¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest Announces 2025 Winners

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BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 28, 2025--

The ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest, announced this year’s winners for the annual short film competition focused on highlighting the work of young Latino filmmakers and creatives. In addition to receiving cash prizes, the film festival winning submissions achieved visibility on a large-scale platform through CineYouthFest.org and HITN GO, the app for the nation’s leading Spanish language public broadcaster.

Winning submissions spanned a broad range of categories, from documentary stories on social issues, to mental health and wellness in Latino communities, to identity and cultural heritage in the digital age. Film festival organizers received hundreds of submissions from Latino creatives across the country, selected a slate of 10 finalists, then awarded cash prizes to the top winners in the following categories:

Best Overall Short: “Pick One” by Matthew Serrano

In “Pick One,” a half-Latino, half-white third grader encounters questions of identity when being asked to choose an ethnicity as part of a standardized test.

“Pick One” was directed by Matthew Serrano, a first-generation Salvadoran American filmmaker, content creator, and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. Serrano got his start in filmmaking by producing theme park documentary programs on YouTube and is a popular and highly viewed TikTok creator. In addition to his creative pursuits, Serrano serves as a filmmaking mentor at Youth Cinema Project in Los Angeles.

Best Animation: “Una China Poblana” by Aubrey Azmar and Benedict Vazquez

“Una China Poblana” documents the journey of Malaga, a Chinese-Filipino woman living in 1930s Mexico. The film follows her experiences through the lens of her race, including a harsh childhood of enslavement, a relationship with her Mexican partner, Antonio, and her career as a singer.

“Una China Poblana” was directed by Aubrey Azmar, an Asian animator based in NYC, and Benedict Vazquez, an indigenous-Mexican from California with wide-ranging experience in music production, audio editing, and script writing.

Best Short Documentary: “Remember Me” by Aldo Merino

“Remember Me” highlights a filmmaker’s journey to visit their grandmother in Mexico and their exploration of the traditions of Día de los Muertos. Through intimate and ancestral rituals, the film reflects on the cultural and spiritual significance of remembrance.

“Remember Me” was directed by Aldo Merino, a first-generation Mexican-American filmmaker from Brooklyn. Through ethical filmmaking practices and a commitment to authenticity, Merino seeks to reconnect with his roots and share the beauty of Mexican tradition with audiences.

Spotlight Award: “Chiquito” by Lesley Marroquin and Anna Riva

“Chiquito” follows an ambitious Salvadoran inventor focused on developing a teleportation device. When she ends up neglecting her pet armadillo, Chiquito, he decides to take matters into his own paws.

“Chiquito” was directed by Lesley Marroquin and Anna Riva, both of whom are recent graduates of the 3D Animation & VFX program at the School of Visual Arts. Marroquin is a 3D Animator and Character Artist and Riva is a Brazilian CG Generalist. Both directors are based in New York.

“While Latinos remain underrepresented in media, the stories showcased each year at the festival are powerful, moving, and deeply inspiring,” said Cynthia Rivera, ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest Co-Director. “As we conclude a successful fifth year, we continue to be in awe of the work these young filmmakers are creating and humbled by the opportunities we have to share their stories and talent with a wider audience.”

The film festival continues to champion the cause of Latino representation and visibility in media. Research from the Latino Donor Collaborative shows that greater Latino inclusion in media could boost entertainment industry revenues by $12 to $18 billion annually.

In addition, researchers have highlighted the scientific and psychological power of narrative to change minds and opinions by creating emotionally powerful connections. “During the festival, young filmmakers have the opportunity to share lived experiences and stories about what it really means to be Latino in today’s world,” Rivera said. “The storytelling aspect is powerful, creating greater connection and empathy, and providing an impetus for social justice and change.”

The ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest is presented in collaboration with educational and community institutions across New York, Washington, Texas, Florida, California, Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Entries are evaluated by an independent jury based on criteria including awareness of the subject matter, creativity in the approach of the subject matter, technical aspects (such as directing, acting, cinematography and editing), originality, and inspirational and storytelling impact of the piece.

For more information about the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest Film Festival, visit https://cineyouthfest.org/.

About HITN-TV

HITN-TV is a leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the whole family. It reaches more than 35 million homes in the United States and Puerto Rico through DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse, AT&T TV, DISH Network, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Mediacom, CenturyLink, Prism and Altice, Liberty Cable & Claro (Puerto Rico). Download the HITN GO app available on Apple, Android, Apple TV, and Roku® with a subscription. For more information, visit: www.hitn.org and follow @HITNtv on social platforms.

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Cynthia Rivera 646-731-3802 /[email protected]

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TEENS CHILDREN ENTERTAINMENT HISPANIC TV AND RADIO FILM & MOTION PICTURES UNIVERSITY CONSUMER EDUCATION

SOURCE: HITN-TV

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PUB: 10/28/2025 09:35 AM/DISC: 10/28/2025 09:35 AM

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