Ixcanul
María (María Mercedes Coroy) has never strayed outside the confines of her village, formed around the base of Ixcanul, a volcano or, in the Kaqchikel language, “the internal force of the mountain which boils looking for eruption.” While betrothed in an arranged marriage to Ignacio (Justo Lorenzo), the local plantation foreman, María forges a secret romance with Pepe (Marvin Coroy), who has his own objective of making it to the United States. Ixcanul has been noted for its authentic representation of Mayan culture in Guatemala, bringing awareness to the unique struggles Indigenous folk face as a marginalized group in the country.

Preceded by

Mi Amigo Ángel
This short film follows the events that unfold during a single day in the life of a shoeshine boy named Ángel (Roger Membreño) as he searches the streets of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for his alcoholic father. Through Ángel’s eyes, the film offers an insight into key themes that concern the everyday lives of many Hondurans, such as religion, friendships, violence, marginalization, and alcoholism. A time capsule of a buzzing city that hasn’t much changed, Palestinian-Honduran director Sami Kafati demonstrates the realities many Honduran children face, caught in the crossfire as a consequence of the ongoing political turmoil within the nation.