LatinHeat.com News Service

Two Mexican films, I Carry You with Me and New Order standout at the American Film Institute Fest that is currently running virtually though Oct. 22.

I Carry You with Me, directed by Director Heidi Ewing, blends fictional characters with their real-life counterparts in this artful love story that spans decades, crosses borders and artfully weaves in poignant commentary on immigration, injustice and homophobia. With a screenplay by Heidi Ewing and Alan Page Arriaga, the film stars Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Raúl Briones, and Arcelia Ramírez. It is a Mexico-USA co-production.

Still of I Carry You with Me. Photo: Courtesy of AFI Fest

New Order (Nuevo Orden) is about the gulf between the haves and have-nots that has reached incendiary proportions in this tale of a revolutionary attempt set against the backdrop of a society wedding. It’s directed by Michel Franco, who also wrote the screenplay. Cast features Naian González Norvind, Diego Boneta, Mónica del Carmen, Fernando Cuautle, Darío Yazbek, and Eligio Meléndez.

Another that standout film with Latino stars is Wander Darkly, about a troubled relationship is further shaken by a traumatic event. New parents Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna) retrace pivotal moments of their romance from a surreal perspective and a time-bending narrative structure. The American film is directed by Tara Miele, who also penned the script. The cast also includes: Beth Grant, Aimee Carrero, Tory Kittles, and Vanessa Bayer.

This year’s AFI fest program includes 124 titles–54 features, 3 episodic, 33 shorts, 19 Meet the Press Film Festival at AFI FEST shorts, and 15 AFI Conservatory Showcase shorts. Of all the films, 53 percent are directed by women, 39 percent are directed by Black, Indigenous and other people of color, and 17 percent are directed by LBGTQ+. This program represents 35 countries and includes 7 World Premieres.

Still of Wander Darkly. Photo: Courtesy of AFI Fest

“AFI FEST is committed to supporting diverse perspectives and new voices in cinema and this year is no different,” said Sarah Harris, Director of Programming, AFI Festivals. “While we wish we were able to be together in Hollywood, this year’s festival is an opportunity to celebrate the many great films yet to be discovered by audiences across the nation.”

The Grand Jury Award winners for Live Action and Animated Short will be eligible for the 2021 Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short Academy Awards. Short Film Competition Jurors this year are film critic Carlos Aguilar, filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison and Film Festival Alliance Executive Director Lela Meadow-Conner.

AFI FEST 2020 is presented by Audi. 

For passes, tickets and more information go to: https://fest.afi.com/.