The lineup for Latin Wave 18 will include a selection of dynamic new movies and guest filmmakers, with Carlos A. Gutiérrez ofCinema Tropical returning as artistic director. Programmed in collaboration with Cinema Tropical, it will include award-winning films from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Panama.

All films are shown in original languages with English subtitles and presented digitally. Screenings will take place at both Brown Auditorium Theater and Lynn Wyatt Theater.

Schedule of events

• April 25 (7 pm): Beloved Tropic (Querido Trópico) - Set in Panama City, this tender, atmospheric drama explores the evolving relationship between two lonely souls who form an unexpected bond. The film will be introduced by filmmaker Ana Endara, who will also lead a post-film Q&A.
• April 25 (9 pm): When Evil Lurks (Cuando Acecha la Maldad) - Described as “uniquely grisly” (Austin Chronicle) and “dark and timely” (The New York Times), the latest film from writer-director Demián Rugna is a chilling shocker that follows two brothers, Pedro and Jaime, as they confront a demonic presence threatening their remote village in the Argentine Andes.
• April 26 (3 pm): The Dog Thief (El Ladron de Perrós) - Martín, an orphaned shoeshine boy, works on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia’s capital. Hoping for a reward, he steals the beloved German Shepherd of his best client, a lonely tailor he has begun to imagine as a father. Yet, as Martín and Mr. Novoa spend more time together, an unexpected bond begins to form.
• April 26 (5 pm): Kill the Jockey (El Jockey) - Acclaimed Argentine actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart (120 BPM) stars as Remo Manfredini, a legendary jockey whose self-destructive behavior threatens both his talent and his relationship with his girlfriend, Abril. On the day of the most important race of his career - which could clear his debts to his ruthless boss Sirena - Remo suffers a severe accident. Vanishing from the hospital, he drifts through the streets of Buenos Aires, untethered from his past and discovering who he is truly meant to be.
• April 26 (7:30 pm): Quite Like Paradise (Casi el Paraíso) - Quite Like Paradise is a dark satirical comedy about the art of deception. The story follows Ugo Conti, a charming young man who pretends to be a striking European aristocrat in order to lead a life of luxury. Arriving in Mexico City, Ugo quickly captivates the country’s high society. Reuniting with his former love, Frida Becker, he becomes entangled in a dangerous political power struggle. But when he falls from grace, the same society that once adored him turns against him with equal fervor. Filmmaker Edgar San Juan is scheduled to introduce the screening and lead a post-film Q&A.
• April 27 (1 pm): Through Rocks and Clouds (Raíz) - Through Rocks and Clouds, the second feature by Franco García Becerra and winner of a Special Mention at the Berlin International Film Festival, is a touching coming-of-age story set against the stark beauty of the Andes. It follows Feliciano, an eight-year-old Indigenous alpaca herder whose only companions are Ronaldo, a young alpaca, and Rambo, an old dog. As Feliciano revels in the excitement of the Peruvian national soccer team’s potential World Cup qualification, his village faces mounting pressure from a mining company that threatens his world and dreams.
• April 27 (3 pm): Sujo - Winner of Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Mexico’s official entry for the 2025 Academy Awards, the latest film from Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez follows the chilling journey of a young boy named Sujo. Orphaned at the age of four after the murder of his father - a cartel gunman from a small Mexican town - he narrowly escapes death with the help of his aunt, who raises him in isolation amidst poverty, hardship, and the ever-present danger tied to his identity.
• April 27 (6 pm): I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui) - Winner of the Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, the Brazilian hit I’m Still Here is a powerful political family drama set in Rio de Janeiro in 1971. The film tells the true story of Eunice Paiva - portrayed by Fernanda Torres in a Golden Globe-winning performance - a mother of five forced to reinvent herself after her husband, a congressman who opposed the military dictatorship, is arrested and disappeared by the government.