SXSW Festival to Shine a Light on Latinx Talent

"Musica", "Y2K" and "The In Between" are among the titles featuring Latinx talent to premiere at SXSW

SXSW Latinx — Photo: Unsplash/Jakob Owens

March 08, 2024 - 16:03

This year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival is set to kick off this Friday, March 8 in Austin, Texas featuring Latinx creatives in music and film. Founded in 1987, the annual festival merges film, television, music, tech and culture through competitions, showcases, screenings, and even world premieres. Just last year, the festival saw the premiere of the Eva Longoria-directed film Flamin’ Hot on the story of Richard Montañez as well as the Julio Torres (Los Espookys) surrealist film Problemista following a Salvadoran immigrant and toy designer whose time in the country depends on the artist he works under. Latin music also had its time at SXSW showcases with Latinx artists like Isabella Lovestory, VIllano Antillano, and Eslabon Armado featured last year. SXSW 2024 appears to be no different when it comes to spotlighting Latinx talent. From Brazilian culture explored in Internet personality Rudy Mancuso’s Música to the Colman Domingo-starring film Sing Sing, this year’s festival showcases Latinx creatives in front and behind the camera.

Of the films headlining this year’s festival is the world premiere of the comedy film Y2K starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes). The film, directed by Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney, follows two teenagers on the last day of 1999 as they find themselves fighting for their lives. Competing in the Narrative Feature Competition, Bob Trevino Likes It stars Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo as two strangers who meet when Lily (Ferreira) searches for her father and comes across a man with the same name. More films centering or starring Latinx talent include the documentary on Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente titled Clemente, the Brazilian drama film Toll and the Colman Domingo-led Sing Sing based on the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York City. Screening in the Narrative Short Competition is the short film Los Mosquitos, which centers the life of Honduran teen Aby and her experience in the United States.

A Latina-directed film will be competing in the Documentary Feature Competition: The In Between which follows Mexican-American filmmaker Robie Flores who returns home following her brother’s death and contemplates grief and growing up in Texas/Mexico border. Other films led and created by Latinxs include: Rudy Mancuso’s Música (World Premiere)—which follows a young man navigating love, life, and Brazilian culture—and Sangre Violenta / Sangre Violeta, a Latina-directed doc-short about gender violence, radical feminism, and the Mexican government.

On top of Latinxs in film, SXSW will also showcase Latin music with stars like Mexican corrido singer Peso Pluma, Regional Mexican singer Christian Nodal and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko.