Lights, Camera... 'Acción': ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest is Looking for Emerging Latino Filmmakers

The fourth annual ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest is now accepting entries with an early bird discount available until June 4, 2024. The festival, which seeks to spotlight the talent, innovative narratives and artistic vision of up-and-coming Latino/a filmmakers, will be taking place during from October 9 to October 16, coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month.

The festival, an initiative brought forward by Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN) was created in 2021 as a way to amplify the voices of up-and-coming Latinos, providing them with exposure and acknowledgment while addressing the ongoing challenges of underrepresentation the face in the industry. The festival also includes a networking space called "Cafecito", which include industry experts and professionals who share stories and guidance to emerging filmmakers.

"Each year, we eagerly anticipate the wide range of films submitted to our festival" said Cynthia Rivera, the festival's Co-Director. "From animated and documentary to narrative short films, the works submitted by this next generation of filmmakers is a breath of fresh air, delivering diverse perspectives and innovative narratives that captivate and inspire audiences," she said.

The selection of films will be screened on CineYouthFest.org and the HITN GO app. An independent jury will evaluate entries based on a variety of factors, including awareness of the subject matter, creativity in the approach of the subject matter, technical aspects such as and inspirational and storytelling impact of the piece. Judges will select three winners from a pool of finalists with the winner taking home a Grande Prize of $4,000. Second and third places will take home $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.

Once the early bird discount expires, aspiring filmmakers will be able to register their works until August 6, 2024 under one of the following categories:

• Mental Health Awareness
• Social Media and Digital Life
• Identity and Self-Discovery
• Animation
• Discovery Shorts

Submission fees are structured as follows:

• Early Bird Entry: Free from April 1 to June 4, 2024
• Standard Entry: $20 submission fee from June 5 to July 5, 2024
• Late Entry: $25 submission fee from July 6 to August 6, 2024

As for the eligible criteria, films must be 30 minutes or less in length, completed after January 1 of 2020 and submitted from the United States and Puerto Rico. It's important to point out that both English and Spanish-language spoken films will be accepted.

Beside the festival, HITN is a leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the whole family, reaching more than 40 million homes in the United States and Puerto Rico.