5
Tickets & Full Schedule at
AFI
.com/
Silver
MATEO
Fri, Sep 19, 5:15;
Sat, Sep 20, 3:00;
Mon, Sep 22, 7:15
Threatened with
expulsion and in
danger of adopting
a life of crime,
16-year-old Mateo
must join a radical
theatre group if he
wants to turn his
life around, reporting to his mob boss uncle about the troupe's
politics and the unconventional priest who runs the program.
To his surprise, Mateo begins to enjoy the eccentric bunch
and begins to fall for star pupil Ana. Trapped between two
worlds, Mateo must choose which path he really wants, in this
heart-warming, inspirational drama that explores the true power
of the arts. Ibero-American Opera Prima Award, Screenwriting
Award, 2014 Miami Film Festival. Official Selection, 2014
Cartagena Film Festival.
DIR/SCR Maria Gamboa; SCR Adriana Arjona; PROD Maria
Fernanda Barrientos, Daniel García, Thierry Lenouvel. Colombia/France, 2014, color, 86 min. In
Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Costa Rica
ALL ABOUT THE FEATHERS [Por las plumas]
Sat, Sep 20, 5:00; Mon, Sep 22, 9:10
A down-on-his-luck
security guard buys
a fighting cock in this
delightfully deadpan
Costa Rican comedy.
Working the nightshift
on a deserted property,
Chalo always dreamed
of owning a fighting
fowl, but when his wish
comes true he’s not sure
how to turn Rocky the
rooster into a champion.
Out of luck, he turns to
his hapless coworker Jason, nurturing neighbor Candy and
his biggest fan, Erlan, in order to get by. Utilizing a cast of
non-professional actors, first-time filmmaker Neto Villalobos has
crafted a daffy, intimate tale of friendship. Official Selection,
2013 Toronto, San Sebastian Film Festivals; 2014 Miami, San
Francisco, Vancouver Film Festivals.
DIR/SCR Neto Villalobos. Costa Rica,
2013, color, 85 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Cuba
GIRAFFES
Sat, Sep 27, 10:00; Mon, Sep 29, 5:15; Wed, Oct 1, 9:45
Struggling to get by, young lovers Manuel and Lia take up
residence in an abandoned Havana apartment. But when
Tania, the rightful owner, returns unexpectedly, the three face
a turf war, one where heated arguments give way to strange
attractions. As a hurricane approaches, the trio must learn to
coexist if they want to survive. One of the few truly independent
filmmakers in Cuba, Enrique Álvarez’s sensual drama is a
striking allegory for contemporary life in Havana. Official
Selection, 2013 Rotterdam Film Festival; Spirit Award, 2013
Brooklyn Film Festival; Official Selection, 2014 Cine Las
Americas Film Festival, Havana Film Festival in New York.
DIR
Enrique Álvarez; SCR Claudia Muñiz; PROD Nicolás Ordoñez, Gina Villafañe, Ivonne Cotorruelo.
Cuba/Panama/Colombia, 2013, color, 94 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
THE FACILITATOR [El facilitador]
Sat, Oct 4, 11:00 a.m.; Sun, Oct 5, 1:00; Tue, Oct 7, 5:20
Hard-partying Elena reluctantly returns to Quito after her wealthy
father falls ill, but after a run-in with the law, the old man sends
her to the country to get her act together. There, she reunites
with childhood friend Galo, an organizer who promotes water
access rights for the indigenous community. Inspired, Elena joins
Galo’s cause, with a sense of purpose that helps her regain
control over her life. But when a family secret comes to light,
it threatens to send Elena spiraling back into self-destruction.
A powerful sociopolitical thriller from Víctor Arregui (MY TIME
WILL COME, 2008 AFI Latin American Film Festival).
DIR/SCR
Víctor Arregui; SCR Anahí Hoeneisen; PROD Isabella Parra. Ecuador/Chile, 2013, color, 83 min. In
Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
El Salvador
Mexico
LOS ÁNGELES
Fri, Sep 19, 9:15
The effects of immigration weigh heavily on a small Zapotec
village in rural Oaxaca, in this heartrending debut feature from
Damian John Harper. Like many before him, teenager Mateo
is preparing to migrate to the U.S., saving up money to pay
for the coyote and joining the local gang to make a smooth
transition to thug life in LA. But when his final task is murder,
Mateo must face hard truths about the cost of the American
Dream. Official Selection, 2014 Berlin Film Festival; Best First
Feature, 2014 Guadalajara Film Festival; LA Muse Award,
2014 Los Angeles Film Festival.
DIR/SCR Damian John Harper; PROD Jakob D.
Weydemann, Jonas Weydemann. Mexico/Germany, 2014, color, 97 min. In Zapotec and Spanish
with English subtitles. NOT RATED
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
SOUTH OF INNOCENCE
[Al Sur de la Inocencia]
Q&A with filmmaker Héctor Valdez and actor
Christian Alvarez, plus post-screening refreshments
sponsored by the Embassy of the Dominican Republic
Tue, Sep 30, 7:00
Returning to the Dominican Republic after living in the States,
stepsiblings Vera and Andres’ homecoming party is cut
short when their father is arrested for money laundering.
Running from the police, they hatch a plan to flee to the
south of the island, with their new friend Santiago in tow.
Hoping to leave their troubled past behind, they embark on
a life-changing adventure. A fresh, sexy debut from filmmaker
Héctor Valdez. Opening Night Film, 2014 Dominican
Film Festival. Official Selection, 2014 Chicago Latino Film
Festival.
DIR/SCR Héctor Valdez; SCR Cynthia F. Cota; PROD Claudette Gomez Brisson.
Dominican Republic, 2014, color, 90 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
World Premiere!
THE CROW’S NEST [Malacrianza]
Q&A with filmmaker Arturo Menendez and producer
Andre Guttfreund, plus post-screening reception sponsored
by the Embassy of El Salvador
Sat, Oct 4, 7:30
Don Cleo is a
recovering alcoholic
and makes a humble
living selling piñatas
in a small Salvadoran
town. His resolve
is put to the test
when a mysterious
extortion note shows
up at his doorstep
demanding $500
(a small fortune for
him) within 72 hours
or he’ll face certain
death. But the harder
he tries to raise the
funds, the deeper
into trouble he gets. If Don Cleo hopes to survive, he’ll have
to face his fears and stand up to his tormentors. Creating the
first Salvadoran narrative feature film in more than 40 years,
filmmaker Arturo Menendez proudly puts El Salvador on the
cinematic map.
DIR/SCR/PROD Arturo Menendez; PROD Andre Guttfreund, Alfonso
Quijada. El Salvador, 2014, color, 70 min. In Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Courtesy of Picture Tree International
Courtesy of Outsider Pictures
LOS ÁNGELES
Courtesy of Media Luna New Films
Courtesy of Shoreline Entertainment
Courtesy of Unos Cuantos Perros
Courtesy of Alpha Violet
THE FACILITATOR
Celebrating 25 years of Latin American cinema at AFI Silver!
Continue the legacy by making a $5 donation during National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) at AFI.com/Silver/LAFF
