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Malinchista

A 2D animated short film reclaiming a Spanish slur to empower Latinx women by retelling the story of La Malinche.

NOTE FOR FESTIVALS: Both English and Spanish dubs are available! Subtitles for both languages are included.

  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Director
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Letianna Castellano
    Producer
    Centaur Hunter
  • Sarai Cibrian
    Voice Actors
  • Caroline Salinas
    Voice Actors
  • Jazlyn Lopez
    Voice Actors
  • Diego Cruz
    Voice Actors
  • Eric Rosales
    Voice Actors
  • Letianna Castellano
    Head of Story
    Centaur Hunter
  • Anne Maslen
    Storyboard Artists
    Centaur Hunter
  • Brianna Lundgren
    Storyboard Artists
  • Julie Thompson
    Storyboard Artists
  • Letianna Castellano
    Storyboard Artists
    Centaur Hunter
  • Anne Maslen
    Screenwriters and Poets
    Centaur Hunter
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Screenwriters and Poets
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Letianna Castellano
    Screenwriters and Poets
    Centaur Hunter
  • Anna Chen
    Junior Writer
  • Chicome Itzcuintli Amatlapantli
    Cultural Consultants
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Cultural Consultants
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Production Designer and Art Director
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Anna Chen
    Development Artists
  • Anne Maslen
    Development Artists
    Centaur Hunter
  • Brianna Lundgren
    Development Artists
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Development Artists
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Pablo Rivera
    Development Artists
  • Letianna Castellano
    Development Artists
    Centaur Hunter
  • Anne Maslen
    Lead Character Designers
    Centaur Hunter
  • Brianna Lundgren
    Lead Character Designers
  • Cherise Punzalan
    Lead Incidental Designer
  • Anna Chen
    Character Designers
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Character Designers
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Hector Perez-Aguilar
    Character Designers
  • Kristen Yu
    Character Designers
  • Maya Carroll
    Character Designers
  • Shelby Dela Cruz
    Character Designers
  • Brianna Lundgren
    Prop Designers
  • Cherise Punzalan
    Prop Designers
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Prop Designers
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Hector Perez-Aguilar
    Prop Designers
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Effects Designer
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Julie Thompson
    Effects Designer
  • Aaron Aguilar
    Background Designers
  • Anne Maslen
    Background Designers
    Centaur Hunter
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Background Designers
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Lillian Lee
    Background Designers
  • Madelyn Jack
    Background Designers
  • Rosanna Davila
    Background Designers
  • Shelby Dela Cruz
    Background Designers
  • Aaron Aguilar
    Background Painters
  • Casey Costa-Smith
    Background Painters
  • Cassandra Nguyen
    Background Painters
  • Cherise Punzalan
    Background Painters
  • Grace Bennett
    Background Painters
  • Hector Perez-Aguilar
    Background Painters
  • Kristen Yu
    Background Painters
  • Lillian Lee
    Background Painters
  • Madelyn Jack
    Background Painters
  • Maya Carroll
    Background Painters
  • Shelby Dela Cruz
    Background Painters
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Background Painters
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Aaron Aguilar
    Color Stylists
  • Brianna Lundgren
    Color Stylists
  • Casey Costa-Smith
    Color Stylists
  • Cassandra Nguyen
    Color Stylists
  • Cherise Punzalan
    Color Stylists
  • Grace Bennett
    Color Stylists
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Color Stylists
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Hector Perez-Aguilar
    Color Stylists
  • Kristen Yu
    Color Stylists
  • Madelyn Jack
    Color Stylists
  • Maya Carroll
    Color Stylists
  • Shelby Dela Cruz
    Color Stylists
  • Julie Thompson
    Heads of Animation
  • Tacy Manis
    Heads of Animation
    Team Combo Meal
  • Anne Maslen
    Lead Animators
  • Brianna Lundgren
    Lead Animators
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Lead Animators
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Letianna Castellano
    Lead Animators
    Centaur Hunter
  • Aaron Aguilar
    Animators
  • Allie Turner
    Animators
  • Alyssa Harper
    Animators
  • Casey Costa-Smith
    Animators
  • Cherise Punzalan
    Animators
  • Cassandra Nguyen
    Animators
  • Devin Rowe
    Animators
  • Emerson Chan
    Animators
  • Grace Bennett
    Animators
  • Hector Perez-Aguilar
    Animators
  • Hsiu Hsiu Lin
    Animators
  • Jaleen Gong
    Animators
  • Jenielle Salarda
    Animators
  • Kristen Yu
    Animators
  • Lillian Lee
    Animators
  • Maya Carroll
    Animators
  • Meghan Graham
    Animators
  • Meiya lim
    Animators
  • Michael Fullilove
    Animators
  • Minori Uemura
    Animators
  • Pierina Caligaris
    Animators
  • Rosanna Davila
    Animators
  • Shelby Dela Cruz
    Animators
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Background Animation
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Lighting/Fx
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Tacy Manis
    Technical Director
    Team Combo Meal
  • Tacy Manis
    Lead Rigger
    Team Combo Meal
  • Emerson Chan
    Riggers
  • Meiya Lim
    Riggers
  • Flora Rees-Arredondo
    Compositors
    A Radish Tale, Puerquitos
  • Julie Thompson
    Compositors
  • Letianna Castellano
    Compositors
    Centaur Hunter
  • Tacy Manis
    Compositors
    Team Combo Meal
  • Letianna Castellano
    Editor
    Centaur Hunter
  • Daniel Rodier
    Score and Sound Design
    A Radish Tale, Sol Naciente
  • Diego Cruz
    Dialogue Editor
  • Diego Cruz
