménez

Why does the Mexican government consider the feminist movement a greater threat than most drug cartels? A grieving father, an inspiring musician and survivor, and a radical feminist collective illustrate the horrifying realities of gender violence in Mexico.