CAS hosts 2025 Latin American Film Festival

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Office for Diversity, Equity, and Belonging are hosting the 2025 Latin American Film Festival, three nights of celebrating Latin American cinema.

The festival, which is free and open to the public, takes place Sept. 16–18 in three different venues.

Opening the festival on Sept. 16 is a screening of “The Settlers” at 7 p.m. in Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, 341 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. Directed by Felipe Gálvez, the 2023 historical drama examines the violent colonization of Indigenous lands in Chile at the turn of the 20th century. The film sets the tone for a series that explores history, memory and identity across the Latin American diaspora.

The festival continues with two special artist spotlights that highlight the festival’s commitment to showcasing contemporary voices in cinema and visual art.

On Sept. 17, Juan Carlos Zaldívar, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and professor in UB’s Department of Media Study, will present a series of short films from their Caminos Media project from 7–8:45 p.m. in the Center for the Arts. Zaldívar’s work often explores themes of migration, technology and personal identity. A conversation and Q&A will follow the screening.

The next night, Sofía Gallisá Muriente, a visual artist from San Juan, Puerto Rico, will showcase her films “Celaje” (2020) and “Foreign in a Domestic Sense” (2021) at Squeaky Wheel Film and Media Arts Center in the Tri-Main Center, 2495 Main St., #310. Her practice frequently engages with Puerto Rico’s colonial history, environmental change and the politics of memory. Her work has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution and the Whitney Museum.

Muriente will join the audience for a conversation and Q&A following the screenings.

Donte McFadden, CAS unit diversity officer, says the festival creates an important opportunity for learning and dialogue. By bringing together award-winning filmmakers, international artists and members of the Buffalo arts community, the festival emphasizes UB’s commitment to celebrating diversity and promoting cross-cultural understanding.

“Professor Amador and I hope audiences see these films as catalysts for deeper conversations about the way culture, history, activism and policymaking inform people’s lives in this moment we are currently living in,” McFadden says.

More information is available on the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures’ events calendar, or by contacting McFadden.