BxFW: June 2026

Tune in for this episode celebrating the creativity, resilience, and storytelling power of Puerto Rican cinema through a curated selection of outstanding short films from the 21 Islands International Short Film Festival. Featuring dramas, experimental works, and socially conscious stories, the program highlights the diverse voices shaping Puerto Rico’s contemporary film scene. The episode also includes a special interview with award-winning cinematographer Jeannice Mustafá López and a screening of Capetillo, a powerful short film inspired by the life of Puerto Rican feminist and labor activist Luisa Capetillo.

Capetillo | Dir. Antonio Asencio I Puerto Rico I 21 Minutes
A powerful short film inspired by the life of Puerto Rican feminist and labor activist Luisa Capetillo. When Luisa arrives at a tobacco factory wearing men’s clothing for the first time, her defiance of social conventions sparks a tense confrontation with the factory owner. Through this pivotal moment, the film explores courage, identity, and the fight for personal freedom in early 20th-century Puerto Rico.

Loyalty | Dir. Kiara Jeniva I Puerto Rico I 10 Minutes
Through an intimate family conflict, the film reflects the power hierarchies and inherited silences shaped by Puerto Rico’s colonial rural society.

El Extraordinario Sr. Júpiter | Dir. Federico Torres I Puerto Rico I 17 Minutes
Franco Jupiter, an extraordinary magician with real powers, defies nature in search of true love.

 

Films include subtitles.