CineFestival Coming to the Guadalupe Theater July 5-8

Now in its 40th year, CineFestival is returning to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center July 5-8, 2018. The festival features the theme Hecho en Tejas, 41 of the films were shot in Texas or directed by Texas filmmakers, with 23 of them directed by San Antonio filmmakers or San Antonio natives. The four-day Latino film festival will feature 56 films from Latino artists, including work from local director Jesse Borrego. CineFestival is the longest-running Latino film festival in the country.

“We are extremely proud to be celebrating 40 years of CineFestival and for that reason we have prepared a spectacular program,” said Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Executive Director, Cristina Balli. “This 40th anniversary edition celebrates the Tejano film community and honors the CineFestival familia of the past.”

Full details about the festival and supplementary activities can be found on the CineFestival site. Here’s the film line-up:

Thursday, July 5
7:00 p.m.
Opening Film

We the Animals
Directed by Jeremiah Zagar
2018, USA, 90 min.

Us three, brothers, kings inseparable. Manny, Joel, and Jonah tear their way through childhood. Their Ma and Paps have a volatile love that makes and unmakes the family many times over, leaving the boys fending for themselves. As their parents rip at one another, Manny and Joel ultimately harden and grow into versions of their father. With the triumvirate fractured, Jonah—the youngest, the dreamer—becomes increasingly aware of his desperate need to escape. Driven to the edge, Jonah embraces an imagined world all his own.

With its screenplay by Dan Kitrosser and Jeremiah Zagar based on the celebrated Justin Torres novel, We the Animals is a visceral coming-of-age story propelled by strikingly layered performances from its astounding cast, anchored by CineFestival alum Raúl Castillo, elements of magical realism, and unbelievable animated sequences. Though known for documentaries, director Jeremiah Zagar reinvents his career by transforming a landscape of childhood alienation and turning it into a fever dream careening toward the future. Star Raúl Castillo will be in attendance at the opening night after-party.

Preceded by:
Atlantic City
Miguel Alvarez, 2018, USA, 15 min.

Pony and Junior are two South Texas drifters – brothers in spirit, if not blood. Pony’s last connection to his estranged mother is a postcard she sent twenty years ago from Atlantic City. When Junior refuses to help find his mother, Pony resorts to taking a job from a local thug to raise the money to search for her himself. It’s here that he meets a fifteen-year-old runaway that he tries to help.

Regular Ticket $10
Premium Ticket $25 includes film and afterparty
After-Party Ticket only $15 (does NOT include film)

Friday, July 6
10:00 a.m. – Senior Cinema

FREE ADMISSION

Coco (En Español)
Directed by Lee Unkrich
2017, USA, 109 min
Spanish with English Subtitles

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Preceded by:

El Relámpago
Cynthia Muñoz, 2018, USA, 3 min.

Featuring The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Mariachi Aztlán and Ballet Folklorico, El Relámpago is dedicated to Angel Hernandez Morales who passed away unexpectedly at the tender age of 25. The music video captures one of Angel’s final grand performances just two months prior to his passing.

2:00 p.m. – Youth Screening
FREE ADMISSION

The Future is Now: Youth Videos from San Antonio 

Featuring the work of San Antonio area high school students. Participating programs include Cinema North East at North East School of the Arts, Cinema South San Antonio, Film School of San Antonio at Harlandale, John Marshall High School, Kenedy ISD, Saint Mary’s Hall Digital Cinema, Say Sí, and St. Mark’s School of Texas Film Studies in Dallas. Hosted by Máximo.

Memoria de los Revolucionarios — Directed by Miguel Salazar
Girl^3 — Directed by Laura Gonima
Artpace San Antonio — Directed by Marcelo Gutierrez IV
Aeternum Vale — Directed by Isabella Sanchez
Parade — Directed by Troy Mize
The Atom — Directed by Marco Zaragoza
Jello — Directed by Clay Morris
Skelefly –— Directed by Marcelo Salas, Bela Syptak, and Bella Delgado
The Last Ghost — Directed by Jade Jess
San Antonio — Directed by Fatima Aguillon
REVAN — Directed by Max Ulme
VELA — Directed by Nathaniel De Los Santos
La Cultura Perdida (The Lost Culture) — Directed by Elias Flores III and Sarah Ramirez

4:00 p.m. – Cine en el Barrio
FREE ADMISSION

Love, Cecy
Directed by Jay Francisco Lopez
2017, USA, 100 min.

Ripped from the headlines, Love, Cecy takes audiences back to the cholo, freestyle culture of 1990’s Richmond, California as it retells the story of 15-year-old Cecilia Rios. The film follows Rios’ promising beginnings, striving to become a lawyer while keeping her cholo boyfriend off the streets, to its tragic end on March 14, 1994, when her brutal murder was chronicled by newspapers across the country.

7:00 p.m. – Femme Frontera

The Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase is a celebration of women filmmakers living on the U.S.-Mexico border region and serves as an opportunity to revise stereotypical cultural narratives through the simple act of showing the truth.

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Memory Box — Directed by Angie Reza Tures
Click here to watch the trailer
La Catrina — Directed by Ilana Lapid
Click here to watch the trailer
Overland — Directed by Jazmin Harvey
Click here to watch the trailer
Undocumented Freedom — Directed by Laura Bustillos Jáquez
Click here to watch the trailer
The Appleseed Project — Directed by Jennifer Lucero
Click here to watch the trailer

9:00 p.m.
As I Walk Through The Valley
Directed by Charlie Vela and Ronnie Garza
2017, USA, 86 min.

