The feature film Becoming Vera, written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Sergio Vizuete, premiered at several film festivals and won several awards. The drama and coming-of-age story explore identity, resilience, and self-discovery through the journey of a young Latin jazz prodigy searching for her voice and roots. The film is set in Miami.
About: Becoming Vera – A young pianist battles poverty, unscrupulous music producers, and her own insecurities to find a future in the world of Latin Jazz.
Starring Raquel Lebish (It Needs Eyes, Parable) as Vera, she delivers a very authentic performance as an 18-year-old who has grown up in difficult circumstances yet remains strong and intelligent. She demonstrates the skills to work towards independence from the current circumstances she finds herself in, rather than waiting for something to drop in her lap. Her portrayal of a pianist who learned from an adult piano teacher rather than a formal music school shows talent beyond her years. Her two friends, who have also aged out of the foster care system, Jake (Nicolas Pozo) and Daniel (Brandon Williams), can be supportive and caring yet show their maturity is not at all equivalent to Vera’s, who recognizes opportunities for herself and acts on them. Although they do not have secure housing, they do have a couple of resources to help them, which lessens the severity of living on the streets.
Becoming Vera had a standout festival season, earning Best Picture and Best Director (Sergio Vizuete) at the Film Fest at Hollywood Park 2025, alongside awards for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor(s), Best Editing, and Best Score. At the Cinequest Film Festival last year, the film won the Audience Choice Award (Best Narrative Feature, Drama). The film was also screened at the Miami Film Festival in April 2025. The film has a limited release from this Friday, February 20-26, 2026, exclusively at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas in Los Angeles. Plans are to expand to other cities, such as San Francisco and New York, as well as to yet-to-be-announced cities.
Rating: Not Rated (Recommended PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language)
Runtime: 104 minutes
Source: Cascabel Films, Incandescent Entertainment