At the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, held from January 23 to February 2, 2025 audiences had the chance to experience an incredible lineup of Latino projects. Latino films at Sundance 2025 are selected and can cover a range of themes, often reflecting on our diverse cultural, social, and political realities of Latin America life and history as well as the Latino communities in the U.S. we live in.
This year’s festival brought on Latino storytelling talent in the form of writers and production teams like we have never seen before from an Argentinean prison drama to the life of a beloved Tejana star and her band in Tejas (Texas).
Here are some standout selections (short and long form) that made a significant impact at Sundance and are must-sees for BoldLatina -
Here are some standout selections (short and long form) that made a significant impact at Sundance and are must-sees for BoldLatina -
Long Form Films/Movies -
Kiss of the Spider Woman Directed by Bill Condon, this film is an adaptation of the 1992 Tony-winning stage musical, which itself is based on the novel by Argentine author Manuel Puig. The story centers on Molina, a gay window dresser imprisoned in 1983 Argentina, who escapes his harsh reality through fantastical musicals. Jennifer Lopez stars as Aurora, the glamorous Spider Woman, a role originally played by Chita Rivera and Diego Rivera plays Valentin Arregui, an activist. The film blends drama at an Argentinian prison with vibrant song-and-dance sequences, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and highlighting contemporary social issues.
La Virgen de la Tosquera (The Virgin of the Quarry Lake) Directed by Laura Casabé and based on stories by Mariana Enríquez, this Argentine-Mexican-Spanish co-production is set in 2001 against the backdrop of Argentina's economic crisis. The plot follows three teenagers, Natalia, Mariela, and Josefina who become infatuated with the same boy, Diego. When Diego starts a relationship with the older Silvia, Natalia, with the help of her grandmother, casts a spell against the couple. The film integrates intimate and political themes, using horror elements to address social issues in a visceral and symbolic manner.
Selena y Los Dinos Directed by Isabel Castro, and winner of the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Archival Storytelling, this documentary provides an intimate glimpse into the life of beloved Tejana singer Selena Quintanilla, beyond her stage persona. Amidst increasing arrests and detentions of Latinx individuals by ICE today, Castro aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Mexican American culture through this film. The documentary celebrates Selena Quintanilla’s cultural impact and points out that the Mexican American identity should be celebrated rather than vilified.
- Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, Dile Que No Soy Malo) Written and directed by Dominican American filmmaker Joel Alfonso Vargas, this film tells the story of a young entrepreneurial man who sells homemade cocktails from his cooler in the Bronx. After his girlfriend moves in with him and his family, complications arise adding layers of issues to his personal and professional life.
- Llueve sobre Babel (Rains Over Babel) Written and directed by Colombian filmmaker Gala del Sol, this fantasy-drama-comedy (what a combo!) follows a group of misfits who hang out at the local dive bar Babel, which also serves as purgatory. Patrons attempt to outsmart the Grim Reaper, aka La Flaca, in a setting that blends the mundane with the supernatural. A fun
Short Films/Movies -
- Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado Directed by Natalia León, this animated short was part of the Animated Short Film Program at Sundance 2025.
- Miss You Perdularia Directed by Manu Zilveti, this nonfiction short film from Cuba was showcased in the Nonfiction Short Films category.
The above selected Latino films at Sundance 2025 are unique and major contributions to contemporary cinema as we know it, offering up and representing the diverse narratives and perspectives that come from latinoamericanos and U.S. Latinos. Year-after-year, Latinos globally are adding incredible stories to the film landscape.
Let’s support with our viewership and fandom.
Which ones are on your must-watch list this year?
