HUMMINGBIRDS
BY  SILVIA DEL CARMEN CASTAÑOS AND ESTEFANÍA CONTRERAS, 2023

Catalog Number: FTF-168
Length: 78 minutes

In Hummingbirds, Silvia and Beba tell their own coming-of-age story, transforming their hometown on the Texas-Mexico border into a wonderland of creative expression and activist hijinks. Filmed collaboratively over the final summer of their fleeting youth, their cinematic self-portrait celebrates the power of friendship and joy as tools of survival and resistance.

Directed by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía Contreras
Produced by Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Leslie Benavides, Diane Ng and Rivkah Beth Medow, Ana Rodriguez-Falco
Cinematography by Miguel Drake-McLaughlin
Starring Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía Contreras

Festivals: Berlin International Film Festival, True/False Film Festival, New/Next Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Independent Film Festival of Boston, Docs Against Gravity Film Festival, Busan International Kids & Youth Film Festival, El Paso Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Doctober Film Festival, New Hampshire Film Festival, Athena Film Festival, Woman+Film Festival

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PRESS

“Hummingbirds is pretty tight filmmaking at less than 80 minutes, and the laid-back presentation makes the political commentary register strongly from the periphery.” – Ben Kenigsberg, Critics Pick, The New York Times

“A punk rock portrait of the immigrant experience.” – Stephen Saito, The Movable Feast

"A remarkably vibrant debut that embodies the hopes and dreams of two bright young talents on the cusp of adulthood." – David Opie, IndieWire

"A glowing self-portrait of their friendship, a call to activism, a summer bestie comedy full of devilish antics, and a frank immigrant story, this bold slice of life defies easy categorization." – Travis Hopson, RogerEbert.com

"Has the sheen of summertime fun and the bright energy of creative focus for besties who are smart and terrifically likable." – Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter

"If going in, you did not know that Hummingbirds was a documentary, you would readily believe that it was a naturalistically performed indie film." – Ankit Jhunjhunwala, The Playlist

"A gorgeous, heartfelt, weird, and wonderful self-portrait, the micro-budget doc Hummingbirds feels like a little punk rock miracle." – Marya E. Gates, Cool People Have Feelings, Too.