Hormigas
A narrative feature film by Nancy Gamino
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Hormigas follows two sisters navigating accelerated maturity after their father’s deportation fractures their family. Through their eyes, the film explores cultural embarrassment, economic hardship, and the resilient bond between siblings, a raw portrait of a household defined by a missing chair at the table.
Synopsis
Hormigas is a coming-of-age family drama rooted in realism and emotional restraint. The feature expands the world of the short film of the same name, allowing space to explore how absence reshapes family dynamics over time rather than as a single moment of loss.
Told almost entirely from the perspective of the sisters, the story focuses on what children notice but cannot articulate: silence, routine, embarrassment, and responsibility. These quiet details form the emotional spine of the film, inviting the audience inside the home to experience the same subtle adjustments and weight carried by the family.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
This film exists because I believe deeply in stories about family especially immigrant families and in how much our world thrives on immigrant culture. Rather than approaching immigration through politics, I approach it through intimacy, memory, and childhood perspective.
By centering the experience of children, Hormigas offers a viewpoint that is rarely explored in film and feels especially urgent in today’s climate. My goal is to create a high-integrity independent feature that can compete on the festival circuit and secure meaningful distribution, while remaining emotionally honest and community-driven in its creation.
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WHY THIS FILM MATTERS
Hormigas honors family and highlights the strength and humanity of immigrant culture. The film is grounded in the belief that immigrant stories are not niche stories they are foundational to our shared experience.Impact GoalsCenter lived experiences within immigrant familiesEncourage empathy through intimate storytellingSupport community conversations around family separationCreate space for representation rooted in dignity and careWhile culturally specific, the film’s themes of premature responsibility, family separation, and sibling bonds are universal.
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AUDIENCE & FESTIVAL POSITIONING
Primary Audience: Adult audiences (18+)Immigrant and Latinx communitiesFestival audiences drawn to character-driven filmsSocially conscious viewersEducational and community-based screeningsHormigas aligns with independent narrative features that perform strongly on the festival circuit due to emotional authenticity rather than scale.
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DEVELOPMENT STATUS
Stage: In Development
Format: Narrative Feature
FilmBudget Range: $50,000 to $100,000
Production Model: Lean, performance-driven,community centered
Collaborators (Feature Expansion): Alfonso Torres (Editor, short film) Monica Torres (Key collaborator)
