Today, the Sundance Film Festival announced its selections for their 2014 edition across five categories. The Latino representation isn’t as high as previous years but we will reserve judgement. In the coming days the rest of the movies will be announced and we can make a better assessment then.
Here are the Latino movies playing Sundance 2014 that we know about so far…
UPDATE: All categories have been announced and there are a whopping five Latino feature-length films playing at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. That’s about 4% of the total. Let’s hope for better luck next year. See the complete list below.
U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Out of sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that “illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day” two are Latino.
Cesar’s Last Fast / U.S.A. (Directors: Richard Ray Perez, Lorena Parlee)
Inspired by Catholic social teaching, Cesar Chavez risked his life fighting for America’s poorest workers. The film illuminates the intensity of one man’s devotion and personal sacrifice, the birth of an economic justice movement, and tells an untold chapter in the story of civil rights in America.
Marmato / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Grieco)
Colombia is the center of a new global gold rush, and Marmato, a historic mining town, is the new frontier. Filmed over the course of nearly six years, Marmato chronicles how townspeople confront a Canadian mining company that wants the $20 billion in gold beneath their homes.
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Out of twelve films from “emerging filmmaking talents around the world who offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles” two are Latino.
Lock Charmer (El cerrajero) / Argentina (Director and screenwriter: Natalia Smirnoff)
Upon learning that his girlfriend is pregnant, 33-year-old locksmith Sebastian begins to have strange visions about his clients. With the help of an unlikely assistant, he sets out to use his newfound talent for his own good. Cast: Esteban Lamothe, Erica Rivas, Yosiria Huaripata.
To Kill a Man / Chile, France (Director and screenwriter: Alejandro Fernandez Almendras)
When Jorge, a hardworking family man who’s barely making ends meet, gets mugged by Kalule, a neighborhood delinquent, Jorge’s son decides to confront the attacker, only to get himself shot. Even though Jorge’s son nearly dies, Kalule’s sentence is minimal, heightening the friction. Cast: Daniel Candia, Daniel Antivilo, Alejandra Yañez, Ariel Mateluna.
NEW FRONTIER FILMS
Living Stars / Argentina (Directors: Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat) — Argentinians open their homes to the public and perform dance numbers they normally only do alone, in front of a mirror. The directors portray them in their houses, with improvised sets, revealing a collection of urban curiosities.
The Sundance Film Festival runs from January 16-26, 2014 in Park City, Utah.