¡PRESENTE!: Queer Diaspora's L.A. Latine Short Film Program!

The Philosophical Research Society's 7th House Screenings is proud to welcome Queer Diaspora — the screening series programmed and hosted by filmmaker Gregorio Davila (L.A. A QUEER HISTORY, UNIDAD: GAY AND LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS) — for a very special program of incredible short films by local Los Angeles Queer Latine, presented in celebration of Latine Heritage Month!

Co-presented by El Cine, the non-profit that provides free film education for the community through Latin-focused screenings and conversations, and Wachale Cineteca, the Los Angeles cine club that engages in media through an anticolonial-abolitionist-liberatory lens via their "Program of the Oppressed," Davila's curated program features 6 visionary short films by Los Angeles queer filmmakers— talented storytellers who are either Latine themselves or whose films center queer Latine experiences. Through their distinctive creative voices they tell unique and undertold Queer stories in uniquely personal and innovative ways.

Following the program, the filmmakers will join us for a panel discussion and audience Q&A!

PIÑATAS OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS — Dir. Tom Maroney, 13 mins.

Roberto Benavidez's stunning piñatas reveal the form's hidden history of religious colonialism. Beautiful, funny, and political, they are meticulous works of art, inspired by Heironymous Bosch. A self-described "queer, half-breed South Texan artist," Roberto hopes his pieces will push the craft of piñatas forward in the art world canon.

THE BALLAD OF TITA AND THE MACHINES —Dir. Miguel Angel Caballero, 14 mins.

Tita, an injured elderly strawberry picker, reluctantly hires an AI Humanoid to substitute her and unexpectedly attracts the curiosity of the creators of this technology when their AI workers aren't able to do her back-breaking work.

EAST LA PUNK: NERVOUS GENDER — Dir. Jimmy Alvarado, 19 mins.

Nervous Gender erupted out of East L.A.’s punk underground in 1979, redefining the limits of what punk could sound and look like. Formed by Gerardo Velázquez, Michael Ochoa, Edward Stapleton, and Phranc, the band used abrasive synthesizers instead of guitars to unleash a chaotic new sound that challenged every convention of punk rock. Just as boldly, they confronted taboos around religion, sexuality, and identity—performances that scandalized audiences and often sent diehard punks running for the exit.Through constant lineup changes, clashes, and reinventions, Nervous Gender endured both acclaim and infamy before dissolving after Velázquez’s death in 1992. Revived in the 2000s by surviving members, the band continued to push boundaries while preserving their history through new work and archival releases. Once derided as too strange and alien, they are now celebrated as pioneers of synth-punk and icons of queer counterculture.

NANCY FROM EAST SIDE CLOVER — Dir. Gregorio Davila, 7 mins.

Nancy Valverde, an 83-year-old butch Chicana Lesbian from East L.A., tells her story of police harassment that plagued her beginning in 1949 at age 17. Being thrown in J*il nearly two dozen times for 'masquerading', a law which prohibited citizens from wearing clothing that was typically associated with the opposite gender.

PECCADILLO — Dir. Sofia Garza-Barba, 20 min.

Lorenzo’s desire to explore his feminine side is a secret and, according to his religious family, secrets belong to the devil. With a choice to make, he’ll either live a lie, or come out to his loved ones by killing his secret and the devil himself.

EL PAISA — Dir. Daniel Eduvijes Carrera, 15 mins.

After being rescued by a stern vaquero on the streets of East LA, gay goth skater Fernando must put an end to closeted young love, leading to personal transformation and a newfound connection to familia. A coming-of-age drama, EL PAISA bridges disparate Latine subcultures to celebrate unifying notions of family, heartache, and Queer identity.

Total Runtime: 85 mins.

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

QUEER DIASPORA

Queer Diaspora is a tri-monthly event held at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz. Founded and hosted by filmmaker, Gregorio Davila, Queer Diaspora intends to showcase the rich history, culture and artistry of the international LGBT+ community, through screenings, live performances and exhibitions. All are welcome.

WACHATE CINETECA

Wachale Cineteca is a cinematheque (membership-based cine club) in Los Angeles that engages in media through an anticolonial-abolitionist-liberatory lens via our “Program of the Oppressed.” We center the narratives that are often relegated to the margins, and we turn to media that more accurately project the global majority’s past and present, to envision a new future. Learn more and join by visiting wachalecineteca.com

EL CINE

El Cine is a 501-c3 that provides free film education for the community through Latin-focused screenings and conversations. Visit their website for more info and upcoming events!

GREGORIO DAVILA

Under his production company, EXOTICO FILMS., Gregorio has written, produced, edited, and directed two short films and two feature films. He made his first feature documentary in 2001 entitled Bent Fest 2001; a documentary account of a five-day music festival in Seattle that featured an all-queer band line-up. Bent Fest 2001 received critical acclaim locally and has been noted for the rare footage of Gossip, The Butchies, Traci & The Plastics, and The Chromatics in their early years.

His two short films; NANCY FROM EAST SIDE CLOVER, and JEANNE CORDOVA: BUTCHES, LIES & FEMINISM won multiple film festival awards around the world, the latter taking home the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest 2017 for BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT.

