8th Annual Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase
Poster by Camila Abbud
THE FILMS
Originally premiered Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 at 7 pm at the Plaza Theatre.
Con vista al rio
The frustration of a rebellious border teenager will lead him and his younger sister to put themselves in grave danger, right along the wall that divides Mexico with the United States.
Narrative Short Directed by Persia Campbell Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
bailarina
Alicia only recognizes herself through her reflection in the mirror and the notes playing from her music box. Meanwhile, Alzheimer's consumes the rest of her existence.
Narrative Short Directed by Verónica Palofox Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Aurora and the House of lights
Aurora is 25 years old. She plays frantically in an arcade in order to win a giant teddy bear. She can’t stop because that would bring her back to reality, to what happened the day before. If she wins the teddy bear, everything will be okay, she will heal and be safe. But denial is only the first stage.
Narrative Short Directed by Ángela Matiz, María Matiz Colombia
us in octaves
In a hyper color summer nightmare, two lovers are haunted by their last act of love: saying goodbye.
Us In Octaves is an official two part narrative music video for veteran producer Caural and told through an all Womxn & Non-Binary cast.
Music Video, Short Directed by Alex Mastoon Rockaway Beach, NY
The words In-between
The film explores the intersection of language, identity, and belonging among mixed race, indigenous and immigrant members of Gen Z, who talk about the pain of diaspora and assimilation, but also the power of language to connect them to home.
Documentary Short Directed by Katia Kalei Barricklow United States
the little death
A woman finds her sexual awakening and her near demise in one fell swoop.
Narrative Short Directed by Autumn Palen United States
As Leaves in the wind
A story of two transgender women who migrate from their home countries seeking asylum and opportunities in a new continent. Their lives go through structural changes when they meet and take part in a new support network. Made by them for them.
Documentary Short Directed by Sofia Luz Spain
STUDENT SHOWCASE
Originally premiered Saturday, Sept. 9th at 10:30 am at the Alamo Drafthouse Montecillo
The Student Showcase celebrates both youth and adult student works from our summer filmmaking programs. Students, ages 8+, share stories of identity, friendship, love, and life on the U.S.-Mexico border.
FFFS 2023 Featured Panel Discussion
SILENT BEAUTY
Directed & Produced by Jasmín Mara López
Originally screened Saturday, September 9th at 6 pm in the Philanthropy Theatre at the Plaza Theatre.
Synopsis
When director Jasmín Mara López sees a photo of her niece with her grandfather, she is flooded by painful memories of her own childhood sexual abuse at his hands—and the following 24 years of her silence. In this cinematically striking and poetic documentary, López bravely films her story as a willful act to accept difficult truths while finding beauty in the process of healing. As she defies the cultural silence that pervades her family and confronts her abusive grandfather, who is a Baptist minister, a world of generational abuse unfolds, and she quickly discovers she is not alone. Through archival family footage and intimate moments with her family, López has created a film about confronting painful truths and the beauty one can feel when they reach the other side of grief.
-Heather Haynes, Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival
Jasmín Mara López
Jasmín Mara López (Director/Producer) is a journalist, audio producer, and documentary filmmaker based in New Orleans and Los Angeles.
Born in the U.S. with familial roots in México, herchildhood was affected by issues experienced on both sides of the U.S.- México border. This instilled in her a strong passion for immigrant rights, youth empowerment, and social change.