The incomparable NY-based festival, New Faces New Voices remains at the forefront as a pioneer in showcasing the finest independent selections often overshadowed by Hollywood in its groundbreaking fourth iteration!

The three-day festival runs from Tuesday, September 13th to Thursday, September 15th at The Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn. This festival is a hybrid format featuring a grand total of 38 culturally, ethically, and socially relevant selections from underrepresented voices across various genres. We are screening 30 selections in-person and 8 selections virtually throughout the week through our partner, XerbTV.

This year’s festival is home to several premieres with four World premieres (“PG 13”, Mámi, “My Grandmother’s Door” and “pre-face”) one North American and NY premiere (“Any Given Night”), and four NY premieres (“Familial”, “The Girl”, “Ten Months”, and “Workwear”).

Our festival falls at the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. As such, we desired to spotlight as many stories from Hispanic filmmakers and creators to celebrate their work and give them the representation they deserve which is still being fought for in mainstream media. NFNV includes 11 Hispanic-forward selections, which include Hispanic representation in front and behind the camera. Festivalgoers can expect these selections to expound upon ethnic and cultural adversities, and highlight Hispanic voices and perspectives. Our festival opener “Dreams Carriers,” directed by rising filmmaker Esmeralda Hernandez, tells a compelling story of a college-bound Chicana reflecting on past generations of women through the telling of the migration of monarch butterflies. “Mámi” is co-directed by the dynamic duo Marisela Grajeda Gonzalez and Christina Roussos. Marisela also serves as the writer and star of this short drama that follows a first-generation Mexican-American woman in her late thirties struggling to stay afloat in NYC while pursuing an acting career and juggling her mom’s recent cancer diagnosis. Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro Lopez Miyashiro’s “My Grandmother’s Door” follows Ana – played by Jacqueline Guillen of Orange Is The New Black – a young, Mexican-American woman who impulsively drives across multiple state lines to the abandoned childhood home of her recently deceased grandmother. The film dissects grief, cultural acceptance, and existence as a Hispanic/Latinx person in America.  

Attendees can also expect imaginative Hispanic-lead and BIPOC narratives that decenter whiteness, allowing space for fresh, captivating stories not traditionally told in a white-dominated Hollywood. Marissa High’s comedic sci-fi short “I Was Never Here” stars Sharilyn Vera, a Puerto Rican filmmaker who also wrote and produced this film. In this short, Sharilyn’s character, Sofia, works in cyber-security for the corrupt mayor of Los Angeles. When she receives a mysterious message from her future self, she must choose whether or not to intervene and potentially alter the fate of the city. Our Day One closer “Let’s Leave The Planet!” directed by Chelsea Lockie is a love letter to 90s stoner films and alien movies. The short is co-written and stars Julia Rae Maldonado, a bored stoner living a humdrum life until her boyfriend Andy reveals he’s an alien and that they should leave earth immediately. “PG 13,” directed by award-winning filmmaker extraordinaire and star of HBO’s The Wire Tiffani Holland, is a sci-fi short about a group of 90’s teens with latent superpowers who come together to battle an elusive serial killer who abducts kids just like them.

Patrons can also expect selections that examine the complexities of everyday relationship dynamics. Thomas Cooksey’s “Black Is Black” is a conversational short film sparking a much-needed discussion on colorism, a large issue within the black community, as well as many other ethnic and racial communities. “On The Other Side of the Moon” directed by Tavis Northman is an exploration of affection and vulnerability in Black male relationships after an awkward reunion occurs between two friends when one returns from abroad. Enmity in their relationship resurfaces, prompting the pair to reevaluate their futures and their identities separate from the other. “Pre-face” directed by Sarah Gallegos depicts the story of a recent graduate who experiences new realizations about life and relationships after high school as she struggles to figure out what’s next. “Ten Months” directed by Amie Song is an immensely relatable film that examines the cultural and social dynamics of a mother/daughter relationship during the height of the pandemic in 2020. In the short, a Chinese mother, who comes to New York for a short visit but gets stuck due to COVID travel restrictions, and her Americanized daughter navigate their ten months living together in a small New York City studio apartment.

Keeping to our festival’s mission to highlight underrepresented stories, viewers can also expect selections that explore LGBTQ+ relationships and narratives. Emily Everhard’s “Workwear” showcases the duality of Jebreel’s everyday life as a corporate consultant with a demanding boss by day and drag queen with an upcoming show to prepare for by night. “Everything Will Be Okay” directed by Junting Zhou follows two gay men waiting in line at a techno party in Bushwick as they reflect on clubbing culture, gay culture, and the pandemic. Kate diRienzi’s mesmeric short film “Let’s Go Together” investigates the shapeshifting standards of queer exploration through the unlikely pairing of two young college girls. Our festival closer “Countdown” co-directed by Lucy Blumenfield and Arielle Friedman is a sentimental romantic short that follows Olive, a young girl embarking on a journey to embrace her sexuality who begins to question the intimacy of her relationship with her best friend Julia (portrayed by Arielle Friedman, a Latina filmmaker).

Tickets can be purchased on the Katra Film Series website. In-person ticket options include admission per block and day passes. Virtual ticket options include all-access passes and tickets per block. In-person showings will take place in two blocks, running from 6:15 PM to 8:15 PM and 8:45 PM to 10:45 PM each day. Doors open at 6 PM. 

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Major Festival Partners and Sponsors:

Digital Ocean, Freelancers Union, UKW Media, Urbn/TV, GPop TV, JMR Rentals, BKLYN Commons, Brooklyn Brewery, Media Makers, ReelWorks, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment, The Alamo Drafthouse

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