Three Colombian Films Featured at the 2025 New York Film Festival

Colombia will have a prominent presence at the 63rd edition of the New York Film Festival (NYFF) 2025, with three productions selected for its official program. The festival, held from Sept. 26 to Oct. 13 at the iconic Lincoln Center in Manhattan, will feature the Colombian feature film “Barrio Triste” and the short films “09/05/1982” and “Ya se ven los tigres en la lluvia” among its invited works.

The New York Film Festival will showcase more than 100 productions from countries such as the United States, India, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Lebanon, Canada, and Colombia, among others.

It is worth noting that this festival is known for its curatorial approach — there are no awards or competitions, only a careful selection of the best films from around the world.

Colombian productions at the 2025 New York Film Festival

Barrio Triste (Feature film)

The film Barrio Triste, directed by Stillz (the artistic name of Matias Vasquez), is a co-production between Colombia and the United States. Set in Medellin during the 1980s, the movie immerses viewers in the atmosphere of a city defined by social contrasts and rapid transformation. It tells the story of a group of teenagers who find a stolen camera and begin to document their surroundings — a daily life marked by violence, broken dreams, and imagination as a form of escape.

The film has already been showcased at several international festivals to positive acclaim. Its style blends social realism with intimate storytelling, offering a youthful and authentic perspective on Medellin’s complex past. In New York, it will be screened in the festival’s main section an important platform to expand its international reach.

09/05/1982 (Short Film)

The short film 09/05/1982, directed by Jorge Caballero and Camilo Restrepo, is part of the NYFF’s official selection with a running time of just 11 minutes. Its narrative revisits a violent historical event, exploring how official narratives shape collective memory and historical perception.

The piece was previously screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Wavelengths Shorts section, gaining visibility within the global circuit of experimental and avant-garde cinema. Its inclusion in New York strengthens the dialogue between critical reflections on the past and contemporary discourses.

Ya se ven los tigres en la lluvia (Short film)

Directed by Oscar Ruiz Navia, Ya se ven los tigres en la lluvia offers an intimate meditation on time, memory, and loss. Using home videos, personal archives, and voice messages, Ruiz Navia crafts a touching story that blurs the boundaries between documentary and fiction.

A train leaves. Amid Montreal’s winter, empty spaces intertwine with family footage of the director making films with his sister, Anita. Through audio notes, musical attempts, and 8mm recordings, the film constructs an emotional journey that reflects on grief, remembrance, and transformation.

Ruiz Navia, known for acclaimed films such as El vuelco del cangrejo and Los hongos, continues his exploration of deeply personal cinema that resonates with universal human emotions.