Sunscreen closes today with its ‘Best Picture’ winner

The 2019 Sunscreen Film Festival is in its final day, and The Garden Left Behind, which was named Best Picture at Saturday night’s awards ceremony, screens at 6 p.m. today at AMC Sundial. It’s the four-day festival’s final event.

The film’s star, Carlie Guevara, was named Best Actress – the first transgender woman to win the award in 14 years.

Sunscreen is a world-renowned celebration of independent films. “With the growth of the streaming services like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix, films are getting a wider exposure,” festival director Chris Eaton told the Catalyst earlier this week. “Independent just means a lower budget; and it doesn’t have big studio backing. They’re usually labors of love and passion, and people sacrifice everything to make this art.”

Today’s screenings:

At 3:15 p.m.: Quite possibly the best-known artist to come from South America, Colombia’s Fernando Botero (“El Maestro”) is an 87-year-old painter and sculptor who works are recognized, loved and prized by art aficionados the world over. Those smooth, round, oversized heads are unmistakably Botero. Canadian director Don Millar’s documentary Botero chronicles the life and unikely rise of the man considered by many to be “the world’s greatest living artist.” The screening will be followed by a talk by the artist’s son, author Juan Carlos Botero.

At 6 p.m.: The Garden Left Behind: Also the winner of the Audience Award last month at SXSW, this drama from writer/director Flavio Alves traces the relationship between Tina, a young Trans woman, and Eliana, her grandmother, as they navigate Tina’s transition and struggle to build a life for themselves as undocumented immigrants in New York City. Also starring Michael Madsen and Ed Asner. Alves and producer Roy Wol will speak following screening.