'America's Family,' A Favorite at Dances with Films Festival

The dramatic film, America's Family was presented at the 25th annual Dances with Films festival in TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.  The film proved to be a favorite. It won the  Grand Jury Award for Features and took home the Audience Award for Competition Features.

Written and directed by Anike L. Tourse and produced by Nadia Voukitchevitch, Angelica Salas, Emiliana Guereca and CHIRLA,  the film tells the story of the Diaz family, whose home is raided by ICE on Thanksgiving Day.  The mother, Marisol (Tourse), was put in detention, her son Koke (Ricardo Cisneros) was deported, and patriarch Jorge (Mauricio Mendoza) fled for protective sanctuary. 

Marisol and Jorge’s two American-born children—young attorney Emiliano (Emmanuel López Alonso) and his differently-abled teen sister Valentina (Jailene Arias) scramble to reunite the family as their parents and brother fight to get home.​

Official Synopsis

​When two ICE officers maneuver into the Diaz family home over the Thanksgiving holiday, a domino effect ensues and the family is separated. Mother Marisol is arrested and detained, eldest son Koke is deported to Mexico and father Jorge flees to a synagogue for protective sanctuary. The two American born children left intact; freshman attorney Emiliano and his differently-abled teen sister Valentina, scramble to do whatever they can to reunite their family while the undocumented family members do whatever they can to get home. While each family member fights to return to each other, they also embark on a personal journey, discovering that their commitment to their family and faith in one another is much stronger than they think.

Written, directed and produced by Anike Tourse, America's Family stars Anike Tourse Jailene Arias Emanuel López Alonso Ricardo Cisneros Mauricio Mendoza Angie Kim Aida Rodriguez Baltimore Beltran. 

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