    Sound Mixers
  • Jonny Yoon Dorais
    Sound Mixers
  • Julian Cornell
    Recording Engineer
  • Steve Gorn
    Bansuri
  • David Yee
    Faculty Adviser
    Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Super 8, Star Trek
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Malinchista
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    drama, animation, latinx, hispanic, latina
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 18, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    5,934 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Animation
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - San Jose State University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • WRPN Women's International Film Festival
    Delaware
    United States
    December 8, 2020
    Exceptional Merit
  • Humano Film Festival
    Tijuana, Mexico
    Mexico
    September 17, 2020
    Mexico Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Chihuahua International Film Festival
    Chihuahua
    Mexico
    November 14, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    October 9, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Women X: A Rianne Pictures Event
    Parkgate, England
    United Kingdom
    October 24, 2020
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Lone Star Film Festival
    Fort Worth, Texas
    United States
    November 4, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Sicily Independent Film Awards
    Sicily
    Italy
    October 17, 2020
    Italy Premiere
    Best Animation
  • Sicily Independent Film Awards
    Sicily
    Italy
    October 17, 2020
    Italy Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Screen Culture Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 7, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Canberra Short Film Festival
    Canberra
    Australia
    November 20, 2020
    Australia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • CineFem 8
    Los Muergos Punta del Este
    Uruguay
    October 31, 2020
    Uruguay Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Francisco Another Hole in the Head Film Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    December 11, 2020
    San Francisco Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 22, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Santa Fe Film Festival
    Santa Fe
    United States
    February 17, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Bharat International Film Festival
    Mumbai, Maharashtra
    India
    January 24, 2021
    Asia Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Bharat International Film Festival
    Mumbai, Maharashtra
    India
    January 24, 2021
    Asia Premiere
    Best Short Film
  • Kalakari Film Festival
    Dewas
    India
    May 15, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards and Festival
    Hollywood
    United States
    June 8, 2021
    Official Selection
  • jellyFEST
    Los Angeles
    United States
    February 20, 2021
    Finalist
  • BASH Bay Area Short Films Festival
    San Francisco
    United States
    January 23, 2021
    Official Selection
  • New Wave Short Film Festival
    Munich
    Germany
    December 2, 2020
    Germany Premiere
    Official Selection
  • New Wave Short Film Festival
    Munich
    Germany
    December 2, 2020
    Germany Premiere
    Best Student Film
  • Tokyo International Short Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    December 2, 2020
    Japan Premiere
    Finalist
  • Oxford Film Festival
    Oxford
    United States
    March 24, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Film Pipeline Shorts Competition
    Santa Monica
    United States
    December 10, 2020
    Semi-Finalist
  • Demetera International Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    March 10, 2021
    France Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles Women in Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    March 25, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Philadelphia Latino Film Festival
    Philadelphia, PA
    United States
    June 3, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Festival Internacional de Cine de Tequila
    Guadalajara, Jalisco
    Mexico
    April 15, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Latino Film Market
    New York
    United States
    June 16, 2021
    Official Selection
  • LALIFF
    Los Angeles
    United States
    June 1, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Global Voices Film Festival UN Women USA
    San Francisco, CA
    United States
    September 17, 2021
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Flora Rees-Arredondo

I'm a self-employed Latinx artist based in Burbank, LA, CA working in animation, video games, and illustration for a range of clients including Warner Bros. Animation, FS Studio, and Casanova//McCann. I was a Production Intern at Cartoon Network on Victor and Valentino and Directed the award-winning 2D animated short film Malinchista. I spend my free time creating artwork and content that supports unheard voices in order to create a positive impact on the society we live in!

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My life goal is to create Latinx and social justice informed media to educate and empower others.

Mari, the mixed Mexican woman protagonist, is myself when I was in High School. I was still a quiet, kinda awkward art kid still trying to figure out who I was and also figuring out how I fit into my heritage as a light-skinned, half Mexican, half European American, not quite belonging to one or the other. When learning about La Malinche in my Mexican American studies class, I found it fascinating that there’s still no written or spoken record of what she herself thought. Especially when her name, La Malinche, is a slur.

“Malinchista” means “a traitor to your own people” in the Spanish language, and is still used today.

By reclaiming the word "Malinchista," we hope to give Malinche her voice back 500 years later, and empower Latinx women everywhere who feel like they don’t have one.