From Russian Dolls to Tico Devils: 5 Must-See Central American Movies at Icaro New York

In case you had forgotten about Central American cinema, 2015’s shaping up to be a good year to remember. Just last week, Guatemala made waves when they went ahead and submitted their first film for Oscar consideration in more than 20 years, and the buzz was more than justified; Ixcanul (Volcano) has already picked up important prizes at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals and may very well be a contender for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Then there’s Costa Rica, whose film output seems to be growing by the day, with titles like Viaje and Dos Aguas representing in top-tier festivals the world over. Oh, and Panama, which closed out 2014 by submitting their first-ever film for Oscar consideration in the form of Abner Benaim’s Invasión.

Yeah, we could go on and on, but the real point of all this is that New York-area film nerds will have the opportunity to see what all this buzz is about when the fourth annual Ícaro New York takes over Gotham City next week. The groundbreaking Central American film festival based out of Guatemala City has been kind enough to come back to New York once again to regale local cinephiles with some of the best films the region has to offer, all free of charge. That’s right, over four days, Midtown’s Instituto Cervantes will briefly turn into the capital of one united Central American theater, showing twelve films from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Don’t worry if you’re a picky filmgoer – this year’s edition will feature touches of horror, romance, and eroticism, so there will be a little something for everyone.

Here’s a rundown of our top picks to help guide you through this exciting time.

Ícaro New York runs September 8 – 11, 2015 at the Instituto Cervantes in New York. All screenings are free.