A search for a missing sister, a flamenco dancer’s decline and a cockatiel’s escape plan were among the stories shared as New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosted its annual InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema program.
The September event showcased significant and thought-provoking independent films by emerging filmmakers from and working in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela, Canada and the United States.
It kicked off with an opening reception where all-access pass holders enjoyed complimentary food from Pink’s Hot Dogs and specialty cocktails featuring handcrafted tequila and mezcal made in Oaxaca, Mexico, by The Lost Explorer.
The first film program of the day, InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema I, presented coming-of-age narrative shorts. The films covered familial relationships, embracing one’s identity, and transcending time, space, and borders. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, opening remarks were delivered by Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation.
The program continued with InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema II, a collection of stories about contending with injustice, inequality, systemic failures and colonialism. It explored battles for justice, finding strength, deconstructing limiting beliefs and seeking a better future.
The night concluded with InFocus: Latin & Hispanic Cinema III, a program about the importance of connections. It featured stories of loss, love, and letting go.
NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is made possible in part by grant support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Here is more information about the NFMLA fillmmakers and their films, provided by NFMLA.
“Punta Salinas” directed by Maria del Mar Rosario
About Maria: María del Mar Rosario was born and lives in Puerto Rico. Her stories trigger a reflection on notions of the Caribbean under a decolonial lens, while stylistically exploring the perspective of the body. Her work has screened at Tribeca, SFFILM, HotDocs, IDFA, Metrograph NYC, and the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. With a BA in Creative Nonfiction and Film Studies from Columbia University, she later completed her postgraduate studies at the School of Film and Television in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba (EICTV). Awarded with the LALIFF/NETFLIX Inclusion Fellowship to direct the narrative short, Punta Salinas; and the Firelight Media Fellowship 2024 for the documentary short Escambrón, Playa, currently streaming at PBS.
About “Punta Salinas”: After having sex for the first time, Alba, a 16 year old, searches for a strength she had never exercised 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, where she wrote and directed The Vote, winner of 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 selected for the 2024 FICMonterrey Pro-Meetings Program. The short was nominated for Best LatinX Film at HollyShorts and won Best in Festival at the 2025 Sundial Film Festival. Sylvia’s work explores grief, identity, and resilience in BIPOC communities.
About “Punta Salinas”: Siblings Jessica and Robbie face the heart-wrenching choice to keep their mother on life support or let her go, sparking 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. In 2025, he was an editor on “Fillos Do Vento: A RAPA,” an immersive short documentary. The project was an official nomination for the Cannes Film Festival’s Immersive Experience Competition and premiered at Cannes in May 2025. In 2023, Nazario-Colon directed the award-winning short documentary, The Boricua’s Dilemma, exploring Puerto Rico’s political status debate. The short garnered over 14K views on YouTube during its one-week limited release. The film was presented at San Diego Latino Film Festival, NYLFF, Miami Int. Film Festival, and the Albany Film Festival.
About “Ialu”: A recluse with uncontrollable supernatural abilities meets a girl.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Sebastian Nazario-Colon, director of “Ialu”:
“Mean Goals” directed by Ahuatl Amaro
About Ahuatl: Ahuatl is an award-winning queer, Latinx-Indigenous director from Los Angeles. His film “Warehouse” received the festival favorite award at Cinema Diverse in Palm Springs and “Physical Therapy” was awarded the community filmmaker award at LA Shorts Fest. As a public relations practitioner, he’s published editorials in the LA Times, Dallas Morning News, and Miami Herald and has been interviewed on several social issues by CNN, PBS, NPR and more. He’s a 2024 Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today fellow and 2021 MACEF filmmaker scholarship awardee. He earned an MFA in Screenwriting from the AFI Conservatory and BA in English from Georgetown University.
About “Mean Goals”: An adorkable gay Latino joins an LGBTQ soccer team to bond with his father struggling with Alzheimer’s over their shared passion for the sport.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Ahuatl Amaro, director of “Mean Goals”:
“Piñata Prayers” directed by Daniel Larios
About Daniel: Daniel is a Salvadoran-American producer, director, writer, and cultural worker based in Los Angeles. His short films have been selected at festivals including True/False, Blackstar, Atlanta, ICARO, Bentonville, and Paraguay International. He won the 2022 Blackstar Doc Shorts Pitch, was a 2022 Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today Fellow, and was a 2023 Sundance Institute Latine Collab Scholarship recipient. Daniel is writing his first fiction feature, APOCALIPSIS, and filmed a proof-of-concept short in February 2025, which will be in festivals in 2026. He is also researching several ideas for his first nonfiction feature.
About “Piñata Prayers”: Breaking down the colonial tradition of piñatas, this personal film probes into a loss of faith while retracing a family history.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Daniel Larios, director of “Piñata Prayers”:
“Lights in the Night Sky” directed by Octavio Daniel Carreño
About Octavio: Mexican screenwriter and filmmaker. Bachelor’s degree in film, UdeG. Beneficiary of the Young Creators Program of FONCA 2021. Particularly interested in addressing issues such as violence and the intricate construction of masculinity in Mexico. has worked as a screenwriter on HBO MAX and Amazon Music projects. The short film “Lights in the night sky” is his directorial debut.
