Program by Section

New Releases

Cine Las Americas presents a selection of fourteen narrative and documentary features by the finest emerging and established filmmakers to audiences in Central Texas. This year’s selections represent thirteen countries’ participation in production and co-production of the films, and highlights a diversity of themes, genres and styles characteristic of contemporary national and international cinema trends.

Special Screenings: Las Movies, The Films of Efraín Gutiérrez

Cine Las Americas launched Las Movies in October of 2013. The intention of this recurrent series is to challenge audiences to reconsider cultural representations and stereotypes, and to inspire young filmmakers to renew in their work themes that are relevant to Mexican-American culture. The 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival honors the life and work of a pioneer of Mexican American cinema in Texas with this special presentation of the films of Efraín Gutiérrez, with the director in attendance.

Read the article The Return of Chicano Film Pioneer Efrain Gutierrez written by Melissa del Bosque for the Texas Observer.

Narrative Feature Competition

Cine Las Americas presents a selection of twelve films from emerging and promising talent, including selections from all over the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula in a variety of genres and form. The works screened in this category are eligible for both a jury award and an audience award for Best Narrative Feature.

Documentary Feature Competition

Cine Las Americas presents a selection of twelve documentaries on a wide variety of topics, representing diversity in audio design, narrative style, and formal technique, with the common thread of including themes and points of view that are underrepresented in popular media. The works screened in this category are eligible for both a jury award and an audience award for Best Documentary Feature.

Hecho en Tejas

Cine Las Americas presents “Hecho en Tejas,” a series of films shot and/or produced in Texas, to showcase the wide variety of work being produced in the state by filmmakers with varied backgrounds. Five features as well as a selection of nine short films are scheduled during this year’s festival. For a fifth consecutive year, Cine Las Americas is pleased to count on a partnership with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) to present a jury award to the best “Hecho en Tejas” film.

Panorama Feature Films

Cine Las Americas presents a diverse array of important narrative and documentary feature films, which we consider essential to share with Central Texas audiences. Collectively, the films represent innovative and independent filmmakers in compliment to the rest of the features program; they showcase a variety of traditionally underrepresented cultures and issues, personal experiences, new perspectives and aesthetic innovation.

Narrative Shorts Competition

The narrative short film competition at Cine Las Americas represents some of the most powerful and compelling work programmed at the festival, from the abstract to the realistic, the tragic to the comic, and everything in between. These films will open for features throughout the festival, and are eligible for a jury award for Best Narrative Short.

Documentary Shorts Competition

The documentary short film competition at Cine Las Americas includes some of the most powerful and compelling work programmed at the festival, representing individual and community topics and concerns in their contemporary contexts. These films will open for features throughout the festival, and are eligible for a jury award for Best Documentary Short.

Panorama Short Films

Cine Las Americas presents a diverse array of important narrative and documentary short films, which we consider essential to share with Central Texas audiences. Collectively, the films represent innovative and independent filmmakers in compliment to the rest of the program; they showcase a variety of traditionally underrepresented cultures and issues, personal experiences, new perspectives and aesthetic innovation.

Emergencia Youth Film Day

Cine Las Americas is pleased to open the 2014 Emergencia lineup with two special presentations, in cooperation with the Austin School of Film and the Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian. Following the special programs, the Emergencia Youth Jury members will share the competition lineup with those in attendance; the films in competition are eligible for an audience award for Best Emergencia Youth Film. As a celebration of filmmakers on the rise, the Emergencia Youth Film Competition represents a special section of the festival showcasing works by filmmakers 19 years or younger. This year, the competition was curated by members representing Connelly Cougar Productions, based in Austin, Texas.