Dominican in the Diaspora Short Film Official Competition Block 2

Overview
Emotional Stories: Discover powerful short films by Dominican voices in the diaspora, sharing stories of identity, memory, and belonging.

International Premiere
Q & A directors & producers

DreamZzz

Arturo's world shifts when his old art teacher dies. Through bittersweet memories and unexpected humor, he rediscovers what truly matters - and finally sets out to make his heart's desire a reality.

Director: Hedi B. Asencio

El Espíritu de la Escalera

A painter obsessed with preserving all her memories is confronted with the most painful one yet, and struggles between keeping it alive or learning to let it go.

Director: Leslie Rubiera

My Grandmother’s Hands

Can the mind forget how many children you had yet remember the pain of losing them? Through Luz Nilda’s intimate testimony, this documentary explores memory, faith, survival, and the love for her granddaughter Alicia, while her hands become a final map of a psyche resisting oblivion.

Director: Alicia Leon

Poetry in Motion

Emerging from COVID isolation, a solitary traveler moves through trains, churches, city streets, libraries, and nature in search of faith and connection. Creative writing transforms his wandering into purpose, revealing that the voice he sought in the world was within him all along.

Director: Angel Ruby Vasquez

Sprayin' Series - 05: "Find Something You Love and Let It Kill You"

Episode 05 of Sprayin’ profiles Brooklyn muralist Jeff Henriquez, born in Massachusetts to Dominican parents. Known for hyper-real portraits, he reflects on the culture, people, and memories that shaped his art, revealing how New York and his personal history come alive in every mural.

Director: Edwin Taveras