Queens Museum is excited to be part of the seventh annual presentation of the Ecuadorian Film Festival organized by Maravilla, the New York-based organization dedicated to raising awareness of Latin America through films and the arts.

Kicking off the festival in Queens, the Museum will offer a weekend of free screenings October 29th-30th. Organized as part of the Queens Museum annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration, day one will feature three shorts and conclude with documentary Los que no aparecen (47 min). The screening will be followed by a conversation between Christian Ponce, organizer of the festival and special guest.

About the films:

12 p.m – 1 p.m

Picchu (8 min)

“Picchu” is a story that follows the journey of an Andean girl named Mayu, and the unconditional support of her mother. The film reflects the reality of many children around the world.

Negrita (12 min)

Sophie (14) is a teenager who was left in the care of her grandmother Angelica (71) and her sister Olivia (18) after their mother abandoned them. One day Sophie is disturbed by what she sees as she moves down the corridor.

Tiam (El regreso) (15 min)

While millions of people in Ecuador and around the world are forced to confine themselves, a young man from Sarayaku and his family decide to go deep into the Amazon jungle to escape the Covid-19 pandemic.

1 p.m – 2 p.m

Los que no aparecen (Those who are missing), (59 min), directed by José María León

Los que no aparecen (Those who are missing) is a documentary that tells the story of five women and their loved ones who passed away during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Guayaquil-Ecuador and whose bodies went missing in the custody of the Ecuadorian state. Through interviews and first hand testimonies we see the efforts and pain of these families who have not been able to live and close their grief. At the same time we reconstruct the fear and chaos experienced in a city that became one the epicenters in the region during 2020 and trace the failed responses of the institutions in charge.

Please also join us for the screenings on October 30th.

The Ecuadorian Film Festival runs October 29 through November 6th in various locations in New York. To find out more please visit their website at https://www.ecuadorianfilmfest.com/.

The Ecuadorian Film Festival is a competitive film festival, first of its kind in the world dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the burgeoning cinema of Ecuador. Made possible with the support from Telemundo, Queens Museum, New York Women in Film & Television, Barrymore Film Center, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, ShortsTV, Candesco Productions.