Welcome to the 16th annual Hola Mexico Film Festival! From gripping dramas to heartfelt comedies, thrilling documentaries to spine-tingling horror, this year's festival brings together an exciting lineup of films that showcase the richness and diversity of Mexican storytelling.

Schedule of Events:

September 20, 2024

7:00pm: Casi el Paraiso

Filmed in Italy and Mexico, Casi el Paraiso is a Mexican production critical of Mexican high society, the political classes that govern it, and how an Italian impostor, posing as a count, can threaten that precarious balance of power. This drama full of suspense and touches of humor offers refreshing performances, classic Italian cinematography, and a politically charged story that will show the viewer the game of power and how that power struggles to maintain total control.

Running Time: 113 min

Director: Edgar San Juan

September 21, 2024

12:30pm: Todo el Silencio

In the mornings, Miriam teaches sign language, and in the afternoons, she is part of a professional theater production while maintaining a stable and passionate relationship with her girlfriend Lola. Despite living a life closely tied to that of a deaf person, her world begins to shatter when she discovers that she is losing her hearing.

Running Time: 82 min

Director: Diego del Rio

2:30pm: El Guardian de las Monarcas

The Guardian of the Monarchs is a documentary that explores the disappearance of Homero Gomez, an activist who brought attention to endangered monarch butterflies in the forests of Michoacan, where multiple organized crime groups set up logging operatons. This documentary champions the importance of activism in the fight against powerful corruption and the beauty of preserving a nature only heroes like Homero Gomez can recognize as worth fighting for.

Running Time: 92 min

Director: Emiliano Ruprah de Fin

5:00pm: Arillo De Hombre Muerto

This Mexican drama tells the story of Dalia, a subway driver that discovers that her husband has inexplicably vanished. As Dalia's life and her job begin to crumble; the violent indifference of her environment engulfs her in a dark abyss that seems to lead nowhere.

Running Time: 108 min

Director: Alejandro Gerber Bicecci

5:00pm: Firma Aqui

Firma AquI es una increIble historia de amor entre Fran y Roque, quienes se conocen a través de un algoritmo que empareja a las parejas cada 4 años. Esta hermosa y desgarradora dramantica explora el amor y los peligros de que la tecnologIa simplifique tanto las relaciones que el concepto de "Amor para siempre" se convierta en una reliquia del pasado.

Running Time: 100 min

Director: Enrique Vazquez

7:30pm: Dante y Soledad

Dante and Soledad is the story about Ines, an independent and successful woman who discovers that her previous life is slipping away from her. Dante and Soledad, a couple of saltwater fish, will be both the mirror and witnesses of her transformation. It is through their reflection that Inés will realize what she must do to face her new life and an uncertain future.

Running Time: 92 min

Director: Alexandra De La Mora

7:45pm: Tratado de invisibilidad

Invisibility Treaty triumphs as an intimate and thoughtful collection of testimonies and experiences of women who clean public spaces in Mexico City. This documentary highlights the precariousness of women working in the cleaning industry, while exploring the concept of invisibility through documentary, fiction and still photography.

Running Time: 85 min

Director: Luciana Kaplan

9:45pm: Masacre en Teques

Mexican horror could not be any more terrifying than Massacre in Teques. During a film shoot in "Teques" , a group of film school students are hunted down by a masked killer. Over the course of this horrific cat and mouse game, the students discover the cinematographic origin of this brutal murderer while he hunts them down one by one. Massacre in Teques utilizes the right amount of horror, gore, and violent intensity in what is a remarkable entry in the slasher genre.

Running Time: 105 min

Director: Rodrigo Hernandez Cruz

10:00pm: Buen Salvaje

Good Savage is a black comedy about a North American couple in Mexico. While seeking artistic inspiration for their film, the struggling couple gets a good dose of reality as they encounter the savage forces of a Mexico no tourist guide could prepare them for. This Mexican film production entices viewers with a combination of zany acting, violent action, and enough dark humor to label it a fine addition to avant garde cinema.

Running Time: 107 min

Director: Santiago Mohar Volkow

September 22, 2024

12:30pm: Dante y Soledad

Dante and Soledad is the story about Ines, an independent and successful woman who discovers that her previous life is slipping away from her. Dante and Soledad, a couple of saltwater fish, will be both the mirror and witnesses of her transformation. It is through their reflection that Inés will realize what she must do to face her new life and an uncertain future.

Running Time: 92 min

Director: Alexandra De La Mora

2:30pm: Buen Salvaje

Good Savage is a black comedy about a North American couple in Mexico. While seeking artistic inspiration for their film, the struggling couple gets a good dose of reality as they encounter the savage forces of a Mexico no tourist guide could prepare them for. This Mexican film production entices viewers with a combination of zany acting, violent action, and enough dark humor to label it a fine addition to avant garde cinema.

