The Sundance Film Festival, like the San Diego ComiCon at the other end of the cultural spectrum, has become many things to many people, and a powerhouse in its particular slice of the entertainment industry. So even if only a few of the 112 feature-length films that are showing at the Festival are actually in competition, the mere fact that a movie made it that far–one out of over 4,000 submissions, more than half of them from the U.S.–is a major deal.
Of that list of 112 only two can be said to be “U.S. Latino” films in any serious sense. One is Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos’ Filly Brown, a labor of love that many of us have been following on the internet for (what seems like) years, as they slowly developed the project, found the money, staggered through post-production, and finally submitted the film. The other, a first-time feature from Aurora Guerrero, an accomplished maker of short films, has gotten less attention during its birthing process, and though it’s not in the competition it’s bound to get some serious attention once the Festival gets underway on Jan. 19.
And then, of course, there’s Zoë Saldaña in the closing night feature.
It’s a heck of an event: 29 countries, 44 first-time filmmakers, 24 in four different competition categories and six out-of-competition group. But it’s been years since winning was the main reason to get into Sundance. The real goal is to be seen (and for many to get that all-important distribution deal), and this year–as always–there’s plenty to see.
Just not a heck of a lot of it is American Latinos.
The two big winners are clearly Filly Brown in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and Mosquita y Mari in the (non-competing) NEXT group.
Of the 16 in the Dramatic Competition, Filly was the only one with Latino themes, leads, and culture. Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos (yes, Edward James’ son) co-directed from Delara’s script in this drama about a Mexican girl who rises to fame in the world of hip-hop music. Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos, Joseph Julian Soria, and ‘honorary Latino’ Lou Diamond Phillips are part of this cast.
A few other Latino actors appear in what seem to be non-Latino roles in other competing films, including Victoria Justice in Jonathan Kasdan’s rom com The First Time, and Park and Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza is in the time-travel comedy Safety Not Guaranteed. Other than that, there’s not a Latino to be seen in the 6 U.S. Documentaries, or the 14 World Documentary competitions. On the other hand, Latin countries do pretty well in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, with 5 of the 14 coming from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Spain.
The non-competing categories are equally spotty when it comes to U.S. Latinos. The 9 “Spotlight” films have no Latino films or actors, nor does the “Park City at Midnight” group that “defy any genre,” even though 5 of the 7 are U.S. films. The 5 projects in the “New Frontier,” which includes multimedia installations and other experiments, is equally devoid of Latino involvement. Only the “NEXT” series shows some activity, most notably the world premiere of Aurora Guerrero’s Mosquita y Mari, a story of friendship between two 15-year-old Latinas that grows more complex as they grow older. Newcomers Fenessa Pineda, Venecia Troncoso, Joaquín Garrido, Laura Patalano, and Dulce Maria Solis are the key members of that cast.
Latino actors in other NEXT projects include Raúl Castillo in Erin Greenwell’s My Best Day, and Sandra Escalante in Laurence Thrush’s drama, Pursuit of Loneliness.
And finally, there’s the “Premieres” group sponsored by Entertainment Weekly–a set of 18 world premieres–includes: one Spanish director in Rodrigo Cortés, with a psychological thriller starring Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro; A Martinez in Marshal Levy’s drama California Solo; and the big news–Zoë Saldaña as one of the stars (along with Dennis Quaid, Jeremy Irons, and Bradley Cooper) in The Words, a “layered and haunting tale” that is occupying the coveted Close Night Film spot.
All in all…thin when it comes to American Latino recognition. Great news for two movies, a chance to be seen (and sold) for a handful of other actors and directors, but still…two solid hits out of 112 movies? We could have hoped to be ‘seen’ much more.