About “Lights in the Night Sky”: Manu searches for his sister in the city and discovers why the two became estranged.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Octavio Daniel Carreño, director of “Lights in the Night Sky”:
“Beyond” directed Bettina Lopez
About Bettina: Bettina is a Venezuelan screenwriter and filmmaker. Having spent her childhood moving across borders, first to Mexico then to the U.S., Bettina has always been fascinated by reality as a subjective construct. Her work often centers overlooked or forgotten characters who challenge the limits the world imposes on them. After graduating from USC, Bettina got her start working with director Michael Gracey on the musical hit “The Greatest Showman” (2017). She went on to co-write Netflix’s animated film “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie” (2023), and showrun Audible’s Ambie Award-winning fiction podcast “PREVIA: A Tech Heist” (2023), which she also directed. Bettina’s screen directorial debut, “Más Allá” (“Beyond”), was awarded Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short Film at LALIFF 2025, making it Academy Award eligible.
About “Beyond”: A young girl, who’s given up her childhood to survive crossing the treacherous Darien Gap, discovers a portal to a magical world where she learns to be a kid again.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Bettina Lopez, director of “Beyond”:
“Lucia & Nicole” directed by Marlene Emilia Rios
About Marlene: Marlene Emilia Rios is a filmmaker and writer based in Los Angeles. Her work explores tenderness, identity, and longing through intimate, restrained storytelling. She holds an MA from the London Film School and a BFA from the University of New Mexico. Her previous short We Choose to Go screened at over 15 international festivals, was distributed by DUST, and received the UFVF/Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Grant. Her latest short Lucia & Nicole, shot on 16mm, was recently awarded Best Short at WildSound and selected for Reeling Chicago, Mindfield Albuquerque, and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.
About “Lucia & Nicole”: When Lucia discovers her childhood friend Nicole living on the streets, an invitation into the family home rekindles long-buried feelings — and quietly shifts the foundation of their world.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Marlene Emilia Rios, director of “Lucia & Nicole”:
“Sueño” directed by Raul Martin Romero
About Raul: Raul Martin Romero is a writer and playwright of grit, pain, laughter, and fabulousness. His stories are rooted in an obscure childhood north of Madrid where he wandered the ancient hallways of a 15th-century castle while his mother mopped the floors for the next day’s tour groups. He worked on Vida (STARZ), Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick’s Colin in Black & White (Netflix), Generation (Max), and GREASE: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+), where he also wrote two episodes. He’s also written on XO, Kitty (Netflix) and two seasons of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC/AMC+). Raul is an OUTFEST Screenwriting Lab fellow and a semi-finalist at the Ojai Playwrights Conference 2025.
About “Sueño”: A man embarks on a journey to meet his mother, a legendary flamenco dancer whose fatal sleep disorder is deteriorating her mind and body to death.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Raul Martin Romero, director of “Sueño”:
“The Almost Adults” directed by Rafaella Buzzi
About Rafaella: Rafaella Buzzi is a Brazilian screenwriter and director. The witty and sensitive The Almost Adults is her debut fiction film. Rafaella directs mostly commercials and music videos and it’s represented by the production company Asteroide in São Paulo. Under the supervision of Mark Rosenthal (Mona Lisa’s Smile) she wrote her first feature film Large Land Crisis, yet to be produced. In her early career years, she worked as an assistant to the director Marcos Prado (executive producer of Elite Squad, the Brazilian film with the largest audience in the history of national cinema).
About “The Almost Adults”: When nine-year-old Sofia is mysteriously replaced by her adult self, her sister Charlotte helps her survive the adult world — where strange laws like “leave it alone,” “do not look each other in the eyes,” and “do not speak your mind” exist.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Rafaella Buzza, director of “The Almost Adults”:
“The Interpreter” directed by Sofia Rovaletti
About Sofia: Sofia Rovaletti is an Argentine filmmaker and executive who, after diverse roles in film production, documentaries, advertising, live events, and theater, found her niche in development. She studied filmmaking at the Eliseo Subiela Film School and the National University of the Arts in Argentina. Sofia participated in the production of notable films like “Operation Finale,” directed by Chris Weitz, and the Argentine masterpiece “Zama,” directed by Lucrecia Martel. In Argentina, she worked with production companies Rei Cine, Landia, Brava Cine, and Marlon, and was part of the production team for the Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Buenos Aires 2018. Since her move to Los Angeles in 2019, Sofia has worked with sales agency Shoreline Entertainment and currently serves as the Director of Development at MoJo Global Arts, developing films, TV series, and docuseries with renowned talents. In 2024, she produced the feature film “Tender” starring Jesse Garcia (Flammin’ Hot), David Koechner (Anchorman), Shakira Barrera (Glow), and Jess Weixler (Teeth). In 2025, she produced the short film “I F*cking Hate You”, directed by Gabriela Paciel and part of the fellowship by The Latino Film Institute and Netflix.
