El Camino College’s Center for the Arts to Present “El Camino Cine Fest”

El Camino College is proud to partner with Cine + Más to present the first-ever “El Camino Cine Fest,” scheduled for Sept. 20-21 for in-person screenings at Marsee Auditorium and Sept. 21-27 virtually. This celebration of Latino culture through independent filmmaking features a seven-film program of award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary, narrative, feature and short films from the United States and Mexico. Local and visiting filmmakers are slated to attend in-person screenings.

The event marks the Los Angeles debut of Cine + Más, a San Franciso-based nonprofit organization that produces vibrant year-round arts programing in connection with their annual Latino Film Festival. All programming and special events center on Latino arts, including visual, performance, and literary arts.

The festival opens with “Las Tres Sisters,” directed by filmmaker Mar Novo and starring Cristo Fernández (“Ted Lasso,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”), Marta Méndez Cross (“The Bounce Back,” “Believe in Me”), Valeria Maldonado (“For Better, For Worse,” “Coco”) and Virginia Novello (“Gone,” “In Absentia”).  In this road trip dramedy, three sisters reunite after years of estrangement to complete their grandmother’s pilgrimage through rural Mexico. When the eldest sister discovers that she has breast cancer, she cooks up a plan to bring her sisters along with her in the search for a miracle. 

This year the festival will shine a spotlight on films with ties to the Los Angeles area with two features, two documentaries, and a block of short narrative films. Films to be screened and showtimes are listed below:

Friday, September 20 @ 7:30 p.m.
“Sisters”
Mar Novo, Director
(English and Spanish with English Subtitles)
Following in the footsteps of their beloved grandmother, three Mexican American sisters take an adventure through Mexico to complete a traditional pilgrimage and repair their relationship.

Saturday, September 21 @ 2 p.m.
So-Califas Shorts Program
(English and Spanish with English Subtitles) 
“Sabor” - Jaime Castañeda, Director
A bittersweet drama about following dreams.

“The Kill Floor” - Caros Avila, Director
A drama inspired by the impact of COVID on essential workers in the meat packing industry.

“The Record” - Kristi Uribe, Director
A fairytale set in the 1930s, when his brother Pete’s mysterious illness returns, Zack must battle sleep and his brother’s demons, armed only with the magic of a phonograph.

“The Golden Cage” - Francisco Lopez/Mitchka   Saberi, Director
Santiago and Elena, mother and son, travel to the Mexico-U.S. border to reunite after decades apart.

“Joyride” - Edwin Alexis Gómez, Director
Teenage Latina sisters break their grandmother out of her assisted living facility for one last joyride.

Saturday, September 21 @ 5 p.m.
“Moe”
José Luis Valenzuela, Director
(English)
Moe, a fun-loving theater artist working on a one-woman show, finds out that his long-battle with complications from HIV doesn’t leave him much time. Naturally, his response is to invite his closest friends over for a “going away for good” party as one last big celebration of his life.

The El Camino Community College District encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the Center for the Arts as soon as possible, but no later than seven days prior to the event.

Tickets are free for El Camino students and employees. Non-ECC student tickets are $10; general admission is $24 and may be purchased at www.centerforthearts.org using the online ticketing system or by phone at 310-329-5345. The Ticket Office is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday for walk-up sales, and one hour before all scheduled performances. Campus parking permits are required; a $3 daily parking permit can be purchased on the day of the performance (cash only) or when completing a ticket purchase online, in person, or via telephone. El Camino College is located at 16007 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance.