2022 PIFF/LA Film Program
November 18th, 19th, 20th at Avenida Production Studios 1908 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles
(Film length in minutes unless otherwise noted. Films not in English are subtitled. Q&A after each Block)
Friday, November 18th
Block 1 – 6:00 PM
6:00 PM Mingle/Step & Repeat 6pm
7:00 PM Coast. Dir. Jessica Hester, Derek Schweickart (US/1hr36m) Desperate to escape her predominantly agricultural town where young thrill-seekers clash with generations of tradition, a restless music-lover falls for the lead singer of a touring rock band and finds herself on the precipice of a life-altering decision. (followed by Q&A)
9:00 PM Reception
Saturday, November 19th
BLOCK 2 – 12:00 PM
Artesanías. Dir. Lorena Gabriela Da Silva Pinzón (US/Panama/ :54 sec ) Showcases a Panamanian’s artisans store, honoring the talented artisans in La Arena de Chitré, Herrera, Panamá.
Rudy Cole: Painting Panama. Dir. Vincent DeMaria (US/6:11) A brief documentary which takes you into the life and creative process of a Charcoal and Collage artist, living in Los Angeles.
United by Love and Carnaval. Dir. Enrique Gabriel Kirchman (Panama/18:31) For Panamanians, who like to party, Carnaval is fun. For others, it’s an opportunity to express passion and talent. The latter is the case of Victor Acevedo, a self-taught artisan and designer.
Memorias del Chagres. Dir. Omar Calvo. (Panama/13:00) Documentary exploring the lost towns on the edge of the Chagres River. Once thriving towns, they were the center of the economic and cultural progress of a country in full development.
The Numbers. Dir. Ariel Arauz Barnes (Panama/19:59) A ticket buyer, and an experienced saleswoman take us on a journey through one of the most Panamanian of customs: playing lottery.
BLOCK 3 – 1:30 PM
Crowd Funding Workshop featuring: Fanny Grande, CEO of Avenida Productions. Learn how to launch and run a successful crowdfunding campaign. Find out about supportyourstory.com
BLOCK 4 – 3:00 PM
Limpia. Dir. Jesahel Newton Bernal (US/Ecuador/ 10:33) Convinced she is haunted by bad luck, Valentina gets a limpia in an attempt to get rid of it.
Remember. Dir. Albert Serra (Panama/7:20) An older man has a flirtation with a younger woman, resulting in an existential crisis.
Stranger in the Mirror. Dir. Elvia Susana Rubalcava (US/10:00) During the pandemic, an elderly woman finds herself isolated; physically, emotionally, and technologically.
What We All Lack. Dir. Maria Fernández Navarro (US/Spain/ 9:11) Inspired by the story of surrealist photographers Man Ray and Lee Miller. An invitation to reflect on our own relationships and the power dynamics behind them.
Downpour. Dir. Alejandra Cristina Manzo (US/12:53) After a terrible loss in the family, a young Afro-Latina girl must confront her patriarchal mother in order to save the last sister she has left.
Rosca (Screw). Dir. Federico Scopazzo, Magdalena Pardo (Argentina/17:00) A misunderstanding between a couple and a stranger triggers a whirl of unexpected events.
BLOCK 5 – 5:00 PM
Toro de Oro. Dir. Pedro Perez Nuñez (US/Mexico/ 25:00) Valentine Gallardo, a Mexican matador is torn between the love of his life and his love for bullfighting after having a near-death injury in his last fight.
The War Within. Dir. Marta D’Ocon (US/25:00) A young woman joins a guerrilla army when her entire family is massacred by government troops. She initially thrives but her newfound sense of purpose comes with a high price.
BLOCK 6 – 6:00-10:00 PM
6:00 PM Mingle/Step & Repeat
7:00 PM Birthday Boy. Dir. Arturo Montenegro (Panama/1hr 37min) Panama’s official submission for International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. A man invites his intimate circle of friends to celebrate his 45th birthday. The party is over when Jimmy confesses he wants to end his life after blowing the candles.
9:00 PM Reception
Sunday, November 20th
BLOCK 7 – 11:00 AM
Madame, The Life of a Drag Queen. Dir. Jay Beckett (US/8:00) A documentary centered on Drag Queen personality Carlos Melendez, AKA Madame LaQueer from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
El Gato Negro. Dir. Neville Robateau (US/7:20) A former gangster grieving the sudden loss of his daughter is confronted by a young gangster from his old hood beckoning him back to the street life.
