3 Powerful Short Films Just Premiering at Tribeca Thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Program Supporting Rising Creators
Three short films from Latine filmmaking teams will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival thanks to help from Lin-Manuel Miranda. The globally renowned entertainer and his father created a new artist development program that provided funding for the projects.
Three Latine stories are premiering at Tribeca Film Festival thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda
Earlier this year, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis A. Miranda Jr., Hispanic Federation, and Tribeca Film Festival created an artist development program. Colectivo: A Miranda Family Fellowship & Tribeca Studios Filmmaker Program that provides funding for three short films to come to life.
The program provides “guidance and training from Tribeca Studios and the creative team of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., and their extended network.” The Miranda family was very involved in selecting the winners.
“My family and I looked at 20 films and winnowed the pitches down to the final three,” Miranda told The New York Times. “The criteria apply to anything. Do I want to see this movie? Do I feel like this is a good fit for the budgets we are looking at? Does it feel like this filmmaker is ready for this next step in their development? If you make a short film, that does become your professional calling card, and we were looking for filmmakers who could use the films they were making for us as a calling card to get more work.”
The three short films touch on topics from immigration to family to death. Here are the three films that will make their premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2025.
“El Tiguere”
“In the face of food insecurity and a harsh legal system in the Bronx, a Dominican immigrant operates his mobile food garden under the radar, determined to rebuild his life and repair his relationship with his estranged son,” reads the film’s synopsis on the Tribeca website.
The film was directed by Andrew J. Rodriguez, an Afro-Caribbean filmmaker who lives in the Bronx. According to his bio, Rodriguez uses his talent to center the voices of the working class. His narrative works focus on going beyond survival to capture the full humanity, resilience, and strength of his subjects.
“Las Hijas De Rosalía”
“Through a series of dreamlike vignettes, two sisters navigate their formative years, discovering the magic of their bond and the enduring legacy of their mother’s love,” reads the synopsis for the film.
Originally a Theater Arts student, director Maria Mealla, found her way into directing and film later in life. Rather than a traditional path, she learned filmmaking through work-trade. According to her website, Mealla views her “stories as the arroz con huevo of films” bringing a familiarity, comfort, and unassuming magic to the screen.
“Villa Encanto”
“After her mother’s death, a precocious teenager is uprooted from 1960s Spanish Harlem when her musician father takes a gig at a Puerto Rican summer resort in upstate New York. Through music and community, she learns to redefine the meaning of home,” reads the synopsis for “Villa Encanto” on the Tribeca website.
The director, Joel Perez, is a Puerto Rican entertainer who has written, directed, and acted for years. This isn’t his first time working with the Miranda family on his creative efforts. He was the recipient of the Miranda Family Voces Latinx Award in 2021.
