On the cusp of her blooming sexuality, 16-year-old Sofía (Demian Hernández in an arresting screen debut) relies upon on her younger peers for youthful exploration and companionship. Set during Chile's tenuous post-dictatorship transition to democracy, Too Late to Die Young follows a group of artistic and bohemian cosmopolitans who have fled the cities and relocated to a mountainous enclave outside Santiago. While the adults focus on daily necessities of life like electricity and plumbing, Sofía oscillates between a need to reconnect with her mother and the powerful discovery of her own allure. Writer-director Dominga Sotomayor (Thursday Till Sunday, MVFF 2012) makes excellent use of the beauty of nature with sunkissed images of the rivers and the forests in the lush surroundings. Too Late to Die Young earned Sotomayor the Best Director prize at this year’s Locarno Film Festival. As the first female director to receive this coveted prize, Sotomayor represents a growing surge of female talent emerging from Chile.

Expected Guest: Director Dominga Sotomayor  (Oct. 7, 9)