Cinema Tropical, which is a nonprofit that boosts Latin American cinema in the United States, announces its annual list of the Best Latin American Films of the Year, comprising 25 titles from 12 different countries that the organization has selected as the 'Best of 2022.'  The New York-based organization also unveiled the five nominated films that will compete for the Best U.S. Latinx Film. All of the five nominated films were directed by women. 

The films selected will compete for the 13th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, and Best First Film. 

The Best Latin American Films of the Year are: 

1. A Little Love Package by Gastón Solnicki, Argentina/Austria

2. Alis by Nicolas Van Hemelryck and Clare Weiskopf, Colombia/Chile/Romania

3. Amparo by Simón Mesa Soto, Colombia/Sweden/Qatar

4. The Box by Lorenzo Vigas, Venezuela/Mexico/United States

5. Clara Sola by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, Costa Rica/Sweden/Belgium/Germany/France

6. Comala by Gian Cassini, Mexico

7. De todas las cosas que se han de saber by Sofía Velázquez, Perú

8. Dos estaciones by Juan Pablo González, Mexico

9. Eami by Paz Encina, Paraguay/Alemania/Argentina/Países Bajos/Francia/EE.UU

10. La edad media by Alejo Moguillansky and Luciana Acuña, Argentina

11. El gran movimiento by Kiro Russo, Bolivia/France/Qatar/Switzerland

12. Jesús López by Maximiliano Schonfeld, Argentina/France

13. Manto de gemas by Natalia López Gallardo, Mexico/Argentina

14. Marinheiro das Montanhas/Marinero de las montaña by Karim Aïnouz, Brazil/France

15. Marte Um/Marte uno by Gabriel Martins, Brazil 

16. Mato Seco em Chamas by Joana Pimenta y Adirley Queirós, Brazil 

17. Medusa by Anita Rocha da Silveira, Brazil

18. Mis hermanos sueñan despiertos by Claudia Huaiquimilla, Chile

19. Noche de fuego by Tatiana Huezo, México/Germany/Brazil/Qatar

20. Para su tranquilidad, haga su propio museo by Ana Endara Mislov and Pilar Moreno, Panama

21. El silencio del topo by Anaïs Taracena, Guatemala

22. Três Tigres Tristes/Tres tigres tristes by Gustavo Vinagre, Brazil

23. Utama by Alejandro Loayza Grisi, Bolivia/Uruguay/France

24. La vaca que cantó una canción hacia el futuro by Francisca Alegría, Chile/France

25. Yo y las bestias by Nico Manzano, Venezuela

The best U.S. Latino films of the year chosen by Cinema Tropical are: 

1. Beba by Rebeca Huntt

2. Belleza silenciosa/Silent Beauty by Jasmín Mara López

3. Lo que dejamos atrás/What We Leave Behind by Iliana Sosa

4. Mija by Isabel Castro

5. On the Divide by Maya Cueva y Leah Galant

All of the films under consideration had a minimum runtime of 60 minutes and premiered between April 1, 20201 and March 31, 2022.

Awards

The jury in the Latin American competition is made up of the programmer Cecilia Barrionuevo, former artistic director of the Mar del Plata Film Festival; Andrea Picard, curator of the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF); José Rodriguez, programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival; and Chilean filmmaker Dominga Sotomayor (Too Late to Die Young).

The filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes (499, Samson and Me); Ximena Amescua, artist program manager at Firelight Media; and the film programmer and producer Virginia Westover will select the Best Latin American film in the US.

The winners of the 13th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 at Film at Lincoln Center in New York City.