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As I Walk Through The Valley unfolds over four decades of music. In the 60’s, garage rockers who mix the influence of American pop with the wild nightlife of Reynosa, Mexico create a trans-national scene. In the 70’s, musicians inspired by the social movements of the time, embrace their roots and reinterpret traditional Ranchera music to develop a distinctive Chicano sound. By the 80’s, the first signs of punk and hardcore emerge. Alienated kids at the height of Tejano music form bands of their own. With no venues, they fill burned out buildings and quinceñera halls and live DIY.  Finally, the punks of the 90’s develop coalitions and pool resources to create a lasting infrastructure in the dawn of the internet-age.

Preceded by:
What Happens to a Dream Deferred
Scott Boehm, 2018, USA, 12 min.

A short film about two DREAMers who are graduate students at Michigan State University, What Happens to a Dream Deferred is an intimate portrait of a day in the life of José Adrián Badillo Carlos and Osvaldo Sandoval after the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.

Saturday, July 7

12:00 p.m.
Tía Chuck: A Portrait of Chuck Ramirez 
Directed by Mark and Angela Walley
2018, USA, 63 min.

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Tía Chuck is the captivating feature length directorial debut by filmmakers Angela and Mark Walley chronicling the life and work of the late artist Chuck Ramirez (1962-2010). Ramirez’s artworks investigate everyday life and are charged with metaphors of cultural identity, sexuality, and mortality. Ramirez was a charismatic and integral part of a flourishing contemporary art scene in San Antonio and saw his HIV+ diagnosis in the early 1990s as motivation to pursue his dream of becoming a successful artist. Before his untimely death in 2010, Ramirez became one of San Antonio’s most beloved artists and exhibited is artwork nationally and internationally.

Preceded by:
Two Medusas
Scott Hamilton Kennedy, 2017, USA, 11 min.

A funny and bittersweet coming of age story set around the drama that happens when two girls have the same Halloween costume for their elementary school Halloween contest.

2:00 p.m. – Lone Star Films

Texas Filmmaker’s Showcase

The Houston Film Commission presents the best of Texas-made Latino short films from their annual showcase. Curated by Alfred Cervantes, Deputy Director of Houston Film Commission.

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North of Ojinaga — Directed by Rommel Eclarinal
Vincent Valdez: The Art of Boxing — Directed by Ray Santisteban
Death of an Ally — Directed by Marla and Julio Quintana
Mentiroso — Directed by Will Shipley
Vincent Valdez: Excerpts for John — Directed by Mark and Angela Walley
Carne Seca — Directed by Jazmin Diaz
Peor Es Nada (Nothing’s Worse) — Directed by Gabriel Duran

4:00 p.m. – Longhorn Cinema

Burnt Orange y Que! 2.0

This special program features contemporary works by Latina and Latino filmmakers from The University of Texas at Austin.

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Mosca – Directed by Lizette Barrera
Youth and Young Manhood – Directed by Leo Aguirre
The Trigger – Directed by Angela Torres Camarena
Autopista Norte (North Highway) – Directed by Andres Torre
The Wilderness – Directed by Agustin Navarro
Atmahaú Pakmát – Directed by Cameron Quevedo
Atlantic City – Directed by Miguel Alvarez

6:00 p.m.
Closer to Bottom
Directed by Jesse Borrego
2017, USA, 87 min.

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Closer to Bottom is a dramatic coming of age story. Two brothers, Adrian and Rafael, experience grief with the loss of their father in vastly different ways. And when they both fall for the same girl, the tension is more than one of them can handle. Dealing with grief, coming to terms with life, and acceptance are among the universal themes.

Preceded by:
Tomorrow We Laugh
Alfredo Ramos, 2017, USA, 11 min.

A wayward son returns home to discover that his mother is suffering from mental illness. Featuring CineFestival alums Danny De La Paz and Dyana Ortelli.

8:00 p.m
Rubén Blades Is Not My Name
Directed by Abner Benaim
2018, USA, 85 min.
Spanish with English Subtitles

Latin American icon Rubén Blades was at the center of the New York Salsa revolution in the 1970’s. His socially charged lyrics and explosive rhythms brought Salsa music to an international audience. Blades has won 17 Grammys, acted in Hollywood, earned a law degree from Harvard, and even ran for President of his native Panama. Critically acclaimed director Abner Benaim takes us on a journey through Rubén’s fifty-year career, revealing that Rubén might still have both musical and political ambitions. This is a film about a living legend and his struggle to come to terms with his legacy.

Regular Ticket $10
Premium Ticket $25 includes film and after-party
After-Party only Ticket $15 (does NOT include film)

Sunday, July 8

1:00 p.m.
Ferdinand
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
2017, USA, 107 min.

Ferdinand tells the story of a giant bull with a big heart. After being mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. Ferdinand is a heartwarming animated comedy adventure with an all-star cast that includes CineFestival alum Gina Rodriguez.

3:00 p.m.
Coco (En Español) Encore screening
Directed by Lee Unkrich
2017, USA, 109 min.
Spanish with English Subtitles

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Preceded by:
Grand Champion
Cynthia Muñoz, 2018, USA, 4 min.

Fourteen-year-old Kyle, Texas native Jizelle Rodriguez was named Grand Champion Vocalist during the 23rd Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza National Vocal Competition. Jizelle’s interpretation of “El Jaripeo” captures the beauty, spirit, and traditions of the Mexican Rodeo.