Des Moines Latino Film Festival

Get ready for four unforgettable nights at the 2025 Des Moines Latino Film Festival, presented by the Latino Center of Iowa! This celebration of Latino culture brings powerful movies and art together under one roof. From award-winning documentaries to community conversations, it's a joyful, high-energy experience you won't want to miss. Join us April 15-18 at Varsity Cinema for a celebration of Latino culture, connection, and community in Des Moines!

Schedule of Events:

7:00 pm: The Ballad of Tita and the Machines and Rita

When Tita, an elderly fieldworker, reluctantly hires an AI humanoid to fill in for her picking strawberries, she attracts the engineers' attention because their humanoids cannot do her back-breaking work.

After escaping an abusive home, thirteen-year-old Rita (Giuliana Santa Cruz) ends up in an overcrowded all-girls protective custody facility. There, she hears whispers of a prophecy - that a warrior angel will come to rescue them from a cycle of violence, exploitation, and confinement. When Rita is given a pair of symbolic wings like the other girls, she must decide if she's the one they've been waiting for - and how far she'll go to reveal the truth behind the walls.

With echoes of La Llorona, director Jayro Bustamante blends magical realism with raw emotional power, crafting a moving story inspired by the real-life tragedy of 41 girls in a Guatemalan orphanage in 2017. RITA weaves together myth and memory, innocence and resistance - grounded by a fearless performance from Giuliana Santa Cruz and a deep sense of female solidarity, rage, and resilience.

Click here to Buy Tickets