Hummingbirds


Hummingbirds by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
USA 2023, Generation
© I Love You Chingos LLC

Hummingbirds by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
USA 2023, Generation
© I Love You Chingos LLC

Hummingbirds by Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
USA 2023, Generation
In Laredo, a city in southern Texas on the Mexican border, best friends Silvia and Beba know that the long summer nights of their youth cannot last forever. Their hang-out spots are so familiar but, stuck in an immigration process over which deportation hangs as a constant possibility, home still seems a fragile concept. Between bars, drive-thrus, friends’ couches and the borderlands, they confront the stresses of survival, the future, and community building. For them, this means protest action for legal abortion and against border control abuses, in a politically divided America. But the dusty half-light is also a time for poetry and dreams. Their laughter and creative expression cement a sense of solidarity and belonging in togetherness.
Crew
Directors | Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras |
Co-Directors | Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco |
Cinematography | Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng |
Editing | Isidore Bethel, Jillian Schlesinger, Leslie Benavides, Sophia Hernández, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Zulema Young-Toledo |
Music | Estefanía “Beba” Contreras, Elijah Cruz, Brendan Hoy |
Sound Design | Danielle Dupre |
Sound | Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Jillian Schlesinger, Charlie Vela, Matt McVinnie |
Producers | Jillian Schlesinger, Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Leslie Benavides, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Diane Ng, Rivkah Beth Medow |
Co-Producers | Isidore Bethel, Dawn Valadez |
Produced by
Extra Terrestrial Films

Group Picture
The film team looking great before the premiere.
Hummingbirds · Generation · Feb 21, 2023

Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
Strike a Pose! - The two protagonists are having fun at the Photo Call.
Hummingbirds · Generation · Feb 21, 2023

Melika Gothe, Fion Mutert, Kateryna Gornostai, Film Team, Juanita Onzaga, Sebastian Markt
The section management (left and right) with the Jury and the film team, that won the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Film.
Hummingbirds · Generation · Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Film · Feb 24, 2023
Silvia Del Carmen Castaños

Born in Laredo, Texas, Silvia Del Carmen Castaños lives and works as a filmmaker and urban transit planner in Boston. Hummingbirds is their debut feature-length film.
Filmography
2018 Ocean; short documentary 2023 Hummingbirds; co-director: Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023
Estefanía “Beba” Contreras

The musician and filmmaker was born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and grew up in Laredo, Texas. Hummingbirds is her directing debut.
Filmography
2023 Hummingbirds; co-director: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023