Latin American Films at NewFest

NewFest, presented by HBO, New York's LGBTQ Film Festival begins today, October 23 and runs through October 28, 2019. The festival features over 150 films, panels and parties, and attracts over 13,000 attendees from around the globe every October. The annual celebration of the year's best LGBTQ film and media has grown to become a vital part of New York City's cultural landscape, and one of the world's premier gatherings of LGBTQ filmmakers and artists.

For this 31st edition, the festival is including a very diverse Latin American lineup among its titles. 

ONE TAXI RIDE
Directed by Mak CK, Mexico and Singapore, 2019, 84 mins
East Coast Premiere 

When Erick was 17 years old, his life changed forever. Ten years after a traumatic taxi ride, he's ready to reclaim his future and set out on a journey that will shift not only his path, but that of those closest to him. A thoughtful and delicate look at how sexual violence impacts survivors and their relationships and futures, Mak CK's documentary doesn't turn Erick's trauma into a source of spectacle, but, rather, a means of healing and honest introspection.

ONE TAXI RIDE is a hopeful and commendable piece of documentary filmmaking, modeling ethical storytelling and the ways in which art and activism can and should cathartically collide.

Cinepolis 
260 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

Thursday, October 24, 4:00pm
Saturday, October 26, 6:45pm

POSTCARDS FROM BRAZIL
Total Runtime: 99mins. 

With the election of Jair Bolsonaro in 2018, the world's eyes suddenly turned to Brazil. But the country's history with oppression of LGBTQ+, Afro-Brazilian, and low-income communities has been a complicated one for quite some time. POSTCARDS FROM BRAZIL provides an essential and intersectional platform for the strong voices of marginalized populations, and celebrates the queer and trans lovers, fighters, and everyday Brazilians working toward lives free from discrimination.

The Orphan
Dir. Carolina Markowicz, Brazil, 2018, 15'.

Jonathas has been adopted but then returned due to his 'different' way. Inspired by true events.

Selma After the Rain
Dir. Loli Menezes, Brazil, 2019, 11:38'.

Selma is a trans woman who built her life far away from family. One day she gets a call to go to her elderly mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's and needs treatment.

Infinite While It Lasts
Dir. Akira Kamiki, Brazil, 2019, 18:38'.

After falling in love at a party, Danny and Seiji just want to be together. However, their differences might prove stronger than their feelings.

Before It's Too Late
Dir. Leandro Goddinho, Brazil, 2019, 15'.

Brazil, the first week of 2019. A new president takes office in a scenario of fanaticism, prejudice, and violence. Locked in a hotel room, two teenagers decide to change the course of their lives.

From the Other Side
Dir. Bob Yang & Frederico Evaristo, Brazil & Taiwan, 2018, 14'.

On the eve of an important ruling, a Taiwan Supreme Court Judge receives an unexpected letter from her son who has been living in Brazil.

Marielle and Monica
Dir. Fabio Erdos, Brazil & UK, 2018, 24:55'.

Marielle Franco, a Brazilian LGBT and human rights activist turned politician, was killed in March 2018. Her widow, Monica Benicio, is continuing her fight for better treatment of the poor, the LGBT community, and black Brazilians.
 

YOUR TURN
Dir. Eliza Capai, Brazil, 2019, 93 mins
NY Premiere
 

Lucas "Koka" Penteado, Marcela Jesus, and Nayara Souza were three ordinary high school students whose lives suddenly changed when the state of São Paulo announced plans to close 94 public schools. In response to corruption and inefficiency in their government, the teens started to organize. Beginning with protests in which local students occupied their schools for weeks on end, the student labor movement reached extraordinary heights in 2015 and 2016, bringing awareness to numerous injustices in Brazil and remedying widespread problems for the country's poorest residents. That was, until 2018, when Jair Bolsonaro was elected with 55% of the popular vote. As the tides shift against activists and social justice movements, Koka, Marcela, and Nayara are faced with a jarring reality. Charting the country's recent history through casual voiceover narration, gorgeous archival footage, and intimate interviews, YOUR TURN is a passionate championing of young activists and the future of progressive advocacy, in Brazil and beyond.

Screening Room at The Center 
208 West 13th Street
New York, 10011 

Monday, October 28, 5:15pm

BRIEF STORY FROM THE GREEN PLANET
HalloKween
 

Dir. Santiago Loza, Argentina, Germany, Brazil, and Spain, 2019, 75 mins
New York Premiere

In the eerie early moments of this mesmerizing Teddy Award winner, Tania—a transgender club performer—finds out that her grandmother has died. When she brings the depressed Daniela and the dancey Pedro to visit her late relative's home, they discover that Tania's grandmother spent her last years with a very special pal of her own: a small blue alien. Now the three friends must journey through rural Argentina to bring the alien back home before time runs out for the creature. Told through a genre-focused lens with a dry, Almodóvarian sense of humor, this bold tale of friendship fully satisfies the itch for a queer version of E.T. or THE GOONIES, while giving life to themes of self-discovery, embracing who you are, and the true meaning of home.

Cinepolis 
260 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011

Monday, October 28, 7:00pm