The AFS Cinema Summer Screening series is a partnership between Cine Las Americas and the Austin Film Society. The first screening was held on Sunday, July 19, 2026, starting with a film that feels especially fitting for Austin’s arts community. ASCO: Without Permission brings a piece of Los Angeles art history to the screen and raises questions about art, protest, and who gets to claim public space.
ASCO: Without Permission is a film by writer/director Travis Gutiérrez Senger. At SXSW 2025, where it had its world premiere, the film was a Nominee for the Audience Award in the Documentary Spotlight category. At the 2026 Cinema Tropical Awards, it is the Jury Prize Winner in the Best U.S. Latinx Film category. The film is Executive Produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. Among the top cast are Zoe Saldana and Michael Pena.
About: Through archival footage, interviews, and newly staged happenings, this documentary traces the story of a radical Chicano art cooperative that merged activism with art and identity in 1970s Los Angeles, and that still inspires movements today.
Travis Gutiérrez Senger’s prior work includes Desert Cathedral, White Lines, and The Fever, which have won top prizes at festivals such as Tribeca, SXSW, SIFF, and more, for a total of 7 wins and 3 nominations.
Associate Producer C. Ondine Chavoya joined the audience on Sunday, July 19 for a Q&A moderated by CLA Associate Director Giselle De La Rosa.
ASCO: Without Permission will have additional screenings through July 26, 6:45 pm at the AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752.
Cine Las Americas partners with Austin Film Society to bring powerful Latine/x and Indigenous stories to Austin audiences year-round. View the line-up for this Partner Events/ summer series, including La Causa, Barrio Triste, and American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez from July 19 – August 12: www.austinfilm.org/calendar/
Source: AFS, CLA, IMDb