A Sister Who's Gone, a Dancer Facing Challenges, and a Cockatiel Searching for Liberation Spotlight NFMLA's InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema Program - MovieMaker Magazine

      A quest for a sister who has gone missing, the downfall of a flamenco dancer, and an escape plan devised by a cockatiel were among the narratives presented during the New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) annual InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema program.

      Held in September, the event featured impactful and thought-provoking independent films created by emerging filmmakers from various countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela, Canada, and the United States.

      It began with an opening reception where all-access pass holders were treated to complimentary refreshments from Pink’s Hot Dogs and signature cocktails crafted with handcrafted tequila and mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico, by The Lost Explorer.

      The day’s first film segment, InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema I, showcased coming-of-age narrative shorts centered on family dynamics, self-acceptance, and the transcending of time, space, and borders. To honor Hispanic Heritage Month, Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation, delivered the opening remarks.

      The program proceeded with InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema II, a collection of narratives addressing themes such as injustice, inequality, systemic failures, and colonialism. The stories focused on the struggles for justice, building resilience, challenging limiting beliefs, and aspiring for a better future.

      The evening wrapped up with InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema III, which emphasized the significance of human connections through tales of loss, love, and letting go.

      NFMLA presents films created by filmmakers of all backgrounds year-round, featuring both general and InFocus categories. All filmmakers are invited and encouraged to submit their works for consideration at upcoming NFMLA Festivals, irrespective of the InFocus programming schedule, which aims to highlight representation by centering on diverse filmmaker communities as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This initiative is partly supported by grants from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

      Below is additional information about the NFMLA filmmakers and their works, provided by NFMLA.

      “Punta Salinas,” directed by Maria del Mar Rosario

      About Maria: María del Mar Rosario, born and residing in Puerto Rico, creates stories that provoke reflection on Caribbean notions through a decolonial perspective, while stylistically focusing on the body. Her work has been featured at Tribeca, SFFILM, HotDocs, IDFA, Metrograph NYC, and the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. She holds a BA in Creative Nonfiction and Film Studies from Columbia University and completed postgraduate studies at the School of Film and Television in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba (EICTV). She received the LALIFF/NETFLIX Inclusion Fellowship to direct the narrative short, Punta Salinas, and was awarded the Firelight Media Fellowship 2024 for her documentary short, Escambrón, Playa, currently streaming on PBS.

      About “Punta Salinas”: After having sex for the first time, 16-year-old Alba seeks strength she has never tapped into before.

      Watch the NFMLA interview with Maria del Mar Rosario, director of “Punta Salinas”:

      “The Vote,” directed by Sylvia Ray

      About Sylvia: Sylvia Ray is a Chicana/Korean-American director based in Los Angeles and a 2025 Film Independent Project Involve Fellow. She is also a 2024 Latino Film Institute Inclusion Fellow, recognized for her short film The Vote, which won Best U.S. Short at the Post Alley Film Festival. Her feature script The Middle was a quarterfinalist at HollyShorts and the Atlanta Film Festival and was selected for the 2024 FICMonterrey Pro-Meetings Program. The short received a nomination for Best LatinX Film at HollyShorts and won Best in Festival at the 2025 Sundial Film Festival. Sylvia's work delves into themes of grief, identity, and resilience within BIPOC communities.

      About “The Vote”: Siblings Jessica and Robbie grapple with the painful decision of whether to keep their mother on life support or let her go, resulting in a tense family vote.

      Watch the NFMLA interview with Sylvia Ray, director of “The Vote”:

      “Ialu,” directed by Sebastian Nazario-Colon

      About Sebastian: Sebastian Nazario-Colon is a film director and Cannes-nominated editor based in New York. He served as an editor on “Fillos Do Vento: A RAPA” in 2025, an immersive short documentary officially nominated for the Cannes Film Festival’s Immersive Experience Competition. In 2023, he directed the award-winning short documentary, The Boricua’s Dilemma, which addresses Puerto Rico’s political status debate and achieved over 14K views on YouTube during its one-week limited release. The film was showcased at festivals such as the San Diego Latino Film Festival, NY