Film festival showcases movies, San Luis, Ariz.

SAN LUIS, Ariz. — A thriller directed by Yuman Robert Gwinn and works by filmmakers from Mexico and Spain will be showcased beginning next week in the San Luis Film Festival.

Apart from Gwinn's “Deadly Renovations,” the second annual festival will feature four Spanish-language films, all with English subtitles: “La Cebra,” “Mas Amaneceres” and “Un Mundo Secreto,” all from Mexico, and “FriendSheep” from Spain.

The festival will take place March 4-8 at the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center, 1015 N. Main St., with films being shown at 7 each night. Admission is free.

Antonio Carrillo, one of the festival organizers, said the goal in bringing the films to San Luis is not only to attract visitors but call attention to the quality of the Arizona border city's cultural events and offerings.

“I have lived here for 18 years,” said Carrillo, an Arizona Western College counselor. “I love San Luis, and for me it is an honor to help to show a positive image of our community.

“This is an opportunity to showcase the city not only in the region and country, but in Mexico and other countries, while also giving them the opportunity to show their works.”

Lilia Velasco, producer of “Mas Amaneceres,” said she and the film's director, Jorge Leyva, are contributing the film to the festival in hopes of increasing its exposure.

“For us, any opportunity to show our work is important,” Velasco said. “We have to share it with people. It will be interesting to participate in the San Luis festival because we still don't know how the public in Arizona is going to react to it. This is the first chance to show the film in the United States.”

“Deadly Renovation” kicks off the festival March 4. This is a thriller about a hotel restoration project that turns deadly when a group of house flippers learn that millions of dollars in cash may be hidden inside the building.

The festival continues March 5 with “La Cebra” (“The Zebra”), a Spanish-language comedy-drama set during the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century.

The film for March 6 will be “Mas Amaneceres” (“More Sunrises”). This Spanish-language movie filmed in Sonora tells the story of a girl whose life is changed by unexpected events on the eve of her 13th birthday.

Also from Mexico, “Un Mundo Secreto” (“A Secret World”) will be the film for March 7. It follows an 18-year-old girl on her last day of high school as she leaves her native Mexico City on a road trip that becomes a journey of self-discovery.

The final film in the series, “FriendSheep,” is a short animation from Spain. Festival sponsors are the San Luis Corporation of Arts and Humanities, the Mexican Consulate in Yuma, Arizona Western College and the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

For more information about the festival, contact Carrillo at 317-6136 or Antonio.Carrillo@azwestern.edu.