Preggers. Dir. Sylvia Ray (US). A woman finds out she is pregnant after a chance meeting with a Bruja named Graciana. She then faces a life changing decision with no support from her boyfriend Charles.
Get Loved. Dir. Teresa Lee (US/6:56) A lonely woman gets a chance to find connection in a marketing focus group for a corporate yogurt campaign
Mojosito & Me. Dir. Lidieth Arevalo (US/El Salvador/ 6:41) An uplifting story of an immigrant and her sixteen-year-old American car, and the experiences they share.
Lucky Lopez. Dir. Allan Wasserman (US/14:17) A film honoring the life and times of a Puerto Rican/Bronxite retired Marine Roy “Lucky” Lopez.
Dajla: Cinema and Oblivion. Dir. Arturo Dueñas Herrero (Spain/15:00) Life is going on in Dakhla, one of the Sahrawi refugee camps in southern Algeria, forgotten for 45 years. The celebration of a film festival, the Fisahara, breaks the monotony.
BLOCK 8 – 1:00 PM
Alegria Media and Publishing presents Reppin’ – an hour of poetry and spoken word featuring Davina Ferreira, Jesenia Chavez, Jean Pierre Rueda and Lupe Montiel. Special Guest Artist: Alex Alpharaoh
BLOCK 9 – 2:30 PM
Choices. Dir. Rubén Guevara (US/13:53) Consumed by social media, and some unexpected news, Lucas is forced to realize the importance of the small, but impactful decisions that affect his life.
On the Stone. Dir. John Ortiz Vargas (Costa Rica/10:35) Frustrated by cultural and linguistic alienation, Antonia decides to speak to everyone around her exclusively in Spanish, whether or not they can understand her.
Las Rosies. Dir. Sandra O’Neill (US/38:00) Rosie the Riveter symbolizes the millions of women who joined the work force during World War II. A lot of these female employees were Latinas, the majority of Mexican descent. Their story is rarely told, until now.
BLOCK 10- COMEDY 4:00 PM
Vaccine Invincible. Dir. José Alejandro Hernández (US/5:10) Alberto delivers a baby, gets laid and jumps out of plane, all because he is vaccinated. Little does he suspect…
Sol. Dir. Cody Salais (US/14:05) 18 year-old Sol must confront her painful past when her tranquil existence is abruptly interrupted by an unsettling dream and her estranged mother’s dachsund.
Al que no quiere caldo, se le dan dos tazas. Dir. Alejandro Victoria (Colombia/9:30) Álvaro, a food critic, tells the story of how the famous Colombian saying, “those who want no broth shall get two plates”, shaped the fate of his family, and therefore, his own.
Pizzaman: The Vixens. Dir. Edgar Salas (US/14:44) A pizza deliverer lands in the clutches of the poker-playing trio The Vixens. Will Pizzaman be able to escape their wrath before losing everything…literally?
Beaver Boys. Dir. Jeffrey Ho (US/18:40) The Beaver Boys follows the journey of two quirky characters as they attempt to save the planet from plastic pollution and are determined to protect Mother Nature.
BLOCK 11 – 5:30 PM
L.U.N.A. Dir. Blake Vaz (US/10:00) Field technician, Lillian Romero, is sent out to diagnose an error from her company’s home assistant device L.U.N.A. When she arrives she discovers this is no ordinary error…or home.
The Nightmare (El Zangano). Dir. Luis André Lorenzo (Panama/17:00) When Federica’s husband Alejandro leaves on a trip with no return date, she starts having nightmares where a creature feeds on her doubts.
Heart Swell. Dir. Kimberly Bautista (US/7:27) A woman fears drowning in her own emotions after a half-hearted suicide attempt.
Trigger. Dir. Juan Escobedo (US/5:26) Max and Valentina are triggered to recall the traumatic reality of sexual assault in this film about friendship, empathy and healing.
Falos (Phalluses). Dir. Wilson López (Argentina/15:00) An office worker finds himself in a world where image, perfection, power and bodies try to hide the humane, the fragile, the real: the flesh.
The Fourth. Dir. Johnny Kirk (US/11:45) Eager to celebrate the 4th of July, a group of young black and Latino friends experience a police encounter that shatters the meaning of the holiday.
