2022 LOLA Award Nominees — Los Features
Congratulations to our 2022 LOLA Award Nominees in the Los Features category!
This year's LOLA-nominated films highlight experiences of African Descent (afrodescendientes) and/or the Afro Latino Diaspora. Read more about the nominees below.
Omara
For eight decades, Afro-Cuban music icon, Omara Portuondo, has been an unstoppable force - a single mother surviving racism, misogyny, revolution and now ageism. Transcending borders, Omara has used her music to connect with fans around the world and celebrate the soul of her beloved Cuba. As a woman of color, Omara expresses her life experiences in a way that has inspired generations of musicians and women.
Director: Hugo Perez
Producer: Dana Kuznetzkoff, Frida Torresblanco, Danelle Eliav, Ann Lewnes, Richard Blackstone
Documentary
English and Spanish with English subtitles
76 minutes
Santos–Skin to Skin
Santos–Skin to Skin is a film portrait of community activist and seven-time Grammy nominee John Santos, a “keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame.” Rich in unforgettable musical performances, Santos links the rhythms of his ancestors to contemporary struggles against urban gentrification, social inequality, and racial injustice. His hands on the skin of the conga peel back the legacy of colonialism while navigating the politics of culture and global migration. One of the world’s foremost exponents of Afro-Latin music, Santos, through his mixed Puerto Rican & Cape Verdean heritage, musical storytelling and legendary percussion classes, strives to unite and expand his kaleidoscopic audience.
Director: Kathryn Golden
Producer: Ashley James, Kathryn Golden
Documentary
English with English subtitles
75 minutes
Sugar Cane Malice (Mal de caña)
Far from the eyes of the countless tourists who seek relaxation in the Dominican Republic’s verdant tropical resorts, tens of thousands of undocumented Haitian immigrants labor in the fields of the former sugar colony. Through interviews with, and observational footage of, several families, this film explores a vicious cycle that devalues those who make up a major part of the island’s workforce, stripping them of the chance for empowerment or opportunity and forcing them to endure instability, poor living conditions, and meager pay. Even still, workers and community organizers seek change and accountability from the private sugar companies that rule one of the island’s key industries with near impunity, while a new generation of immigrant children strive for a better life, encouraged and bolstered by the sacrifices of their parents.
Director: Juan A. Zapata
Producer: Sergio Grobas, Oriol Cortacans
Documentary
Spanish with English subtitles
76 minutes
The LOLA Awards were established in 2014 to recognize and honor cinematic achievements in filmmaking in the Latine/x/a/o creative community. Films that receive the LOLA Award accordingly feature strong artistic direction, moving performances, and compelling storytelling. Winners will be announced during the eleventh annual Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, May 29 - June 5, 2022. Tickets and festival schedule will be announced during the month of May. To receive alerts when tickets go on sale, subscribe to our newsletter here.