Global Hispanic Film Festival, Latino/a/x Communities Conference Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
During Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15,
West Chester University honors the contributions and cultures of Hispanic and Latino
Americans with programs and activities.
One annual activity is the Global Hispanic Film Festival 2025 – Virtual Edition, which is free and open to the public (click the link to register in order to receive links to the films). All films are subtitled in English; most have exhibited at international film festivals and have won accolades or nominations.
Across five weeks, five films will address globalization, postcolonialism, social inequality, migration, indigenous cultures, racism, sexual diversity, and religious diversity. Each film will be available virtually for a full week beginning each Monday between September 22 and October 27. Viewers can engage on social media. Follow social media (#CineWCU, @cinewcu) for updates on the films and their directors: https://www.instagram.com/cinewcu and https://www.facebook.com/cinewcu.
A special virtual event kicks off the first week of the film festival, notes Dr. Iliana Pagán-Teitelbaum, associate professor of languages and cultures, who organizes the Global Hispanic Film Festival.
“Our first festival week opens with the chance to meet [on Zoom] director Gabriella Moses, an award-winning Dominican-Guyanese American writer and director based in Brooklyn, NY,” she explains. Moses wrote and directed Boca Chica, which tells the story of a 12-year-old aspiring Dominican singer who navigates her coming-of-age amidst family tensions and the harsh realities of exploitation.
“Moses will talk about her debut feature film Boca Chica, set in the Dominican Republic, which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, where she won the prestigious Nora Ephron Award” for a female writer or filmmaker with a distinctive voice or vision.
The virtual program takes place on Tuesday, September 23, beginning with a screening at 4:30 p.m. followed by the virtual Q&A with the director at 6:15 p.m. Free registration link.
The Boca Chica screening and Q&A are also part of the 17th Annual West Chester University Latino/a/x Communities Conference. This year’s Global Hispanic Film Festival and the conference are dedicated to the 100th birthday of Nicaraguan poet and activist Ernesto Cardenal (1925–2020).
Admired and controversial, Cardenal was a towering figure in Central American culture and politics. As Nicaragua’s minister of culture under the Sandinista government, he oversaw a national program that taught poetry to Nicaraguans of all ages and all walks of life. He began writing in his student days at the University of Mexico and Columbia University, authoring several volumes of poetry in Spanish and English. He was ordained a Catholic priest and studied under Thomas Merton. His poetry is deeply engaged with the historical, political, and spiritual landscape of his country. Among his awards are the Christopher Book Award, Premio de la Paz grant, and Orden Rubén Darío.
The 17th Annual West Chester University Latino/a/x Communities Conference takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 23 and 24, in Sykes Student Union. Workshops and panelists focus on Cadenal’s work and influence as well as immigration and the Southern Chester County Mexican and Latino population.
For conference details, email directors Dr. Daniela Johannes and Dr. Emily Aguiló-Pérez.
Dr. Pagán-Teitelbaum’s co-director of the film festival is Dr. Jason Bartles, professor of languages and cultures; with Ayannah Stanton, graduate assistant and assistant director of festival marketing and outreach; the Latino American Student Organization (LASO); the College of Arts and Humanities; and the Department of Languages and Cultures as co-hosts. LASO, the Spanish Club, and the WCU Immigrants & Allies Association will host several in-person screenings for students. The festival is made possible with the support of Pragda, The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Spain, and SPAIN arts & culture.
For additional information on the film festival, contact Dr. Iliana Pagán-Teitelbaum.
Registration is free but required in order to access the virtual screening room.
Global Hispanic Film Festival Schedule
Each film will be available to view online for one week.
Week of 9/22 – 9/28
Boca Chica Director Gabriella A. Moses / Dominican Republic / 2023 / 97 min.
Poignantly juxtaposing the realities and expectations of a young girl approaching womanhood in the Dominican Republic, Boca Chica shines a light on the insidious child sex trade and the lives it destroys.
Week of 9/29 – 10/5
Chinas. Director Arantxa Echevarría / Spain / 2023 / 119 min.
A window into the challenges dual identity poses to different generations in immigrant communities, this insightful film explores the lives of Chinese communities in Spain, a topic rarely seen on screen, by following three girls as their stories intertwine while they search for their own identities.
Week of 10/6 – 10/12
Los Hongos. Director Oscar Ruiz Navia / Colombia / 2014 / 95 min.
Like a couple of mushrooms, Ras and Calvin revel in the night as they express themselves by tagging their neighborhoods and beyond, injecting their world with freedom and hope through their graffiti.
Week of 10/13 – 10/19
Alice Júnior. Director Gil Baroni / Brazil / 2019 / 87 min.
This coming-of-age story about a transsexual teen uprooted from a privileged life shines a light on the joy and infinite possibilities trans-Brazilians radiate even amidst heavy socio-political turmoil.
Week of 10/20– 10/27
La cocina. Director Alonso Ruizpalacios / Mexico, United States / 2024 / 139 min.
A New York City restaurant kitchen is a microcosm of societal divides that reflects broader struggles of identity, class, and survival, as invisible immigrant workers support the economy while enduring systemic exploitation.
For more information, visit the Global Hispanic Film Festival website.