More than 150 free films at the Latino and Native American Film Festival (LANAFF)

From April 5 to 19, 2024, you can enjoy more than 150 films— including feature films, documentaries, short films, and animations— at the fourteenth edition of the Latino and Native American Film Festival (LANAFF) organized by Southern Connecticut State University.

LANAFF serves as a platform for contemporary filmmakers from around the world whose audiovisual productions contribute to the appreciation of the cultural, social, economic, and environmental contributions of Latin and Native American peoples, as well as to counteract negative stereotypes about this population.

This year, the festival's theme is "Who Are We? Our Intersectionality", intends to foster reflection on the past, present, and future of Latino identity, as well as its cultural diversity encompassing indigenous roots, African heritage, European, Oriental influences, and mestizaje.

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According to the Indigenous World 2021 report, the United States is home to 574 Native American nations encompassing 6 million people, while Latin America is home to over 800 indigenous groups primarily settled in Mexico (25 million people), Guatemala (6.5 million people), and Bolivia (5.6 million people), who continue to face significant challenges in fulfilling their human and collective rights.

For the past three years, the festival has internationalized through its website, reaching over 126 countries worldwide and featuring films from more than 110 countries.

This edition includes productions from 32 countries as diverse as Venezuela, Uruguay, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Uganda, Switzerland, Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Italy, El Salvador, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Canada, Brazil, and others.

The films cover a wide range of topics such as violence, as seen in the renowned Mexican documentary film "Mamá" by Xun Sero, winner of the Silver Goddess Award for Best Documentary (2023), which explores the contradictions of the mother-son relationship in a Tostsil community or "Placeada. Intimate Story of a Former Hitwoman" by director Alejandra Sánchez Orozco, which tells the story of Gabriela López, a former hitwoman for drug trafficking, imprisoned for 20 years in the Chihuahua State Prison.

Some productions explore the relationship between man and nature and the sacred, such as "Descending the Mountain: Ecology of Colombian Gaita Music" by Michael Brims and Jaime Bofill (Colombia), a documentary about the gaita and the diversity of its appropriations through the lens of one of its main contemporary exponents, Fredys Arrieta, a Latin Grammy winner, or "Slash and Burn," a short film by Mario Galván about traditional Maya agriculture and its relationship with the transformation of its protagonist, Arsenio.

Some films address activism for human rights, such as the documentary "Kenya" by photographer and audiovisual filmmaker Gisela Delgadillo, which portrays the struggle of Kenya Cuevas for the rights of sex workers and the visibility of the trans community in Mexico City.

Don't miss out on this free virtual festival, which offers us a glimpse into the diverse realities of people around the world, allowing us to learn about their struggles and interests, appreciate their contributions, recognize them, and recognize ourselves in them.