Running Time: 107 min

Director: Santiago Mohar Volkow

5:00pm: Un Viaje Al Corazon

Starring Mexican actor and comedian Omar Chaparro "The Wingwalker" is the story of Julian, a father and widower whose life takes an unexpected turn when a misdemeanor lands him in jail and he is eventually deported to Mexico. Julian's nine-year-old daughter, Sofia, who has been diagnosed with a terminal heart disease and is scheduled for a heart transplant in two weeks, is left in the care of her irresponsible uncle, Nick. Knowing the possibility of never seeing his daughter alive again is real, Julian fights to go back by any means necessary. In the process, he comes face to face with the harsh realities faced by many migrants who make their way to the U.S. border. "The Wingwalker" is a moving, suspenseful, sometimes terrifying exploration of one of the most urgent issues facing this country today.

Running Time: 117 min

Director: Alonso Alvarez-Barreda

5pm: A Cielo Abierto / Upon Open Sky

Written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros). Upon Open Sky is an intense revenge drama about two teen brothers and their stepsister taking a road trip to the Mexico U.S. border to track down the man responsible for the accident that caused their father's death. This is a cautionary tale about revenge and how far we'll go to see it through.

Running Time: 117 min

Director: Santiago Arriaga
Co-Director: Mariana Arriaga

7:30pm: M20 Matamoros Ejido 20

"M20 Matamoros ejido 20' is Leonor Maldonado's debut film. This documentary captures incredible choreography, dancing from the Matachines, and a remarkable street dance performed by a group of young people from Matamoros, Tamaulipas. This documentary also collects the testimonies of a youth that moves between fear, rage, euphoria, and the secrecy of experiencing the violent life of the border.

Running Time: 87 min

Director: Leonor Maldonado

7:45pm: Todo el Silencio

In the mornings, Miriam teaches sign language, and in the afternoons, she is part of a professional theater production while maintaining a stable and passionate relationship with her girlfriend Lola. Despite living a life closely tied to that of a deaf person, her world begins to shatter when she discovers that she is losing her hearing.

Running Time: 82 min

Director: Diego del Rio

9:30pm: Arillo De Hombre Muerto

This Mexican drama tells the story of Dalia, a subway driver that discovers that her husband has inexplicably vanished. As Dalia's life and her job begin to crumble; the violent indifference of her environment engulfs her in a dark abyss that seems to lead nowhere.

Running Time: 108 min

Director: Alejandro Gerber Bicecci

September 23, 2024

5:00pm: Tratado de invisibilidad

Invisibility Treaty triumphs as an intimate and thoughtful collection of testimonies and experiences of women who clean public spaces in Mexico City. This documentary highlights the precariousness of women working in the cleaning industry, while exploring the concept of invisibility through documentary, fiction and still photography.

Running Time: 85 min

Director: Luciana Kaplan

9:30pm: Masacre en Teques

Mexican horror could not be any more terrifying than Massacre in Teques. During a film shoot in "Teques" , a group of film school students are hunted down by a masked killer. Over the course of this horrific cat and mouse game, the students discover the cinematographic origin of this brutal murderer while he hunts them down one by one. Massacre in Teques utilizes the right amount of horror, gore, and violent intensity in what is a remarkable entry in the slasher genre.

Running Time: 105 min

Director: Rodrigo Hernandez Cruz

September 24, 2024

5:00pm: Soy Lo Que Nunca Fui

Renato, Abel, and Gabriela are a family divided by emotional borders; for them, the desire to be happy and break free from their current situation seems unattainable. The decisions they make independently will have an impact on each other's lives, demonstrating how fragile and delicate the way they are connected is.

Running Time: 123 min

Director: Rodrigo Alvarez Flores

7:30pm: A Cielo Abierto / Upon Open Sky

Written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros). Upon Open Sky is an intense revenge drama about two teen brothers and their stepsister taking a road trip to the Mexico U.S. border to track down the man responsible for the accident that caused their father's death. This is a cautionary tale about revenge and how far we'll go to see it through.

Running Time: 117 min

Director: Santiago Arriaga
Co-Director: Mariana Arriaga

9:45pm: Firma AquI

Firma AquI es una increIble historia de amor entre Fran y Roque, quienes se conocen a través de un algoritmo que empareja a las parejas cada 4 años. Esta hermosa y desgarradora dramantica explora el amor y los peligros de que la tecnologIa simplifique tanto las relaciones que el concepto de "Amor para siempre" se convierta en una reliquia del pasado.

