La Vida Es Cortos / Life Is Shorts

A unique festival that presents short plays and short films to celebrate and showcase the Latinx community, its artists, and its stories. Short films and short plays are seldom seen by the general public but even more rare is seeing Latinx artists in Houston's prominent theatre and film scene. In its third year, the festival will evolve by including dance theatre performances and short dance films to create a Latinx multidisciplinary experience never seen before.

The 4th annual La Vida Es Cortos / Life Is Shorts Festival will take place on December 2 - 4, 2022.

Film Submissions are now open!

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La Vida Es Cortos 2021

The Plays

Adrienne Dawes - "The Future is F******"

Ángela Estela - "Breaking the Binary"

Josie Nericcio - "Carlotta Learns to Whistle"

Rebecca Dominguez - "Don't Quit"

Following a nationwide search TEATRX chose 4 plays to be produced at LVEC 2021!
Congratulations to the 4 playwrights!

The Films

Aster has two goals: hike the Appalachian Trail and eat. These seem like possible goals until you realize Aster has never been camping before and has struggled for years with an eating disorder.

Aguilas

Directed by Kristy Guevara-Flannagan and Maite Zubiaurre

Alien Abduction

Directed by Nate Edwards

Amor En Cuarentena

Directed by Eugenia Renteria

Dry Spot

Directed by Shane Ramirez

Finding Love

Directed by Doris Ramos

heart beats

Directed Anabella Lenzu

Hell No

Directed by Teddy Alexis Rodriguez

In Passing

Directed by Martin Blanco

Jayro

Directed by Valentina Trevino & Wojciech Lorenc

Moving Barcelona

Directed by Jevan Chowdhury

mundo caotico

Directed Eliza De La Rosa

No Pasa Nada

Directed by Victoria Naranjos Montoya

Nuestro País

Directed by Mayra Flores

State of Grace

Directed by Lourdes Portillo

Tejano Night

Directed by Alex Rosales

They Call Us Sediciosos

Directed by Iz Gutierrez

Worry Dolls

Directed by Marcella Ochoa

The Sponsors

Films were selected with an open call for short films through Film Freeway.

Become a Festival Sponsor!

Learn More

2019 Play Selections

"The Lady of Suyapa" Performed by Pilot Dance Project, Choeographed by Adam Castaneda, Lighting Design by Matt Hall

Photos by Melissa Taylor

2019 Film Selections

WINNER

LVEC Audience

Favorite

An American woman flies to a small town in Mexico to visit her estranged auntie. She is a traveling saleswoman. What she sells shocks the culture and vibrates the town, but it also brings women together. Written and directed by Priscilla Alvarez.

Processing Station

Tex-Mex Representation - When an optimistic man gets run over and dies, he awakes to find the after-life is run like the DMV. More than that, he’s told religion was all real, and a test will determine if he goes to heaven or hell.

To Let The Body Grow

Female Directed Film Night - Animated testimonies of people with different gender identities which relate their life experiences and create one voice with a lot of voices.

Debris

Tex-Mex Representation - After a disastrous event on his construction site, Armando acts quickly to save his crew, but instead stumbles upon an unspeakable truth.

'Debris' is a thriller set against the grim world of human labor trafficking and focuses on the vulnerable lives of illegal construction workers here in the US.

Solitude

Female Directed Film Night -
The story of a young musician that unchains different events during her early days in her hometown and later in her journey as an immigrant while trying to become a renowned star.