Cine Las Americas Film Festival: What You Need to Know

Once again demonstrating that this is a great city for film lovers, The 14th annual Cine Las Americas Film Festival begins on Thursday. Over 100 films have been selected to participate, and they represent the best emerging voices in Latin American film.

This week long festival isn't as high-profile as some of the others, but that doesn't mean it's less important. Latin America is bursting with film talent and this will be the first (and maybe only) chance that American audiences will have to see many of these titles. Film passes are reasonably priced and much of the festival is free to attend, as well, so that's all the more reason to devote a few hours to exploring a fresh and compelling batch of films this week.

Here's what you need to know about the festival:

-Film Passes are a mere $75 for the whole week, and this grants access to all films, panels and parties.

-Films will primarily be shown at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), and a few screenings will be held at Blue Starlite Drive-In and St. Edward's University.

-Almost half of the Cine screenings are completely free. Most of these will be shown at MACC (these selections are labeled "some of the most relevant" of the festival), two will be shown at St. Ed's Ragsdale Center, and two late night screenings that "defy classification" will take place at Blue Starlite.

-Tickets are also available for regular individual screenings -- they're $8 for shows before 6pm and $10 for later shows. Opening and closing night tickets are $12. Tickets are available online or at the respective box offices.

-Cine Las Americas gathers films from Central and South America as well as the Iberian Peninsula. Categories include documentary features, narrative features, short films, animated films and a youth competition.

For a taste of what the festival holds, check out the trailer for the Thursday night opener, Marimbas del Infierno (Marimbas from Hell). This Guatemalan film tells the story of an unlikely musical collaboration between and old school Marimba player, a heavy metal rock 'n' roller and a likable troublemaker that helps bring them together.