FROM stories of human resilience, to political turmoil and redemption, the program for this month's 11th Sydney Latin American Film Festival focuses on diversity and representation.
Half the featured directors are female, and the festival comprises films from Central and South America, with special Caribbean spotlight, said festival programmer Lidia Luna.
"The program highlights the wonderful kaleidoscope that is the Latin world, bringing films from Cuba, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic to Sydney," she said.
The festival opens with the Australian premiere of On the Roof, an inspirational film that follows three young dreamers who
share their aspirations together on the rooftops of Havana every day.
Another to watch is Adriana's Pact, Lissette Orozco's extremely personal documentary on her aunt Adriana Rivas and her involvement with the terrifying secret police of the Pinochet military dictatorship in Chile.
Also screening are the hard-hitting Bad Influence, which tackles the issues and struggles of the Chilean Mapuche people; Everything Else, a thought-provoking examination of solitude and living with loss; Elis, a captivating biopic of the life of Brazilian singer Elis Regina; Samba, a gritty Dominican sports drama about street fighting and redemption; and Koblic, the story of a pilot who must make an agonising decision whether to be a party to execution.The festival wraps up with Bad Lucky Goat, a comedy about two incompatible siblings who accidentally kill a bearded goat.
Everything Else, Bad Influence, El Amparo and Samba will compete for the Jury Award for Best Feature Film cash prize.
- The festival will take place at Dendy Opera Quays cinemas from September 7-11 and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre on September 24. Tickets range from $17-$51. To book, go to www.sydneylatinofilmFestival.org
