Cinema Tropical announced that the coming-of-age drama Summer of Three, directed by Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz, won two major prizes in the Tribeca Film Festival’s U.S. Narrative Competition: the Screenplay Award and the Performance Award, for actors Marcel Ruiz, Paolo Schoene, and Kiki Montilla. The Cinema Tropical team writes that the Puerto Rican film is “a deeply personal father-son collaboration between director Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz (Maldeamores) and actor-writer-producer Marcel Ruiz (One Day at a Time).” Read the review below.
[. . .] This marks the second consecutive year that a Puerto Rican film has received major recognition at Tribeca. In 2025, Esta Isla, directed by Cristian Carretero and Lorraine Jones Molina, won three awards in the same U.S. Narrative Competition: Best New Narrative Director, Best Cinematography, and a Special Jury Mention for Best U.S. Narrative Feature.
The film follows 17-year-old Javi, who returns alone to Puerto Rico years after leaving the island following his father’s death, this time for his grandfather’s funeral. What begins as a reluctant trip soon becomes an unexpected homecoming that compels him to confront his past and reshapes his understanding of belonging.
Back in his childhood home, the suffocating heat, buried memories, and chaotic surroundings convince him that this will be the worst summer of his life. That changes when he meets Luife and Kiki, two larger-than-life misfits who pull him into their orbit. As the three drift through a vibrant, ever-evolving Puerto Rico, Javi becomes entangled in a tender yet volatile love triangle that challenges his ideas of love, friendship, and grief.
Set against the island’s lush landscapes and contemporary cultural rhythms, Summer of Three reflects a generation navigating identity, belonging, and emotional awakening. Through an intimate and sensorial approach, anchored by naturalistic performances, the film immerses viewers in a portrait of youth shaped by music, intimacy, and the complexities of returning home. Its soundtrack— a curated blend of reggaeton classics and emerging voices from Puerto Rico’s indie scene— further roots the film in the island’s youthful energy.
Directed with warmth and sensitivity, Ruiz-Ruiz’s latest feature is both an ode to a new generation of Puerto Ricans and a celebration of the island’s future. The film brings together a cast that includes newcomers Kiki Montilla—who inspired her own character—and Paolo Schoene. Intimately lensed by Pablo Ascanio, Summer of Three offers an immersive and emotionally resonant portrait of adolescence, capturing the fragile space between friendship, desire, and self-discovery during a transformative summer.
For full review, go to https://www.cinematropical.com/cinema-tropical/puerto-ricos-summer-of-three-wins-two-prizes-at-tribeca
Read the review in Spanish at https://www.cinematropical.com/cinema-tropical/carlitos-ruiz-ruiz-y-su-hijo-marcel-ruiz-se-unen-en-summer-of-three-que-tendr-su-estreno-mundial-en-tribeca Also see https://tribecafilm.com/festival/film/us-narrative-competition
Cinema Tropical announced that the coming-of-age drama Summer of Three, directed by Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz, won two major prizes in the Tribeca Film Festival’s U.S. Narrative Competition: the Screenplay Award and the Performance Award, for actors Marcel Ruiz, Paolo Schoene, and Kiki Montilla. The Cinema Tropical team writes that the Puerto Rican film is “a deeply