His third feature-length documentary; L.A. A QUEER HISTORY, a film showcasing the rich LGBTQ+ history of the Los Angeles area is the winner of a 2022 NETA PUBLIC MEDIA AWARD, a 2022 MIPCOM DIVERSIFY AWARD at Cannes, a TELLY AWARD, and two 2022 LOS ANGELES PRESS CLUB AWARDS.

His latest documentary feature, UNIDAD: GAY AND LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS , a film about the first Queer Latine organization in the country (Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos) which formed in Los Angeles in 1981, won a SILVER TELLY AWARD, and a 2024 LOS ANGELES PRESS CLUB AWARD. Both L.A. A QUEER HISTORY and UNIDAD are currently available to stream on PBS.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

TOM MARONEY

Tom Maroney is an Emmy-winning documentary producer, director and editor with over two decades working in nonfiction. He co-executive produced the National Graphic series "Science Fair: The Series" and Shudder's "Queer For Fear," a four part doc series examining horror films through a queer lens. He edited the feature documentaries "Mucho Mucho Amor," Science Fair", "Where's My Roy Cohn" and "Nobody Speak: Trials of The Free Press", all of which premiered at Sundance.Maroney has edited and story produced numerous other documentaries and non-fiction series for the Discovery Channel, PBS, Showtime, A&E, and National Geographic. He also edited Participant Media's award-winning series "Truth and Power" and the Emmy-nominated "Got Your 6" for MTV News.

MIGUEL ANGEL CABALLERO

Miguel Angel Caballero is the son of Mexican immigrant farm workers and an award-winning Queer Mexican-American/Chicano writer, director, and producer. His films have collectively garnered 47 awards and recognitions. His latest sci-fi short, THE BALLAD OF TITA AND THE MACHINES, executive produced by Lena Waithe, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2023, screened at TIFF (Rising Voices), and won the Humanitas Award and the Latinx Award at Holly Shorts. His short, ACUITZERAMO, premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival and won 21 awards internationally, including the Imagen Award. His film, BROKEN SUNFLOWER HEARTS, was named by Remezcla Magazine as one of the year's 'Best Short Films' by U.S. Latino directors.

JIMMY ALVARADO

Jimmy Alvarado is a multi-talented musician, writer, filmmaker, and historian based in East Los Angeles. A central figure in the underground punk scene since 1981, he contributes regularly to Razorcake and directs the Eastside Punks documentary series. His work has been recognized with a “Best Documentary Short” award in 2020. Jimmy also plays guitar in the bands La Tuya and Our Band Sucks, and is renowned for advocating a more inclusive narrative of punk history that highlights the contributions of East L.A.'s diverse artistic community.

SOFIA GARZA BARBA

My name is Sofia Garza-Barba. I’m a Mexican genre-bending writer/director with an imaginative POV working between LA & Mexico. Thanks to Mexican TV, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Black & White Mexican cinema, and MTV, I grew up mesmerized by the magical worlds I saw on the screen, which led me to where I am now. Directing music videos, commercials, and films is what I was born to do.I've worked with Grammy award-winning bands like Kinky, Natalia Lafourcade & Aleks Syntek, and clients like Sony Music, Nickelodeon, Universal, Coca-Cola, and Carl's Jr.Some of my works have been shortlisted, awarded, or screened at festivals like SITGES, GIFF, CINEQUEST, LAShorts, Festival de Cannes (Short Film Corner), LaFemme, Tribeca (Nespresso Talents), One Screen, Cleveland International Film Festival, Shiny Awards, and San Diego Film Festival.I'm a 2018 mentee of Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative program, a 2019 graduate fellow director of the CDDP (Commercial Director's Diversity Program), a 2021 SANFIC-Morbido Lab participant, and a fellow director of 2021 Tomorrow's Filmmakers Today by HBO. I proudly work both in the U.S. and Mexico, and I'm currently in development for my first feature called Santos Remedios (Holy Remedies).

DANIEL EDUVIJES CARRERA

Driven by stories that reflect his Queer and Mexican immigrant heritage, Daniel achieved the highest honors in Film Studies and English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. Daniel’s two latest films, THE FIRES OF SOLEDAD and EL PAISA, were granted the Latino Public Broadcasting Digital Media Fund. THE FIRES OF SOLEDAD premiered at the Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival, where it garnered the award for Best Foreign Language Short Film before airing on PBS channels. EL PAISA has screened at over 50 international festivals, has won numerous awards, and is also airing nationwide on PBS. Daniel’s latest film, FIAT LUX 5000, received the Netflix/Latino Film Institute Inclusion Fellowship and was recognized with Best Director and Best Actor nods by the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation.

GREGORIO DAVILA

Gregorio Davila is a respected documentary filmmaker, editor, and director-editor based in Los Angeles.He is a director and editor, known for Nancy from Eastside Clover (2014), L.A.: A Queer History (2021), and Unidad: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos (2022).Over the past decade-plus, he has built a strong reputation crafting feature-length documentaries and impactful visual content for non-profits and cultural institutions. His work has been featured on notable platforms such as PBS. Recipient of awards at international festivals, including MIPCOM and the NETA Awards for socially conscious filmmaking.Known for a clear and socially engaged visual style, Davila's documentaries are regularly showcased in film festivals and community screenings globally

ADVISORY DISCLAIMER

With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].

CONTENT DISCLAIMER

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.

ACCESSIBILITY

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PARKING

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Event Venue

Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States