Like many festivals whose in-person events had to be canceled, Austin’s Cine Las Americas has leapt into the virtual world with two weekends of online streaming movies from around the globe, the Cine Las Americas 2020 Virtual Showcase. With 49 titles in total, including seven features, five shorts packages, and a virtual jukebox of music videos, the best news is that it’s all free. Sign up now at www.cinelasamericas.org.
July 16
6pm: Espero Tua (Re)Volta D: Eliza Capai, Brazil, 2019+. Inside the student resistance to the rising tide of fascism leading to the election of President Jair Bolsonaro.
July 17
6pm: Suspensión D: Simón Uribe, Colombia, 2020+. Life on the world’s deadliest road, the San Francisco-Mocoa highway.
July 18
2pm: Documentary Shorts Competition Five slices of life, with an emphasis this year on First Nation North American filmmakers.
6pm: Dear Homeland D: Claudia Escobar, Mexico/ United States, 2020+. The intimate emotional journey of musician Diana Gameros on her path to U.S. citizenship.
July 19
Noon: Emergencia Youth Films Competition 16 short films by 16 new talents, all aged 19 and under.
4pm: Where There is Darkness D: Sean Bloomfield & Cimela Kidonakis, United States, 2018+. Shocking true-crime documentary exploring the mysterious disappearance of Father Rene Robert.
July 23
6pm: Mar de Dentro D: Dainara Toffoli, Brazil, 2020*. The stresses of balancing a career and motherhood when Manuela (Monica Iozzi) suddenly finds herself pregnant.
July 24
6pm: Ciegos D: Fernando Zuber, Argentina, 2019*. Seeing is more than just using your eyes in this story of a father with blindness and his teen son.
July 25
2pm: Narrative Shorts Competition A selection of five short narrative films from around the world.
6pm: Apego D: Patricia Velásquez Guzmán, Costa Rica/Chile, 2019*. Divided loyalties as a Costa Rican woman balances her family in Chile with career opportunities in Mexico.
July 26
Noon: Hecho en Tejas Competition Short Film Program Texas-made films that look beyond state and national border.
4pm: Music Video Competition What better way to celebrate the festival than music and dance, culminating in “Colors” by Austin’s own Black Pumas.
* Narrative feature competition title
+ Documentary feature competition title
This article appears in July 17 • 2020.
