ANNIVERSARY MONTH, HISPANIC HERITAGE, AND MEXICO’S INDEPENDENCE

ViendoMovies, the pay television movie channel owned by SOMOSTV (a company chaired by Luis Villanueva and part of SOMOS Group), which programs the best contemporary films produced in Spanish, 24 hours a day and without commercial breaks, celebrates during the month of September three stellar events: the nineteenth (19th) anniversary of the channel, the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, and Mexico’s Independence Day. Each of these dates features a special programming of films that reinforce the positioning of the channel, distributed in the United States and Puerto Rico, as the option for modern cinema with high production values, big-screen quality, and the most popular talent from all Spanish-speaking countries.

ViendoMovies was launched on September 5 in the year 2006, with a premium profile and an on-air presence aligned with this position. The channel programs only exclusive films for the channel and first-window PayTV releases, an important option in these times of so much redundancy in title distribution, in addition to programming its films without commercial interruptions. At the same time, and with the advantage of its extensive library, the channel programs, apart from its regular premieres, events with a selection of genres or talents that allow it to function as a promotional space for modern Spanish-language cinema. ViendoMovies, produced entirely in High Definition and with native masters, also includes closed captions in both languages for lovers of good cinema. The channel also covers international film events such as the Oscars, Goya Awards, Ariel Awards, and the Huelva, San Sebastián, Miami, and Chicago festivals, among others where Spanish-language cinema participates, providing a broad and detailed view of this exciting industry. For this occasion, the channel programs, among others, titles such as Carmen y Lola (2018), winner of 2 Goya Awards (Best New Director and Best Supporting Actress); No matarás(2020), winner of the Goya for Best Actor (Mario Casas), nominated for Best Director and Screenplay; Pan de Limón con Semillas de Amapola(2021), nominated for the Goya (Best Adapted Screenplay), winner at the Valladolid Film Festival; Ocho de Cada Diez (2018), awarded at the Málaga Festival (Best Actor and Best Screenplay) and with strong critical reception; as well as the film produced by sister company SOMOS Films El Quinceañero de mi Abuela (2025), a popular comedy.

In line with its origin and mission, the channel also celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, when the contributions of people in the United States with roots in Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries are celebrated. In 1968, Congress designated one week for this celebration, and two decades later expanded it to a month, from September 15 to October 15. The choice of dates is historically significant, since September 15 is the anniversary of the independence of countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. During these days, the channel programs a wide selection of films in genres appropriate to the occasion, rotating approximately 100 high-profile productions in its schedule, such as Mientras dure la guerra, nominated for 17 Goya Awards, winning 5 including Best Director; Handia, winner of 10 Goya Awards (2018), including Best Film and Special Effects; Los Lobos, winner of the Jury Prize at Berlinale (2020) and multiple national awards; Magallanes (2015), awarded in Huelva and Lima, and nominated at the Platino Awards, along with other recognized films.

It would be remiss for a channel focused on the Latino community not to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day, the largest and most important community in the Hispanic market. Mexico has had and continues to have an undeniable demographic and cultural influence in the United States, including its gastronomy. Mexico’s Independence Day is commemorated on September 16, although the main celebrations, such as “El Grito de Dolores,” take place on the night of September 15. This date marks the beginning of the War of Independence in 1810, when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called for rebellion against the Spanish empire. For this celebration, ViendoMovies programs at 9:00 PM El Ombligo de Guie’dani (2018), an award-winning Mexican drama directed by Xavi Sala that addresses themes of identity, social inequality, and cultural resistance from the perspective of a Zapotec indigenous girl. At 11:00 PM, the film El Rey de Todo el Mundo (2021) is shown, a musical and dramatic film directed by legendary Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura. This work is a co-production between Mexico and Spain that celebrates the cultural richness of Mexican folklore through dance, music, and theater. Finally, at 1:00 AM, the channel airs Enamorándome de Abril (2015), a Mexican romantic comedy directed by Joel Núñez Arocha. The film plays with identities, pseudonyms, and the coincidences of fate in the editorial and therapeutic world, all wrapped in a light and charming tone.

ABOUT VIENDOMOVIES

ViendoMovies is a Pay TV channel that programs exclusive contemporary Spanish-language cinema, without commercial interruptions, 24 hours a day, in a premium and culturally relevant package. ViendoMovies is produced in the United States for the Hispanic market of that country and Puerto Rico and is part of SOMOSTV LLC. For more information, visit http://www.viendomovies.com and http://www.somostv.net