FUERZA PUERTO RICO brings together seven short films by Puerto Rican filmmakers from the island and its diaspora. Both thoughtful & absorbing in execution – as well as inventive in their style & form – these seven short films explore the complexities of contemporary Puerto Rican life, tapping into the island’s unfettered disillusionment, its embrace of nostalgia and tradition, and its passion to fight for a better future.

FUERZA PUERTO RICO will raise money for Apoyo Empresarial Peninsula Comunidad de Cantera and its post-Hurricane Maria relief efforts.

PROGRAM

THE TICKET (El Pasaje)
Directed by Cristian Carretero
Fiction (15 minutes)
A young man from Puerto Rico tries to survive the streets of New York. Without money or a roof over his head, he wanders the city wishing for a plane ticket back home.

ADOLESCENCIA
Directed by Jose Fernando Rodriguez
Documentary (10 minutes)
Comprised of Hi8 videos, ADOLESCENCIA presents a portrait of a teenage boy in 2002 Puerto Rico who films odd and unusual movie vignettes by himself – and tries to get a girl’s attention in the process.

MONSERRATE
Directed by Michael Justiniano
Fiction (11 minutes)
A rebellious young woman has her heart broken when her boyfriend dumps her – over the phone. She goes on a vengeful mission around the neighborhood, to confront her ex-boyfriend and rescue her dog from his apartment.

A FIERCE BREED (Cria Brava)
Directed by Karisa Cruz & Ivan Bonilla
Documentary (18 minutes)
A revealing journey into the “legal” cockfighting culture in Puerto Rico seen through the lives of a trainer, a teacher and a veteran involved in this controversial global sport.

LOLA
Directed by Xavier Medina
Fiction (15 minutes)
Lola, a gay working-class young woman, agrees to meet her estranged father Edgar, for the very first time – on the day before her wedding.

UNTITLED PUERTO RICAN DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
Directed by Cecilia Aldarondo & Cristian Carretero
Documentary (13 minutes)
A sneak peek of a new documentary project by filmmakers Cecilia Aldarondo (Memories of a Penitent Heart) and Cristian Carretero (Yolanda, Esta Isla).

RUBY’S SON (El Hijo de Ruby)
Directed by Gisela Rosario Ramos
Documentary (15 minutes)
Lio returns to the neighborhood where he grew up and discovers that his estranged father Ruby – who died under sad circumstances – kept a secret from his loved ones. RUBY’S SON is about healing a broken father-son relationship through dance.