Film Festival to be Featured on HITN, Nation’s Leading Spanish-Language Broadcaster, as Part of Hispanic Heritage Month Programming

The award-winning ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest announced its top 10 finalists in advance of the festival’s 2023 online debut. This event, which empowers young Hispanic artists to tell their story through film, will be broadcast online between Oct. 9 and Oct. 16, 2023.

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Presented by HITN, the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest is designed to elevate the visibility of emerging Latino/a storytellers, creatives, and filmmakers and give them a larger stage to present their work. This year participants were asked to submit films in one of four categories: music video, animation, sci-fi or politics today.

In traditional media, Latino/a actors, creators and artists continue to be underrepresented, making up only 3.3 percent of leads in U.S. television shows and 5 percent of leads in movies compared to their 19 percent share of the U.S. population. From the behind-the-scenes perspective, only 4 percent of screenwriters are Latino/a.

The ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest continues to expand each year and to include the visibility of underrepresented young creatives. Earlier this year, the online film festival was recognized with a Silver Telly Award for its exceptional programming and its impact in amplifying Latino voices and stories.

According to Cynthia Rivera, Director of Operations for the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest, this year’s festival was notable for the high-quality productions created by Latina women. “The growth of ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest over the last three years fills us with immense pride. This year, our young filmmakers explored many themes, including the transition to adulthood, immigration, time travel, grief, and the power of nature, reflecting the rich diversity of their viewpoints,” Rivera said. “We are thrilled to note that young women directed 60% of the final films, a fact that not only speaks to the success of our festival but also underscores a welcome trend towards greater inclusivity in the film industry. Each narrative weaved, each perspective shared, enriches our festival, and we look forward to the future works of these promising filmmakers."

In addition to the film festival, the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest team has also produced a series of virtual film chats and “Cafecito” social media live broadcasts featuring industry experts and professionals who will be sharing their stories and insights to help emerging filmmakers looking to grow in the industry. Program announcements for upcoming events will be made on CineYouthFest.org and the festival’s Instagram page.

The top selection of films for the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest will be screened on CineYouthFest.org and the HITN GO app from Oct. 9 to Oct. 16, 2023. The top 10 finalists include:

• “Bigger” by Melissa Morales
• “Dulce” by Aleyda Ortiz
• “El Cuerpo de Mamá” by Adrian Borges Estrada
• “El First Date” by Adrian Borges Estrada
• “Enamorado” by Eduardo Rivera Salas
• “Go Dani Go” by Chelsea Patricia Ramirez
• “Jayuya” by Jordan Fernandez
• “Lagrimas” by Ariana Marie Luque
• “Regrésame/Bring me Back!” by Wilannie M. Cruz
• “U.S. VS BELTRAN” by Miranda Montenegro

An independent jury will evaluate entries based on a variety of factors, including awareness of the subject matter; creativity in the approach of the subject matter; technical aspects such as directing, acting, cinematography, and editing; and inspirational and storytelling impact of the piece. Judges will select three winners from the pool of finalists. Awards are $4,000 for the Grand Prize, $2,000 for the Second Prize, and $1,000 for the Third Prize. Winners will be announced on Oct. 16, 2023 at 7 p.m. EST via the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest’s YouTube channel and website.

Sponsors for the 2023 edition of the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest include the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, Autonomous Municipality of Comerío, Municipality of Loíza, and Fundación Cortés. Educational sponsors include Northeastern Illinois University, Reel Works, Esperanza College, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, Centro – Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, St. Francis College, and the University of Houston.

About HITN

HITN-TV is a leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the whole family. It reaches more than 40 million homes in the United States and Puerto Rico through DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse, AT&T TV, DISH Network, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Mediacom, CenturyLink, Prism and Altice, Liberty Cable & Claro (Puerto Rico). Download the HITN GO app available on Apple, Android, Apple TV, and Roku® with a subscription. For more information, visit: www.hitn.org and follow @HITNtv on social platforms.

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