Plot: A Mexican teen who collects random trinkets discovers the importance of human contact though three unusual items she discovered on the street. Imaginative Esmeralda (Bárbara Mori) keeps a box of found items under her bed, creating stories about each of them in order to make her own life more interesting. Little does Esmeralda realize that three of these items are about to change her life, as well as the lives of the lovelorn individuals to whom they once belonged. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Plot: Mexican director Francisco Vargas Quevedo presents the story of Don Plutarco, an elderly farmer and violinist; the aged patriarch of a musical family who has fashioned an ingenious way of smuggling ammunition beneath the noses of government troops.

Why See It: Shot simply and starkly in Black & White this mood-driven character exploration of familial love, duty, conflict and innocence is set in rural Mexico during the peasant revolts of the 1970s.

Cast: Ángel Tavira, Gerardo Taracena, Octavio Castro,

Plot: Set in a near-future, militarized world marked by closed borders, virtual labor and a global digital network that joins minds and experiences, three strangers risk their lives to connect with each other and break the barriers of technology.

Why See It: A futuristic look at the problems that are facing Mexico today, and definitely one of the best Spanish language sci-fi films of all time.

Cast: Jacob Vargas, Luis Fernando Peña, Leonor Varela

Plot: A newly-ordained priest, Padre Amaro, arrives in Los Reyes, a small town in the fictional state of Aldama, to start his life serving the church. Young Amaro soon becomes infatuated with the beautiful Amelia a local sixteen-year-old girl, and politics and sexual passions threaten to corrupt him.

Why See It: When it was released El Crimen del Padre Amaro caused a controversy on the part of Roman Catholic groups in Mexico who tried to stop the film from being screened. They failed, and the film became the biggest box office draw ever in the country, beating previous record holder, Sexo, pudor y lágrimas.

Cast: Gael García Bernal, Ana Claudia Talancon

Plot: Abandoned by their girlfriends for the summer, teenagers Tenoch and Julio meet the older Luisa at a wedding. Trying to be impressive, the friends tell Luisa they are headed on a road trip to a beautiful, secret beach called Boca del Cielo. Intrigued with their story and desperate to escape, Luisa asks if she can join them on their trip. Soon the three are headed out of Mexico City, making their way toward the fictional destination. Along the way, seduction, argument and the contrast of the trio against the harsh realities of the surrounding poverty ensue. Written by Sujit R. Varma

Cast: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Ana López Mercado

Plot: Three interconnected stories about the different strata of life in Mexico City all resolve with a fatal car accident. Octavio is trying to raise enough money to run away with his sister-in-law, and decides to enter his dog Cofi into the world of dogfighting. After a dogfight goes bad, Octavio flees in his car, running a red light and causing the accident. Daniel and Valeria’s new-found bliss is prematurely ended when she loses her leg in the accident. El Chivo is a homeless man who cares for stray dogs and is there to witness the collision. Written by Anonymous

Why See It: Hands down one of the most realistic movies about living in a poor neighborhood in Mexico City.

Cast: Gael García Bernal, Emilio Echevarría, Goya Toledo

Plot: In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she’s a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again. Written by Tim

Why See It: The highest grossing Spanish language movie of all times was #1 on Roger Ebert’s list of Top Ten Films of 2006.

Cast: Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones

Plot: In a forgotten Mexico Tita and Pedro fall in love, but are forbidden to marry. Mama Elena sees Tita’s role as her caretaker for life – no youngest daughter has ever married and her daughter will not be the first to break tradition. Tita’s heart breaks when her mother instead offers to Pedro her other daughter, and he accepts. Now they live in the same house, and Mama Elena cannot forbid their love as she did their marriage. Written by Anonymous

Why See It: Based on the novel published in 1989 by Laura Esquivel, this is magical realism at its best.

Cast: Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos