In the minds of many, the idea foreign film evokes thoughts of artsy-fartsy European efforts, perhaps from France or Germany, or action-packed martial arts exposés from China or Japan, or bizarre horror films from various Asian countries. South America often gets left out, which is a shame – this is a whole other continent full of people and artists with unique stories to tell and messages to share.

You're in luck: this weekend begins “Reel Ecuador”: The 19^th Latin American Film Festival, which focuses specifically this year on films from – can you guess? - Ecuador! The festival features seven feature films and one documentary – and best of all, it's free.

“Reel Ecuador” will run until November 3, and complete details on the schedule, the films being screened, and their various locations can be found at the festival's website.

Image: film festival website