The Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest (¡TÚ22! Film Festival) is now open for its second annual festival celebrating the vision of aspiring Latino filmmakers.

Presented by HITN-TV, ¡TÚ22! Film Festival promotes the work of emerging young Latino creatives in front of and behind the camera, offering them an online space in which to showcase their stories.

Providing young aspiring filmmakers with the opportunity to showcase their world views and efforts toward a more inclusive film industry, this film festival allows attendees to connect with a network of Latino role models who have been breaking down barriers for diverse communities, while paving the way for new generations of Latino creatives.

“We’ve seen an increase in the popularity and visibility of Latino/a stories at a national media level. Latino-focused films like “Coco,” “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” and “In the Heights,” as well as films with a Latino/a protagonist like “Beatriz at Dinner,” and the newly released “Hustle,” have shown that our stories are both powerful and popular,” said Luis Alejandro Molina, ¡TÚ22! Film Festival Director, in a statement. 

Requirements to Participate

To be part of ¡TÚ22!, either works of fiction or nonfiction—in English or Spanish—must feature a Latino/a in a position of creative leadership in front of or behind the camera.

This year's focus, for stories up to 30 minutes in length, is Representation. Entrants must complete and submit their work using one of these 4 themes:

1. Participate: films focusing on involvement and showing people who take an active role in improving the world around them.
2. Prosperity: films that define success or underscore the barriers preventing it.
3. Collaboration: films highlighting the power of working together, showing what can be accomplished when people unite and support one another.
4. Wellness: films that explore the importance of self-care – nurturing mind, body, soul, and community to live a fulfilling life.

Latino Representation in the Media

According to figures socialized by the organization of the festival, an investigation by the Latino Donor Collaborative indicates that Latinos represent only 5.5% of the total media, despite the fact that they comprise almost 20% of the U.S. population.

For his part, Molina underlined: “Latinos remain grossly underrepresented in the film community. Although Latinos buy 30 percent of all box office tickets, they hold leading roles in less than 5 percent of all films. Our goal with ¡TÚ22! Film Festival is to change that by giving young people a place to share their vision and tell their stories to a wider audience — and repeat our mantra — Representation Matters.”

Important Dates

• Registrations will be accepted to participate in the festival until September 11, 2022, 
• The festival will take place from October 9 to October 16, 2022, closing out Hispanic Heritage Month.
• The selection of films from ¡TÚ22! Film Festival will be announced on October 7, 2022 and will screen on CineYouthFest.org and the HITN GO app from October 9-16, 2022.

Registration Fees

Registration fees are structured as follows:

• Early Bird Ticket: Free from July 10 to 30, 2022
• Standard ticket: $20 presentation fee from July 31 to August 20, 2022
• Late entry: $25 filing fee from August 21 to September 11, 2022

Eligibility Criteria

• Winners will be selected solely by the judges.
• Films must be 30 minutes or less in length.
• All film genres, including documentary, drama, animation, comedy, and narrative, are eligible.
• Only films completed after January 1, 2019 are eligible for this festival.

Awards

An independent jury will evaluate the participating films based on a variety of factors, including knowledge of the subject; creativity in approaching the theme; technical aspects such as directing, acting, cinematography and editing; and the inspirational and narrative impact of the piece.

The judges will select three winners from a pool of finalists. The prizes are $4,000 for the Grand Prize; $2,000 for the Second Prize; and $1,000 for the Third Prize.

The ¡TÚ22! Film Festival is being presented in collaboration with Northeastern Illinois University, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, Centro – Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, NALIP, Frank Sinatra High School, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, St. Francis College, and the University of Houston.

To enroll in the ¡TÚ22! Film Festival visit CineYouthFest.org or Filmfreeway. 

About HITN

HITN-TV is a leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the entire family. It reaches more than 40 million homes in the United States and Puerto Rico.