The New York International Latino Film Festival is under way until August 2 and I am fortunate to be able to attend. So far I’ve focused on seeing the shorts programs with one exception. I am fascinated by the art of short filmmaking. Being able to tell a coherent and interesting story in a limited amount of time is very difficult.

Overall, most of the films have met the challenged while others struggled a bit. I must say that the level of talent this year is amazing. It is great to see Latino filmmakers come into their own.

This week is the New York International Latino Film Festival and I will be showcasing some of the films that will be showing.

The first film is “A Kiss of Chaos”

Brief synopsis: A KISS OF CHAOS (AKOC) is a Latino thriller wherein an emotionally conflicted artist’s life is dragged into a vortex of Chaos when both her bullet wounded thieving ex-boyfriend and HIV positive sister end up on her door steps and back in her life the same day, and the events that unfold putting her life in grave danger.

Last year, I had the pleasure of seeing the film “Shine On” at the NYILFF. It gives me great pleasure to see that the film is getting a release on September 18, 2009. The name of the film has been changed to Falling Awake.

You can find out more about the film on http://fallingawakefilm.com/ and join the Facebook page as well.

My review of the film from last year has been reposted below. Catch the film when it opens and support Latino and Independent film!

The art of short filmmaking fascinates me. Telling a story in a short amount of time, often with limited resources and producing something to be enjoyed is admirable. I am happy that there are resources out there where these films can gain an audience and don’t just fade away as part of someone’s resumer or [...]

This is a short film shown at the New York International Latino Film Festival about a Spanish man who finds out that his father is Japanese.

This is the trailer for one of the films I reviewed previously from the New York International Latino Film Festival. I don’t think the trailer does the movie justice, the movie is so much better that what the trailer sets up.

Shine On – Director: Agustin – A formula movie that breaks the mold in so many ways. First, the lead character, Jay, is a musician who goes to Manhattan to play his music in the park. When he is not playing music, he is working overnight at a gas station or hanging out with his [...]

Yesterday I saw another short film program and my review is below. Overall, I have to say that all the shorts I have seen have been enjoyable and very creative. When I say that I like some better than others, it does not mean that the other films are not worth seeing. I believe that [...]

I saw two shorts programs today but only have time to write about one. The other – Talk 2 Her will be reviewed later on. Short Films: Made You Smile La Leyenda Del Hombre Lento (The Legend of the Slow Man) – Director: Armando Del Rio – An odd man out type of story done [...]

The six short films in this program dealt with boys becoming men. The first film “El Prestidigitador (The Prestidigitator)” directed by Hugo Sanz, was about a boy who will do anything to get a good grade so as not to disappoint his mother. In the second film, “ Kid” directed by Miguel Alvarez, a boy [...]