Running Time: 100 min

Director: Enrique Vazquez

September 25, 2024

5:00pm: M20 Matamoros Ejido 20

"M20 Matamoros ejido 20' is Leonor Maldonado's debut film. This documentary captures incredible choreography, dancing from the Matachines, and a remarkable street dance performed by a group of young people from Matamoros, Tamaulipas. This documentary also collects the testimonies of a youth that moves between fear, rage, euphoria, and the secrecy of experiencing the violent life of the border.

Running Time: 87 min

Director: Leonor Maldonado

5:00pm: JIkuri

Antonin Artaud is a poet seeking the spiritual knowledge of the Tarahumara, losing his soul in a Peyote ceremony. It is only through the kindness of his friend Rayenari that Artuad will regain what he's lost. Mixing horror with a story of friendship, Jikuri explores the importance and dangers of spiritual identity in the face of the cosmic unknown.

Running Time: 94 min

Director: Federico Cecchetti

7:00pm: El Eco

In the remote village of El Echo that exists outside of time, the children care for the sheep and their elders. While the frost and drought punish the land, they learn to understand death, illness and love with each act, word and silence of their parents. A story about the echo of what clings to the soul, about the certainty of shelter provided by those around us, about rebellion and vertigo in the face of life. About growing up.

Running Time: 102 min

Director: Tatiana Huezo

7:00pm: Un Viaje Al Corazon

Starring Mexican actor and comedian Omar Chaparro "The Wingwalker" is the story of Julian, a father and widower whose life takes an unexpected turn when a misdemeanor lands him in jail and he is eventually deported to Mexico. Julian's nine-year-old daughter, Sofia, who has been diagnosed with a terminal heart disease and is scheduled for a heart transplant in two weeks, is left in the care of her irresponsible uncle, Nick. Knowing the possibility of never seeing his daughter alive again is real, Julian fights to go back by any means necessary. In the process, he comes face to face with the harsh realities faced by many migrants who make their way to the U.S. border. "The Wingwalker" is a moving, suspenseful, sometimes terrifying exploration of one of the most urgent issues facing this country today.

Running Time: 117 min

Director: Alonso Alvarez-Barreda

9:00pm: Soy Lo Que Nunca Fui

Renato, Abel, and Gabriela are a family divided by emotional borders; for them, the desire to be happy and break free from their current situation seems unattainable. The decisions they make independently will have an impact on each other's lives, demonstrating how fragile and delicate the way they are connected is.

Running Time: 123 min

Director: Rodrigo Alvarez Flores

9:30pm: A Cielo Abierto / Upon Open Sky

Written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros). Upon Open Sky is an intense revenge drama about two teen brothers and their stepsister taking a road trip to the Mexico U.S. border to track down the man responsible for the accident that caused their father's death. This is a cautionary tale about revenge and how far we'll go to see it through.

Running Time: 117 min

Director: Santiago Arriaga
Co-Director: Mariana Arriaga

September 26, 2024

5:00pm: TransMéxico

Based on the true stories of three transwomen, this documentary explores how in Latin America, unchecked transphobia severely limits transpeople's access to education, employment, housing, and medical services. By bringing these challenges to light, TransMéxico highlights how three incredible transwomen live empowered lives, how they live in truth, and how they have found respect, acceptance, love, and fulfilling careers.

Running Time: 84 min

Director: Claudia Sanchez

7:30pm: Un Actor Malo / Bad Actor

Bad actor is an intense drama where an actress accuses her co-star of misconduct during an intimate scene. While she pursues legal action, the film's production fights to contain the escalating fallout of a public scandal. Bad actor explores the duality of ethics, professionalism, and artistic integrity in the film industry where one wrong gesture can erupt into a flurry of uncontrollable chaos.

Running Time: 125 min

Director: Jorge CuchI

10:00pm: Parvulos

Toddlers: Children of the Apocalypse is a horror film about three young brothers living in a cabin in the middle of the woods and the evil secret they've hidden in their basement. This film is intense, gory, and lush in a dark cinematography that captures an essence of evil even children are capable of embodying when their world is nothing but a carnage-ridden hell.

Running Time: 118 min

Director: Isaac Ezban

September 27, 2024

6:00pm: Todas Menos Tu

This Mexican romantic comedy centers on a group of friends who are about to break up because one of them is getting married. After discovering that the bride to be is not what she seems, they then have the perfect excuse to ruin her wedding. Through a combination of bombastic humor and ridiculous hijinks, Anyone But Her plays with the idea of wrecking a marriage while exploring how far the values of loyalty and friendship really go.

Running Time: 93 min

Director: Luis Kuri

Date: September 20 - 27, 2024

Location:

Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA

Regal LA Live, 1000 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, 501 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA

Click here for more information