La Gloria
J.T. Walker
United States, 2025, 100 min.
In English and Spanish with English subtitles.
This film is family friendly.
AIFF Award Winner:
Best First Feature
An embittered Texas border rancher (David Morse) mistakenly shoots a young, pregnant migrant woman (Jaklyn Bejarano) as she crosses his property. Threatened with investigation, the rancher must decide whether to help the migrant woman and risk discovery by his son, a U.S. Border Patrol agent (Bill Heck).
Director's Statement
I spent my childhood summers on my grandparents’ ranch on the Texas-Mexico border. Today, cross-border immigration has become fraught in a way it never was for my grandparents. “Illegal aliens,” “patriots,” “wetbacks,” “racists.” What’s lost here are the individuals. La Gloria is the story of two people, forced by circumstance to confront each other — as individuals rather than abstractions. In their journey, they transcend their differences, growing to understand, respect, and even love the "other.” My hope is that the film will encourage us to truly see one another — just as its characters ultimately do.
Category: Drama, Award Winner.
Themes: Border, Immigration, Human Spirit.
Saturday, April 5
Festival Grounds at the Mercado Annex
7:30pm

More in Drama
-
How Do You Dream
Shomari Dunham
United States, 2025, 14 min.Isolated in her one bedroom apartment, Parker spends most mornings going through withdrawals. As she waits for her drug dealing boyfriend Scott, her mind is... more ›
-
Ava and Her Mother
Stacey Cochran
United States, 2025, 29 min.In the otherworldly town of Summerhaven, Dr. Ava Wallace confronts her haunting past when her estranged, manipulative mother returns with news of her late... more ›
-
Starting Line
Brenton Bender
United States, 2024, 15 min.When a cross country coach pits two siblings against each other, Brody pushes himself to outpace his younger brother, Archie. But restless nights and a botched... more ›