Program

A secret society of giant hot air balloon makers in Brazil's favelas risk everything to create and fly their illegal masterpieces. Dubbed as delinquents, these 'baloeiros' operate underground like street artists, bringing joy to their communities while evading government threats and bounty hunters. Director Sissel shares her initiation into the balloon brotherhood, where launching silk paper creations becomes an act of social redemption and collective dreaming.

Forty years ago, Rafael Larraenza risked everything to cross from Mexico to the US. After building a successful career, a twist of fate drew him back to the border. For 25 years, Rafael has tirelessly searched deserts and mountains to rescue lost immigrants and recover remains, becoming a hero in Latin American communities. Despite needing a double hip replacement, Rafael continues his mission, knowing every moment counts for those lost at the border. When Indira, a mother from El Salvador, asks for help finding her son Rodrigo, Rafael risks his life again, driven on by sheer determination, even as the years and terrain take their toll.

Directed by Jesse Short Bull (Lakota Nation vs. the United States) and David France (How To Survive a Plague, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, and Welcome to Chechnya), and produced by Bird Runningwater. Leonard Peltier, one of the surviving leaders of the American Indian Movement, has been in prison for 50 years following a contentious conviction. A new generation of Native activists is committed to winning his freedom before he dies.

Frida Kahlo is a little girl who is different. Sparkling and vibrant, everything interests her. When life's trials and tribulations come her way, she faces them with her overflowing imagination.

Alf, a student at a strict Catholic school, finds himself drawn to Oliver, a charismatic new classmate. As their bond deepens, Alf distances himself from his longtime friends. But when faced with peer pressure and societal expectations, he betrays Oliver in a desperate attempt to prove his masculinity. This decision leads to devastating consequences that shake his sense of identity and morality. Confronting the harsh realities of toxic masculinity, privilege, and homophobia, the film offers a raw and frightening coming-of-age story where one act of betrayal reveals the deep scars left by social conformity and internalized fear.

Celeste, a second-grade teacher,has been transferred to anotherschool and has a few days to spend with theprimary school students who started with her.Together they go through the month of Septemberfull of movement, changing direction, and uncoveringrevelations in the endearing intimacy of aclassroom in a small town in Mexico.

A weathered tribal cop (Lou Diamond Phillips) and his new trainee (Dana Namerode) must find a ruthless fugitive, whose return to their rural Indigenous reservation has exposed its darkest secrets and could ignite a violent gang war. Featuring a predominantly Indigenous cast including Irene Bedard, Lane Factor, and Elisha Pratt.

Born in the fields of Pacoima and raised on dreams, Ritchie Valens rises from a young Chicano farmworker to a rock 'n' roll pioneer, the first to bring a Spanish-language song to mainstream American audiences. But as his star rises, tensions with his older brother Bob intensify, and a recurring nightmare of a plane crash looms over his first national tour. Luis Valdez's love letter to Chicano resilience, culture, and the cost of the American dream. Screening in celebration of American Pachuco, our Opening Night documentary portrait of the legendary Luis Valdez.

An auteur emerges from America’s underclass: from migrant farmworker to revolutionary artist, Luis Valdez changed American culture. In the 1960s, his El Teatro Campesino performed on flatbed trucks and helped mobilize workers to win the first farmworker union contract. His production Zoot Suit was the first Chicano play on Broadway. Despite critical rejection that killed the show, he persevered, creating La Bamba—a breakout blockbuster that authentically depicted Mexican-American life to the world. Now in its 60th year, El Teatro continues to be a beacon for Latino/a creators. This is the story of an artist who gave voice to the overlooked and opened pathways for generations.