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aluCine 2025

2025 Programming

October 16–18, 2025 • Nine distinctive programs celebrating Latin Film + Media Arts

Curatorial Statement

Curatorial Statement

A message from our festival director about the vision and passion behind our 25th anniversary.

Venues

Venues

Explore the vibrant cultural spaces across Toronto that will host the aluCine 2025 events.

Opening Night

Opening Night

La Salsa Vive

Celebrate the start of aluCine 2025 with an evening of film, community, and Latin culture.

Resist. Restore. Reimagine.

Resist. Restore. Reimagine.

International Shorts

Films and discussions exploring themes of resistance, restoration, and reimagining Latin futures.

Fragile Geometry

Fragile Geometry

Quadrilateral

A feature film exploring the delicate and precise geometry of family dynamics under pressure.

Echoes of Belonging

Echoes of Belonging

International Shorts

Stories of identity, heritage, and finding home in the Latin diaspora experience.

Through the Lens of Resistance

Through the Lens of Resistance

Documentary and narrative films examining social justice and activism in Latin communities.

Crossings & Kinships

Crossings & Kinships

Latin Canadian Shorts

Exploring connections across borders, cultures, and generations in Latin America and beyond.

Latin Mixer

Latin Mixer

Late night party at CineCycle where the festival family meets the dance floor. Connect, collaborate, and dance with filmmakers and artists.

aluCine

Latin Film + Media Arts Festival

Celebrating Latin American cinema and empowering Latino-Canadian artists through film, education, and community engagement.

Quick Links

  • aluCine 2026
  • LAMAS 2026
  • Our History
  • Professional Development
  • Volunteer

Get in Touch

info@alucine.ca

Toronto, Ontario

© 2026 aluCine Latin Film + Media Arts Festival. All rights reserved.

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Opening Night

Opening Night

Date

Thursday, October 16, 2025 - 7:00 PM

Location

Hot Docs Cinema

Tickets

Film+Party ($40) or Film Only $20 (Senior/Student discounts available)

About This Program

La Salsa Vive is more than a celebration — it's a rhythmic journey through the heart of Afro-Antillean music, echoing from the bustling barrios of New York to the salsa-soaked soul of Cali, Colombia. This program pays tribute to the power of music as resistance, memory, and identity, tracing salsa's vibrant roots and its evolution into a global movement.

Featured Films

La Salsa Vive

La Salsa Vive

Directed by Juan Carvajal • 101 minutes • 2025

Colombia / USA • Documentary

Toronto Premiere

La Salsa Vive is a documentary that tells the story of two cities bound by the rhythm of salsa: New York, where the genre was born, and Cali, where it thrives with unmatched passion. The film delves into the lives of Cali's diverse characters who fervently keep the spirit of salsa alive amid various challenges—dedicated dancers, music collectors, resilient veterans, and enthusiastic youth. Featuring insights from salsa legends like Rubén Blades, Henry Fiol, and Willie Rosario, the documentary portrays how salsa unites the people of Cali, offering hope and expression in their daily lives. La Salsa Vive is a testament to Cali's cultural heritage and the enduring spirit of salsa. --- La Salsa Vive is a vibrant celebration of salsa's roots and its enduring cultural power. Tracing the music back to its communal beginnings in Puerto Rican solares — the courtyards where neighbors gathered to dance, drum, and improvise — the film reveals salsa as more than just rhythm. It was a language of survival, identity, and resistance, blending Afro-Caribbean traditions, Cuban son, bomba, plena, and jazz into a sound that carried across borders. From these grassroots origins to the global stage, La Salsa Vive shows how salsa has remained a heartbeat of community and defiance. The documentary also highlights Cali, Colombia, as the world's salsa capital, where the genre took on a unique vibrancy through explosive footwork, massive festivals, and legendary orchestras like Grupo Niche and Guayacán. By weaving history with contemporary voices, La Salsa Vive affirms salsa's role as both cultural memory and living movement — a unifying force that continues to inspire dancers, musicians, and communities worldwide. More than a musical history, it's a story of resilience, joy, and the unstoppable rhythm of a people.

Program Trailers

Meet the Directors

Co-Presenters

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