Program

When a young Mexican politician loses his presidential bid, he retreats with his wife to their countryside estate. There, their lust for power festers, and they reinvent themselves as monarchs; ruling over their employees with cruelty, delusion, and decadence

This year's Hecho en Tejas Competition celebrates Texas filmmakers capturing lives rarely seen on screen. Intimate, urgent, and rooted in real communities, these films ask what it means to survive, remember, and resist. The films in this showcase are eligible for both an Audience Award and a Jury Award, presented in partnership with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI). Meet the directors, cast your vote, and stay for the party!

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.

¡Videos Musicales! celebrates the cinematic artistry of Latine/x and Indigenous musicians and filmmakers who use the form to tell stories, preserve culture, and push creative boundaries. Spanning Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela and the United States with sounds ranging from Latin Alternative and Cumbia to Zydeco and Folk, sung in English, Spanish, and French. Latin Grammy nominee Gina Chavez curates this year's selection. Watch, dance, vote, and stay for the party.