Shorts Program 6: If You Don’t Do Politics, Politics Will Do You
- Fiction Shorts
- 96 mins
In this program
The Interpreter / La Intérprete
Directed by Sofia Rovaletti
Dedicated interpreter Maria helps bridge the language gap between doctors and non-English-speaking patients. As Maria attentively translates various conversations, she will face a particular call with a woman who went through a devastating situation that will feel familiar to her.
Made in America
Directed by Maritza Cruz
Xiomara and Ana, two Central American migrant teens, work the late-night shift at a garment factory. When Ana goes missing after staying for an extra shift, ‘Xo’ searches for her friend, only to discover Ana never made it home. Her search leads her back to the factory, where she’s faced with a devastating truth
Apocalíptica
Directed by Diego Oliva Tejeda
After Inés and her grandmother learn about a military coup breaking out in their home country, the young woman tries desperately to get ahold of her loved ones back home. However, as the night progresses, doubt, pain and powerlessness start to take hold of Inés, threatening to destroy her relationship with her grandmother and her sanity…
A Whisper Starts a Fire / Un Susurro Comienza Un Incendio
Directed by Eduardo Moreno Fernández
Olivia feels a call to rebel when she discovers that her filmed testimonies for a documentary about her son’s death have been altered using artificial intelligence.
Center of the Echo
Directed by Jose Terreros
After a Mexican journalist exiled in New York is harassed by threats while investigating a corruption network, she begins to question her reality and distrust even those around her.
Plague Season / Época De Plagas
Directed by Gabriela Calvache
While her father is out, a girl hears noises coming from her sick mother’s room. In Ecuador, nature and humans feel the devastating impact of waste coming from abroad. The girl wants to see her mother, but is she ready to face what’s behind her door?
Fireline
Directed by Robin Takao D'Oench
An inmate firefighter desperately tries to call home while battling a wildfire with his crew. Today, 30% of CalFire Fire Dept. is supplemented by prison labor despite no clear pathway to employment upon release. FIRELINE is a tribute to the unsung heroes on the frontlines in the battle against climate change.
Dates & Times
Regal Union Square
September 19, 2025
5:30 pm