Fragilidad. Dir. Nico Herrera (Argentina/6:51) Four 11-year-old friends meet at a train station park. As they wait for the train, they each reflect on the serious and different abuses they suffer daily, before acting upon a collective decision.
BLOCK 12 – 6:30 – 11:00 PM
6:30 PM Mingle/Step & Repeat
7:00 PM – Baking With Love: The Cory Milan Story. Dir. Vincent DeMaria (US/7:19) A documentary looking into the life of a Boliero in a Salvadorian Panaderia, working to support a wife and two kids in Echo Park, Los Angeles.
7:00 PM – My DACA Life. Dir. Fanny Veliz Grande (US/1hr. 12 min.) Documentary. An American woman discovers she’s an undocumented immigrant. In 2012 she benefited from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals known as DACA and, after 25 years, she got to visit the town of her birth.
Reception/Awards 9:00 PM
PIFF/LA wants to thank our Panafest 8 Sponsors and Partners
TELASOFA
EAST LA FILM FESTIVAL
WALTON ISAACSON
TRUE FORM FILMS
SHORTCUT 2 HOLLYWOOD
SIRENAS CREATIVE
ALEGRIA PUBLISHING AND MEDIA
BERENICE VALLE
FROM THE STREET TO THE SET
HISPANICAD.COM
GEORGE PEREZ STORIES
FOOS GONE WILD
MANIC HISPANIC
We also want to thank AVENIDA PRODUCTION STUDIOS for helping to make Panafest 8 a reality. Your SUPPORT OUR STORY platform led to an outpouring of support from these contributors and more:
Fanny Grande, Gabriel Reyes, Sergio Guerrero Garzafox, Allan Wasserman, Peter John Bollinger, Chris and Annette Crump, Daniel Mora, Maia de Zan Hatch, Sylvia Ferullo, Jeff Newman, Paulo Martinez, Intangible Productions, Leo Wiznitzer, Alexander Dunker, Margaret Medina, Krystal Sierra Longoria, Sabrina Percario, Dan Guerrero, Connie Zastoupil, Michael Gonzales, George Scribner, Janel Tanna, Alex Lopez Negrete, Pablo Buffagni, Mark Collins, Malcolm Ellis, Angie Ellis, Raul A. Hernandez, Angela Ortiz, Yeniffer Behrens and Mauricio Mendoza, Sarey Martin Concepcion, Eileen Galindo, Cynthia Gonzalez, Keith Murphy, Art Bonilla, Emma Carrasco, Jane D. Stevenson, Julio A. Cisneros, Blake Vaz, Marjorie Carr, Amanda B. Kreglow, Johanna Siegmann, Jaime Tirelli,
Ana Forte Meyer, Valente Rodriguez, Eugene Lee, Betty Avila, Elizabeth Lambert, Marabina Jaimes, Rachelle Lynch, David Skinner, Jeremy Boddy, Rick Ramirez, Elizabeth Gulick, Zachary Rendon, Lydia Nicole, Mark Morta, Wayne Combs, Dalia van den Boogaard, Teresa Carns, Michael Contreras, Stevo, Shirley Do, Mandi Holmes, David Damian Figueroa, Julia Carias, Jeff “JB Cool” Brazzle, Jesus Nebot, Michael Hovance, Juan Xavier Guerrero, Myrna Aguilar, Linda Palmer-Cardone, Carlos Gomez, Joe Castro, Caitlin Prennace, Marcela Robison, Ronnie Banerjee, Jasmin Iraheta, Ingrid Smart, Chris Rico, Imelda Padilla, Rico Paul Vallejos, Jennielle Strother, Daisy Exposito, Hector Felix, Concepcion Funcia, Jean Russ Debow, Lori Newman, Renee Wesberry, Joaquin Horna, Cynthia Drummond, Dyana Ortelli, Maria Cuevas, Farah Mourad Vera, Julie Graham, Tom Stock-Hendel, Evonne Gallardo, Roberta Martinez, Giovanni Perez, Alejandra Vega, Joana Wong, Michelle Morgan, Esther Mendoza-Brown, Joe Perez, Natalie Truhan, Elvia Rubalcava, Manny Rey, Lisa Prestoni, Davina Agudelo and anyone whose name we missed who did whatever they could to support the vision of the festival.
We appreciate you.