Film Countries Archives: Mexico

< Back to main Festival page

A woman looks down with her right hand over her chest and the left raised while bright green circles float in front of her.

She Stays [short film] Ella se queda

  Marinthia Gutiérrez

  Mexico     10 minutes

Synopsis

As Laura spends a night out in downtown Tijuana, she anxiously awaits the arrival of her destiny. The vibrant city buzzes around her, but her thoughts are consumed by what lies ahead.

This film screens as part of the After Dark Shorts: Disturbing Diversions program.

 Spanish with subtitles

Film Credits

  •   Melissa Castañeda
  •   Marinthia Gutiérrez​
  •   Marinthia Gutiérrez​
  •   Mayela Ponce
  •   Marianna Escobedo, Sofia Jofré, Násmar Guzmán, Leo Aldair, Brenda Bellozo
  •   Amor Amezcua, Rob Coudert
  •   Omar Lopex, Juan Marcos Gutiérrez
  •   Violeta Cine, Standard Fantastic, Peonia Films

< Back to main Festival page

After Dark Shorts: Disturbing Diversions

  Various

  France, Hong Kong, Mexico, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States     99 minutes

Synopsis

This collection of uncanny and unhinged stories from around the world represent the growing global appetite for genre films. Full of inventive stories with stunning practical effects, this program will delight late night moviegoers of all stripes. Featuring works by Jake Myers, Marcus Anthony Thomas, Juefang Zhang, Tzuhsuan Peng, Suki-Rose, Cricket Arrison, Rodrigue Huart, Marinthia Gutiérrez, and Blake Simon.

A musician stuck in an office job tries the free kombucha that boosts his coworkers’ productivity, only to discover its sinister side effects in Kombucha! (United States). In Space Plug (United Kingdom), a baby is born into a mysterious white room in outer space. There, they grow up nourished by an extraterrestrial creature, but plagued by a desperate desire to break free. Where The Mountain Women Sing (Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States) blends documentary and found-footage narrative as two filmmakers attempt to capture a bloody shamanic ritual in Northeastern China. In Addiction (Taiwan), a policeman obsessively surveils a girl who owns a small store along a desolate road, unaware that he’s not the only hunter lurking in the area. In Chomp (United States), the relentless pace and high-stakes pressure of a bustling news studio creates the ideal environment for a new kind of monster to emerge. In Transylvanie (France), a newly transitioned vampire tries to transform a neighborhood boy into her eternal companion. But she’s underestimated the lengths it will take to prove her bloodthirsty identity. In She Stays (Ella se queda) (Mexico), Laura navigates a night out in downtown Tijuana, eagerly anticipating the moment her destiny will unfold. And Faces (United States) is a mind-bending portrayal of a shape-shifter’s use of appearances to lure in victims, showing that, at the center, they are only social disguises.

 Chinese, English, French, Mandarin Chinese, No Dialogue, Spanish 

Content Advisory

Screenings & Events

Sponsors

With Support From

logo: French Embassy in the United States 156x125Logo: Villa Albertine 203x60

< Back to main Festival page

An orange clay church stands between two trees on a cloudy day while a person stands inside with his arms crossed.

Resonancia [short film]

  James Choi

  Mexico     8 minutes

Synopsis

In the face of groupthink, an old man walks his own path. Described by the filmmaker as a metaphor for the creative process, this film asks its audience to look and listen with intention.

This film screens as part of the City & State Shorts: Now and Then program.

 

  

 Spanish 

Film Credits

  •   Estephania Bonnett
  •   James Choi
  •   Carlos Chan Morales, Teresa Morales, Jose Contreras, Isabella Morales
  •   Playlab Films, Beachwood Pictures

< Back to main Festival page

City & State Shorts: Now and Then

  Various

  Mexico, United States     95 minutes

Synopsis

A program of shorts by Illinois filmmakers addressing how past experiences shape the present moment, showcasing the talent and vision of regional filmmakers. Including documentary, observational, and narrative works by James Choi, Adam Oppenheim, Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian, Annette Elliot, Fernando Saldivia Yáñez, Donald Conley, Sophiyaa Nayar, Erika Valenciana, Mitchell Wenkus, and Kimberly Spohn.

Using the natural sights and sounds of Tekal, Yucatan, Resonancia (Mexico) is an expressive piece that captures the feel of a small town and its relationship to religion. In Saving Superman (United States), 57-year-old Jonathan experiences the joys and challenges of living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, supported by his mother, friends, and Glen Ellyn community. The Museum (United States) is an atmospheric reflection on the prestige — and bias — of artistry, and one man’s journey of accepting an invitation to display his sculptures after decades of rejection. Against the backdrop of cloudy skies, Winter Portrait (United States) focuses on a Mapuche couple watching their historic wedding video. Ex-lovers Lamar and Sidney reconnect after several years apart in About Time (United States). Chhaya (United States) observes Jiya, whose painful memories return to the surface as she attempts to sit through an annual pelvic exam. Broken Flight (United States) follows the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, a volunteer group that rescues and records birds after they collide with skyscrapers. Facing a daunting day at work, a young woman tries a novel method to boost her confidence in Day with a Dick (United States).

 English, Mapudungun, Spanish 

Content Advisory

Screenings & Events

Virtual Screening

Virtual programs will be available to stream from October 21-27 in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois. Learn more about streaming…

Accessibility options for this screening:
  • Closed Captions
Learn more about accessibility options...

< Back to main Festival page

Close up on a young man’s face in profile as he stares intensely. A bright light illuminates the side of his face.

Passarinho [short film]

  Natalia García Agraz

  Mexico     12 minutes

Synopsis

Two teenage best friends devise an expert plan to meet their dreamy idol, a superstar Brazilian soccer player. But things change when one of them gets their first period at the game in this deeply relatable and utterly charming coming-of-age story.

This film screens as part of the Comedic Shorts: Doing the Most program.

 Spanish with subtitles

Film Credits

  •   Daniela Mosca
  •   Natalia García Agraz, Gerardo Lechuga
  •   Natalia García Agraz
  •   José Grimaldo
  •   Camila Robertson, Isabella Patrón, Naomy Romo, Anthony Mawena Kokou
  •   Tomás García Agraz , Sebastián Anton Ojeda
  •   Daniela Mosca, Natalia García Agraz
  •   Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica, A.C.
  •   https://elccc.com.mx/sitio/index.php/produccion-filmica/207-2020-2029-producciones/2024/2560-passarinho