Rockers, Rainforests & Residente: 8 Must-See Latino Movies at 2017 SXSW Film Festival

With as much absurdity we hear coming out the White House about a proposed multibillion dollar border wall being erected on the U.S.-Mexico border, it’s refreshing to see the eclectic 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival lineup break through all the rhetoric and fear-mongering and offer audiences a number of movies they might never have experienced without the global-friendly fest. While small-minded politicians might be attempting to separate cultures under the guise of protecting the country, even the highest walls can’t stop the cinematic arts from scaling over the divisiveness and enlightening and entertaining audiences with all types of genres from Mexico, Latin America and beyond.

Taking place March 10-18 in Austin, Texas, the SXSW Film Festival will screen everything from music documentaries to edge-of-your-seat thrillers from south of the border. With the second-highest Latino population in the U.S. at 10.4 million, this according to a 2014 Pew Research Center profile, SXSW is embracing these stories and sharing them with an ever-growing festival crowd looking to expand their view on the world and resist a government driven by division.

American and Latino directors, writers, actors and producers from both sides of the border can stand firm and fight for their voices to be heard through the art they create. It can start with a festival like SXSW.

The 2017 SXSW Film Festival runs March 10-18.