New Directors Competition

With the enchantment and intensity of an edgy urban fairy tale, La Playa D.C. follows three brothers - Tomás, Jairo, and Chaco - as they face growing up in Bogotá, with its eight million inhabitants and endless asphalt, far from their home in the lush coastal town of Buenaventura. When Jairo disappears, Tomás takes to the streets in a bold attempt to rescue him. But first, he must find a way to rescue himself. The intricately designed close shaves that are popular in the local barber shop spark an idea, but like everything in La Playa, nothing comes easily.

VLAFF 2013 Opening Night Party - SOLD OUT!!!

($15 Film Only tickets still available.)

Friday, August 30 • 9:30pm - late
Following the screening of La Playa D.C.

Featuring live music by Brisas del Palmar, direct from Santiago de Cuba. www.elgrupocubano.com

Film and Party: $25 (includes one free drink).
Limited number of tickets available.

The ANZA Club
3 West 8th Avenue (corner of Ontario Street, two blocks west of Main)

Sergeant Nelson Almada plays lead trumpet in Uruguay’s Air Force band, but lately he has been feeling out of step with his life. At 45 years old, he realizes that the musical aspirations of his youth are in danger of never being fulfilled. A national songwriting contest presents Nelson with the opportunity he has been longing for - to showcase his abilities and achieve his dream of recording his own album. But the highly regimented Air Force allows little flexibility for personal artistic pursuits, and they have other plans for him.

Sergeant Nelson Almada plays lead trumpet in Uruguay’s Air Force band, but lately he has been feeling out of step with his life. At 45 years old, he realizes that the musical aspirations of his youth are in danger of never being fulfilled. A national songwriting contest presents Nelson with the opportunity he has been longing for - to showcase his abilities and achieve his dream of recording his own album. But the highly regimented Air Force allows little flexibility for personal artistic pursuits, and they have other plans for him.

Amanda finds her aimless life is altered when she is forced to come to the aid of her alcoholic grandmother. Dolores is a retired actress who lives alone amongst the faded photographs of her past glory. And, as each bottle of whiskey empties, her memory slips further. Until now, Amanda has not had much of a relationship with her grandmother, and she takes on her new role of caretaker reluctantly. The obsessions of a young woman and the eccentricities of an aging one meet head-on in this artfully constructed drama that poignantly questions what it means to grow old.

Amanda finds her aimless life is altered when she is forced to come to the aid of her alcoholic grandmother. Dolores is a retired actress who lives alone amongst the faded photographs of her past glory. And, as each bottle of whiskey empties, her memory slips further. Until now, Amanda has not had much of a relationship with her grandmother, and she takes on her new role of caretaker reluctantly. The obsessions of a young woman and the eccentricities of an aging one meet head-on in this artfully constructed drama that poignantly questions what it means to grow old.

In this stylized, surrealistic melodrama, a circus dwarf named Sadourni is jailed for a crime of passion. Serving a twenty-year prison sentence, he is faced with a dilemma: to escape and endure life as a fugitive, or to adjust to society's expectations through an extreme physical metamorphosis. The result is utterly captivating.

In this stylized, surrealistic melodrama, a circus dwarf named Sadourni is jailed for a crime of passion. Serving a twenty-year prison sentence, he is faced with a dilemma: to escape and endure life as a fugitive, or to adjust to society's expectations through an extreme physical metamorphosis. The result is utterly captivating.

Tito, a young boy, lives on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia, but when his shoeshine box is stolen, he is left with no means of survival. Collapsed on a bench, a vision of another reality comes to him, where a mysterious woman leads him along ancient Inca paths and teaches him the ways of the ancestors. Meanwhile, the city itself explodes in a social uprising, as the indigenous population make a stand for their rights and the police answer with tear gas and bullets. Tito’s personal struggle for peace becomes a profound reflection of the need for a greater social awakening.

Tito, a young boy, lives on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia, but when his shoeshine box is stolen, he is left with no means of survival. Collapsed on a bench, a vision of another reality comes to him, where a mysterious woman leads him along ancient Inca paths and teaches him the ways of the ancestors. Meanwhile, the city itself explodes in a social uprising, as the indigenous population make a stand for their rights and the police answer with tear gas and bullets. Tito’s personal struggle for peace becomes a profound reflection of the need for a greater social awakening.