The lineup for the 2022 Sundance Film Festival was recently announced and there are a handful of Latine films (or films starring Latine talent) that you should circle on your calendar.
The hybrid festival will happen in person in Utah and on online platforms from January 20-30, 2022. In a release, Sundance Film Festival director of programming Kim Yutani said that this year’s program “reflects the unsettling and uncertain times” people have experienced since early last year.
“The artists in the program, through their bold and innovative storytelling, and their sheer determination to create work in this moment, challenge us to look at the world through different lenses and examine and reevaluate how these stories impact us now and in the future,” Yutani said.
Here’s a look at seven films with Latine connections that will screen at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The full 2022 Sundance Film Festival lineup is available at festival.sundance.org.
1
Emily the Criminal
The thriller stars actress Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) as Emily, a woman with a minor criminal record who can’t get out of debt from her student loans. Desperate to make some quick cash, she enters the criminal underworld by taking a gig as a “dummy shopper” where she buys things with stolen credit cards. Plaza was last seen in the film Black Bear, which debuted at Sundance in 2021.
2
La Guerra Civil
Directed by Eva Longoria (Flamin’ Hot), this documentary explores the 1996 “ultimate glory” fight between boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez. Through archival footage and interviews with Chávez and De La Hoya, one of the biggest sports moments of the 1990s is brought to life.
3
Lucy and Desi
Now that the feature film Being the Ricardos is in theaters, fans can get more of the story in this documentary directed by comedy actress Amy Poehler (Mean Girls). The documentary chronicles the personal and professional lives of musician and actor Desi Arnaz and actress and comedienne Lucille Ball. It also delves into the deeper elements of the comedy genre.
4
Mija
The drama is directed by filmmaker and four-time Emmy nominee Isabel Castro. It follows a 23-year-old Latine music manager and first-generation American who advocates for Latine talent but is forced to decide what she is going to do about her career when life throws some surprises at her. This includes issues with her family’s immigration status.
5
Dos Estaciones
A once-majestic tequila factory is at the center of this film’s narrative. It tells the story of the factory’s owner Maria Garcia, who is doing everything she can to keep her business afloat. The factory is the small town’s main source of economy. Maria hires a woman to help with the company and turn things around, but it might be too late when an unexpected flood puts everything at risk. Dos Estaciones is directed by filmmaker Juan Pablo González.
6
Marte Um (Mars One)
Writer and director Gabriel Martins tells the story of a family of “optimistic dreamers” who is disappointed after the country elects a far-right extremist president. The family includes Tércia, the mother, who believes she is cursed, and Wellington, the father, who has high aspirations for their son to play soccer. Meanwhile, their daughter dreams of one day leaving home.
7
The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future
Director Francisca Alegría tells the story of a deceased woman named Magdalena who rises from the dead and returns to her family. Her homecoming brings the family together to confront their thoughts on death and despair.