The Old Man and the Parrot will make its world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival on February 20, 2026, with an encore screening scheduled for February 22 at the Landmark Theater in Los Angeles. Directed and co-written by Gabriel de Varona and produced and co-written by Kevin Ondarza, the film presents an absurdist dark comedy shaped by themes of grief, survival, and the immigrant experience.
Veteran character actor Ruben Rabasa takes on his first leading role after more than four decades in film and television. The story follows Praxi, who storms into the home of a spiritual guru carrying a pistol and a taxidermied parrot, insisting the bird contains the soul of his lost love, Yoelvis. When the guru proves unable to help, his estranged daughter becomes entangled in the mystery as Praxi recounts a past romance, an unrealized plan to open a vegan Cuban restaurant, and the events that led to the supposed curse.
Blending surreal humor with emotional stakes, The Old Man and the Parrot builds toward a decision that forces its protagonist to confront the pull of memory versus the possibility of moving forward. The Slamdance screenings will introduce audiences to Rabasa in a rare central performance while spotlighting a film that approaches loss and redemption through an unconventional lens.
