Journey to 'Ozogoche’: Film Screening & Director Q&A

Join the Honors College and the Environmental Studies Department on Friday, May 16, for a screening of the award winning documentary Ozogoche (2023), South American snacks and drinks, and a virtual Q&A with its Director, Joe Houlberg Silva.

Each year, Don Feliciano harvests the Cuvivíe, a migratory bird who inexplicably commits suicide in the Ozogoche Lakes in the mountains of the Ecuadorian Andes. The event is a time of celebration and feast for the surrounding communities. Don Feliciano, as one of the elders, passes down the traditions and history of the Ozogoche’s relationship with the Cuvivie to his granddaughter, Sisa, and the other kids in the villages. However, facing the decline of the Cuvivíe harvest, family members have migrated to the USA; their news coming only through phone calls and TikTok reels. Because nature can no longer provide as it once did, more and more of Don Feliciano’s community now struggle with their choice to leave.

Joe Houlberg Silva studied Film and Philosophy at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and earned an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago SAIC. His professional experience includes directing, assistant directing, and producing film projects. He has produced and/or assisted films of three renowned Ecuadorian directors: Tinta Sangre (2012) directed by Mateo Herrera, El Telón (2013) directed by Victor Arreguí, and Ana Cristina Barragán s first films: Alba (2016) and La Piel Pulpo (2022), which premiered at Rotterdam and San Sebastian respectively.

In 2019, he founded the production company Botón Films, dedicated to producing independent Ecuadorian films that challenge the audiovisual language from an authentic and intimate perspective.

Currently, Joe is involved in the development and production of several projects, including: Ozogoche (2023) his debut documentary, as director and producer, which will premiere at IDFA and received support from various organizations such as Buenos Aires LAB (BAL) at BAFICI, IFCI national fund for documentary production, Co-Production Meeting of the Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG), SANFIC industry in Chile, Nuevas Miradas of EICTV in Cuba, IDFA Bertha Fund Classic, IDFA Bertha Fund Europe Copro, IDFA Project Space, IDFA Forum Rough Cut and the Doha Film Institute fund for post production; La Hiedra (2024), as producer and directed by Ana Cristina Barragán, supported by the IFCI national fund for production, CNC Aide aux cinémas du monde, Ibermedia Production fund, Cinemart IFFR, Brlab in Brazil, Ikusmira Berriak residency from San Sebastian Film Festival, among others; Amapola (2025), also as producer and directed by Ana Cristina Barragán, selected to participate at the Locarno Open Doors HUB; the short film Ave (2023), that recently had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF. 

In addition to his filmmaking endeavors, Joe teaches film at USFQ and is an active member of the Association of Independent Directors and Screenwriters of Ecuador and the Academy of Audiovisual and Cinematographic Arts of Ecuador.