WORCESTER, MA — A Puerto Rican film that has earned recognition at major film festivals will come to Worcester next month, giving Central Massachusetts audiences an opportunity to see “Esta Isla” and hear directly from its filmmakers.
The film will screen at Vejigantes Restaurant, 55 Pearl St., on Saturday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m. The Worcester screening is part of the BoriCorridor Screening Tour, which brings Puerto Rican artists and cultural productions to communities across the United States.
“Esta Isla,” which translates to “This Island,” was directed and produced by Puerto Rican filmmakers Lorraine Jones Molina and Cristian Carretero. According to organizers, the film premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, where it received awards for Best New Director and Best Cinematography, along with a Special Jury Mention for Best U.S. Narrative Feature.
The film also received the John Cassavetes Award at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards, according to the release announcing the Worcester screening.
The 114-minute film follows Bebo, a teenager dealing with economic hardship in Puerto Rico. After a violent incident changes his life, he leaves with Lola, a young woman who is trying to escape her own circumstances.
Their journey takes the film through questions of identity, belonging and redemption while examining economic and social realities in Puerto Rico.
For the Worcester audience, the screening will offer more than a movie.
A post-screening discussion is planned with the filmmakers, giving attendees an opportunity to ask questions and hear about the film’s creation and the issues explored in the story.
“This film was born in Puerto Rico—from its landscapes, its contradictions, and its people,” Jones Molina said in the announcement. “Being able to share it now with Puerto Rican communities across the United States is a very special opportunity for us.”
Jones Molina is a Puerto Rican filmmaker and co-founder of Experimento Lúdico. According to organizers, her work focuses on women, sexuality and spirituality in the Caribbean, and she has received two Suncoast Emmy Awards.
Carretero, also a co-founder of Experimento Lúdico, is an Emmy-winning Puerto Rican filmmaker whose work has explored social and environmental issues in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
The Worcester stop is one of nine cities included in the BoriCorridor tour. The tour will bring “Esta Isla” to communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Colorado and Texas, as well as New York City.
Organizers said this is the first time BoriCorridor has included film as part of its programming. The organization has spent the past three years connecting Puerto Rican artists and cultural productions with communities throughout the United States, with support from the Mellon Foundation.
Elsa Mosquera, founder of BoriCorridor, said the film fits the organization’s work with Puerto Rican communities in the United States.
“‘Esta Isla’ represents the kind of stories that BoriCorridor seeks to bring to our communities: deeply Puerto Rican, honest, and contemporary narratives,” Mosquera said.
For Worcester residents interested in attending, the screening is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on September 26 at Vejigantes Restaurant, 55 Pearl St. Tickets are being sold through the BoriCorridor website.
The film is rated as a 114-minute feature. The release does not provide information about ticket pricing or whether tickets will be available at the door.
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
• Project / Topic: Worcester screening of “Esta Isla” as part of the BoriCorridor Screening Tour.
• Current Status: The screening has been announced and is scheduled to take place at Vejigantes Restaurant in Worcester.
• Key Dates or Decisions: The screening is scheduled for September 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., followed by a discussion with the filmmakers.
• Estimated Cost: The organizers’ announcement does not identify the cost of producing or presenting the Worcester screening.
• Timeline: The Worcester screening is part of a nine-city tour taking place in 2026.
• Immediate Next Steps: Residents interested in attending can purchase tickets and find additional event information through BoriCorridor.
• Primary Sources: BoriCorridor, Experimento Lúdico and the event announcement provided to What’s Up Worcester.
• What We Do Not Yet Know: The event announcement does not provide ticket prices, door-opening time, seating arrangements or whether tickets will be available for purchase at the venue.
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