About “The Interpreter”: Dedicated interpreter Maria helps bridge the language gap between doctors and non-English-speaking patients. As Maria attentively translates various conversations, she will face a particular call with a woman who went through a devastating situation that will feel familiar to her.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Sofia Rovaletti, director of “The Interpreter”:
“Reprogrammed” directed by Christopher Guerrero
About Christopher: Christopher Guerrero is a Latinx writer/director from California’s Central Valley whose work fuses horror, comedy, and cultural commentary. A 2025 Stowe Story Labs Fellow and winner of the Ghetto Film School x Frieze LA Film Award, Christopher’s projects have been a part of Slamdance, Austin, HollyShorts, and Santa Barbara. He’s directed campaigns for Microsoft, Disney, GEICO, and Coca-Cola, and collaborated with talent including The Rock, Wayne Brady, and Jack Black. A directing professor at USC, Christopher tells bold, genre-driven stories that entertain, provoke, and spotlight underrepresented voices.
About “Reprogrammed”: In retro-future L.A., a lonely roboticist creates IRIS — an AI built to simulate connection.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Christopher Guerrero, director of “Reprogrammed”:
“Hour of Blood” directed by Marcella Ochoa
About Marcella: Marcella is an award-winning writer/director who was picked as a rising Latina director by the Alliance of Women Directors. She recently wrote and directed the horror short, “Hour of Blood,” for which she received a Humanitas Prize nomination for Best Short Film. She wrote and directed the short thriller, “Worry Dolls,” and received a Best Short Film IMAGEN Award Nomination. She also wrote and directed the award-winning short on the Americanization of Mexicans, “My Name Is Maria de Jesus,” which premiered on HBO. She co-wrote a social justice thriller, “Madres,” for Blumhouse. It premiered on Amazon and received an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Writing in a TV movie. She has written feature films for various studios including a horror for Paramount and thrillers for New Line. She’s currently writing a horror film for Universal being produced by Atomic Monster.
About “Hour of Blood”: In 1915 Texas, ranchers mysteriously start going missing. A young girl must defend her family ranch against the dark threat.
Watch the NFMLA with Marcella Ochoa, director of “Hour of Blood”:
“Mija” directed by Yashira Ponce
About Yashira: Yashira Ponce is a Honduran-American writer/director. Her short films commonly explore a variety of social issues and feature a female Latinx protagonist. Her core themes are feminism, mental health, immigration, family, and bodily autonomy. Her short film, “The Stitch”, premiered at the Academy-Award-qualifying L.A Shorts International Film Festival in July 2023 and has been featured in several film festivals. Her most recent short, “Mija” premiered at the San Diego Latino Film Festival in May 2025. She currently works as a filmmaking mentor for Latino Film Institute.
About “Mija”: When tragedy strikes a family in Honduras, a desperate mother grapples with how to protect her daughter from further harm.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Yashira Ponce the director of “Mija”:
“First Check” directed by Christian Mejía
About Christian: Christian Mejía is a Los Angeles-based writer and director raised by Mexican immigrant parents in Chicago. His stories feature working class characters searching for meaning and fulfillment in the mundanity of life. He is an alumnus of the 2023 Writers’ Guild Foundation’s Writers Access Training Program, the winner of the 2023 Community Builders Grant for his latest short film, “First Check,” as well as multiple artist grants from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Puffin Foundation. His work has screened at the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, and the Chicano Hollywood Film Festival.
About “First Check”: A coming-of-age short film that follows Chava, a hopelessly plain 16-year-old, who chooses to get his first job instead of visiting his grandmother in Mexico, a yearly tradition he shares with his sister Michelle.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Christian Mejía, director of “First Check”:
“Bye Bye Barbarito” directed by Michelle Salcedo
About Michelle: A 2024 and 2025 Sundance Directing fellow, Michelle has over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry. Her films blend a commitment to authentic representation with a visually stunning cinematic style. Michelle recently directed the multimillion-dollar action feature, “Switch & Bait,” shot on location in Serbia, starring Otmara Marrero and Katie Clarkson Hill. Born in Miami, of Cuban and Ecuadorian descent, she graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in film studies. Michelle Salcedo‘s directorial debut, “Piel Canela,” won eight festival jury prizes at Academy qualifying film festivals. She most recently directed, “Bye Bye Barbarito” for NALIP’s WOC incubator sponsored by Netflix. She’s currently a Rideback RISE fellow working on a third feature film as a writer/director.
About “Bye Bye Barbarito”: After losing her husband, a golden-aged beauty counts on her one true love, her pet cockatiel, to celebrate her newly found freedom. But her beloved bird has escape plans of his own.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Michelle Salcedo, director of “Bye Bye Barbarito”:
Main image: “Bye Bye Barbarito,” courtesy of NFMLA.