Their first movie won Sundance. For Luz Films, it’s only the beginning

Last month, “In the Summers,” a queer, Latinx coming-of-age tale about two sisters who spend their summers visiting their father in Las Cruces, N.M., won the U.S. grand jury prize in the dramatic competition at the 40th annual Sundance Film Festival. “In the Summers” also serves as the first acting vehicle for René Pérez Joglar, better known as Residente from Puerto Rican hip-hop group Calle 13. “I never wanted to be the Latino programming person, but the way the system works has put me in a position where if I don’t fight for these projects, no one else will,” said Lira. “In the Summers” writer-director Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio, seated, with actors Leslie Grace, left, Lío Mehiel, René Pérez Joglar and Sasha Calle at Sundance. Vila said the project had been brought to Exile Content by Alexander Dinelaris, the screenwriter of “Birdman,” who read Lacorazza Samudio’s semiautobiographical script and agreed to produce it under his company, Lexicon.