AFI Latin American Film Festival

The AFI Latin American Film Festival showcases the best in cinema from Latin America with the inclusion of films from Spain and Portugal.

Now in its 26th year, the AFI Latin American Film Festival showcases the best filmmaking from Latin America and, with the inclusion of films from Spain and Portugal, celebrates Ibero-American cultural connections. This year’s selection of films will once again include numerous international film festival favorites, award winners, local box office hits and debut works by promising new talents.

One of Washington’s top cultural events, the festival will run from September 17 to October 7, 2015. It’s your chance to watch outstanding movies, mingle with filmmakers and also enjoy Latin food and wine at weekly happy hours and embassy-hosted events. Early announcements– representing about half of this year’s exciting film lineup– are posted on the festival’s website.

Spain at AFI LAFF

Marshland (La isla mínima)

• On Friday, September 18 at 7:15 pm.
• On Saturday, September 19 at 9:15 pm.
• Dir. / Scr. Alberto Rodríguez; Scr. Rafael Cobos; Prod. Mercedes Cantero, Juan Carlos Caro, Mercedes Gamero, Mikel Lejarza, Rosa Pérez, José Sánchez-Montes, José Torrescusa. Spain, 2014, color, 105 minutes. Not rated. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Spain, 1980. Five years after the death of Franco, two detectives from opposite sides of the political divide are brought together over the brutal murders of two sisters. Sent to the south of Spain to investigate, Juan (Javier Gutiérrez) and Pedro (Raúl Arévalo) are met with disgust by the locals and can barely contain their disdain for each other. But if they want to solve the case before the killer strikes again, they’ll have to put their differences aside.

This thrilling neo-noir from filmmaker Alberto Rodríguez (Unit 7) won 10 Goya Awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Official Selection, 2014 San Sebastian Film Festival; 2015 Miami, Seattle Film Festivals.

Messi

• On Saturday, September 19 at 5:15 pm.
• On Sunday, September 20 at 5:30 pm.
• Dir. Álex de la Iglesia; Scr. Jorge Valdano Sáenz de Ugarte; Prod. Jaume Roures. Spain, 2014, color, 93 minutes. Not rated. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Considered one of the greatest players in soccer history, Lionel Messi gets the big-screen treatment from Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia. Using reenactments, archival footage and interviews, the film follows Messi from his early life in Argentina to his rise to international glory playing for powerhouse FC Barcelona. Artfully mixed in are personal anecdotes from family, friends and colleagues who discuss his life and career over a long meal and plenty of wine. Soccer fans will enjoy this lively film about a man who has shied away from the spotlight during his stellar career. Official Selection, 2014 Venice Film Festival, 2015 Seattle Film Festival.

Cooking up a Tribute

• On Saturday, October 3 at 4:30 pm.
• On Sunday, October 4 at 11 am.
• On Monday, October 5 at 5:15 pm.
• Dir./Scr. Andrea Gómez, Luis González; Prod. Ignacio Moliner, Manuel de Mora-Figueroa. Spain, 2015, color, 87 minutes. Not rated. In Spanish with English subtitles.

El Celler de Can Roca, recently voted the world’s best restaurant, made a surprising decision in the summer of 2014: they would close for five weeks and take their three-star Michelin restaurant on the road. Visiting Mexico, Colombia and Peru, the three Roca brothers (Joan, Josep and Jordi) absorbed the local gastronomic culture while creating 57 new dishes that would fuse their own unique style with the ingredients and traditions of Latin America. Follow these incredible chefs and their whole team over six months as they prepare for their revolutionary culinary expedition. Official Selection, 2015 Berlin, Seattle, Melbourne, San Sebastian Film Festivals.

Additional films

Gabo: The Creation of Gabriel García Márquez (Gabo, la magia de lo real)

• On Friday, October 2 at 5:15 pm.
• On Sunday, October 4 at 1 pm.
• Dir./Scr. Justin Webster; Scr./Prod. Kate Horne. Spain, 2015, color, 90 minutes. Not rated. In Spanish with English subtitles.

The incredible story of “Gabo,” or, as most of the world knows him, Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez, comes to life in this wonderful documentary. Born in a small town on the Caribbean coast of Colombia amid poverty and violence, García Márquez rose above his circumstances to author the acclaimed masterpieces “100 Years of Solitude,” “The Autumn of the Patriarch” and “Love in the Time of Cholera.” García Márquez became involved with major political struggles during the ‘70s and ‘80s, lending support by way of his fame, his influence and his writing. Filmmaker Justin Webster blends archival footage, excerpts from Gabo’s writing and personal interviews to weave the intricate tale of this extraordinary man. Official Selection, 2015 Cartagena, Lima Film Festivals.