By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – When Marjorie Churgin moved to Albuquerque from New York City, she expected to leave behind some of the film culture she had grown accustomed to. Instead, discovering The Guild Cinema eventually helped inspire an effort to bring something she felt the city was missing: a Latin American film festival.
Churgin explains that New York’s robust Latin American film festival made her wonder why Albuquerque did not have something similar, particularly given the city’s demographics. After discovering The Guild and getting to know its owner, Keith Henley, conversations began about bringing new kinds of films to the theater.
“There is no regular Latin American Film Festival in Albuquerque, and given the wonderful rich demographics of Albuquerque, it seems that it’s something that ought to be there as part of the cultural honorings and cultural extensions there,” says Churgin.
That idea has become the 2026 Albuquerque Latin American Film Festival, a two-day event featuring four films spanning stories of immigration, LGBTQ identity, religion and Chicano art.
The lineup begins with La Cocina, director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ film about the largely undocumented immigrant staff of a Times Square restaurant. It is followed by Chilean director Diego Céspedes’ The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, which follows an 11-year-old girl growing up in a queer family in a 1980s mining town during the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis.
The second day features Francesco Taboada Tabone’s documentary The Red Bishop, about Mexican Bishop Sergio Méndez Arceo and his embrace of liberation theology. The screening marks the film’s U.S. theatrical premiere. The festival closes with Travis Gutiérrez Senger’s ASCO: Without Permission, about the influential East Los Angeles Chicano avant-garde art collective.
Churgin emphasizes that choosing the lineup was a group effort. Some selections came through recommendations, while others had already caught organizers’ attention at festivals. ASCO: Without Permission, for example, was selected after receiving a positive reception at the Santa Fe International Film Festival. Organizers also wanted the lineup to represent different countries and experiences.
For Churgin, the festival is also an opportunity to introduce Albuquerque moviegoers to cinema they might not ordinarily encounter. “That was really the other reason for doing the festival is that the typical audience for Guild Cinema showings might not be as familiar with Latin American cinema, and so therefore it was a chance to expose them to Latin American cinema,” says Churgin.
The festival was made possible with support from UMB Bank, UNM’s Latin American & Iberian Institute and Rob Donnelly. Churgin also credits Henley with embracing the project.
“I have tremendous regard for Keith Henley, the proprietor, who took the giant step and promoted the festival and had never done it before,” says Churgin. “And he has been extremely supportive of every step of the way.”
Plans are already underway for another festival April 23 through 25, 2027. For this year’s audience, however, Churgin’s hope is simple: “I just hope they want more.”
The 2026 ABQ Latin American Film Festival runs Sept. 25 and 26 at The Guild Cinema (3405 Central Ave. NE). Screenings begin at 5 p.m. Friday with La Cocina and at 3:30 p.m. Saturday with The Red Bishop. Tickets are $10.
If you go…
2026 Albuquerque Latin American Film Festival
- Friday, Sept. 24 to Saturday, Sept. 25
- The Guild Cinema (3405 Central Ave. NE)
- Tickets are $10