Diego Luna's 'Ashes' to Open GuadaLAjara Film Festival in Los Angeles

Diego Luna's "Ashes" will open the GuadaLAjara Film Festival on Nov. 5 at the United Theater in Los Angeles, with Eddie Sánchez's "Mexicanamerican" closing the event on Nov. 7 at the Linwood Dunn Theater.

The festival announced its full lineup for the annual event, which runs Nov. 5-7 at venues across Los Angeles. Watermelon Pictures' "Ashes" follows Lucila, who moves to Spain with her brother to reunite with the mother who left eight years earlier. Confronted with discrimination and family obligations, she struggles to claim her independence while facing the wounds of her past.

The closer, "Mexicanamerican," screens in 35mm. The film tells the story of Lalo and Beby, a Mexican couple who achieved the American Dream and slowly lost the culture, language and traditions they once shared with their children.

What is this year's Centerpiece Gala?

The Centerpiece Gala presents Netflix's "14th" from Ava DuVernay, screening at Vidiots. The film examines the constitutional crises dominating current headlines and traces the pattern behind them, hard-wired into history. "14th" exposes an unfinished battle to define America, a battle the festival says now takes on drastic new dimensions.

"We are proud to bring these films to Los Angeles," GLAFF executive director Ximena Urrutia said. "They tell our stories, honor our cultures and present some of the finest work of the year from Mexico, Latin America, the United States and beyond."

The lineup includes U.S., West Coast and international premieres from emerging and established filmmakers:

• "Adam's Apple," directed by Amy Jenkins. A transgender teen and his mother chronicle their lives in an intimate portrait of a family in transition. Two decades of footage follow a boy's path to manhood and his parents' reckoning with change.
• "Chicas Tristes (Sad Girlz)," directed by Fernanda Tovar. A coming-of-age drama seen through the eyes of two best friends whose bond is tested by drastically different reactions to a traumatic experience at a party.
• "City of the Dead (Ciudad de Muertos)," directed by J.M. Cravioto. When a body turns up inside a suitcase, forensic photographer Enrique is drawn into a secret agent's hunt for a serial killer.
• "Dear Fátima (Querida Fátima)," directed by Lorena Gutiérrez, Jesús "Don Chucho" Quintana, Rodrigo Reyes, Dawn Valadez and Su Kim. A decade after the feminicide of her 12-year-old daughter Fátima, Lorena Gutiérrez camps outside Mexico's National Palace and demands an audience with the country's first female president.
• "Shooting Stars," directed by Daniel Poler. The film follows Adrián Solano, a 22-year-old Venezuelan in search of meaning who inadvertently enters the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships despite never having seen snow. John Leguizamo executive produces; ESPN, ESPN Deportes and TriBeCa Studios produce.

Which short films made the cut?

The shorts program spotlights twelve emerging directors:

• "Para Los Contrincantes," Federico Luis
• "He's Out There," Kurt Andrew Schneider and Sam Davis
• "Busy Bodies," Kate Renshaw-Lewis
• "The Long Con," Aitch Alberto, starring Nava Mau
• "La Mar," Jean Chapiro Uziel
• "Lucretia y Las Brujas," Eduardo Lecuona
• "Marga en el DF," Gabriela Ortega
• "Miriam," Karla Condado
• "Stalin Boys," Ora DeKornfeld and Bianca Giaever
• "Still Standing," Victor Tadashi Suarez and Livia Albeck-Ripka
• "The Motive," Jorge Molina
• "Vyann/Carne," Adolfo Margulis

Beyond screenings, the festival schedules red-carpet premieres, panel conversations, master classes, and industry and community events throughout Los Angeles. Additional events and participating talent will be announced later, giving the Nov. 5-7 run room to expand before opening night.