BROWNSVILLE BRED Feature Film Will Open Nationwide in September

Brownsville Bred, the acclaimed coming-of-age drama from writer/director Elaine Del Valle, will open in theaters nationwide on September 19, 2025. The film is a 94-minute live-action narrative feature inspired by Del Valle’s own childhood in 1980s Brownsville, Brooklyn.

The story began as Del Valle’s Off-Broadway one-woman play, which she later adapted into an award-winning novel and an SXSW Audience Award-winning short film. Now, the narrative arrives as a feature-length film, bridging New York grit and Puerto Rican soul in a story of identity, resilience, and family.

A Father-Daughter Story with Broadway Powerhouses

At the heart of Brownsville Bred is Elaine, portrayed with fiery depth by breakout teen star Nathalia Lares (Sunnyland) and, in childhood sequences, by Summer Rose Castillo (Alma’s Way, The Equalizer). Elaine’s father, Manny, is played by Broadway veteran Javier Muñoz (Hamilton, In The Heights), whose performance explores themes of fractured family, redemption, and cultural pride.

The ensemble also includes Susanna Guzmán (Babes), Karina Ortiz (Walking Dead: Dead City), Gabriela Amerth (Música), and Pierre Jean Gonzalez (Hamilton national tour).

“This is a story for anyone who’s ever been told their voice didn’t matter,” said Del Valle. “To see Brownsville Bred grow from a one-woman play into a feature film in theaters nationwide is a dream realized. It is both a love letter to New York and to Puerto Rico—two places that shaped me and this story.”

Film Details

Brownsville Bred follows Elaine as she comes of age in 1980s Brownsville, Brooklyn. On the cusp of becoming a teenager, she navigates her mother’s resilience, the father she resents, and the chaos outside her window while discovering her Puerto Rican roots and the courage to forge her own path.

The film is rated PG-13, runs 94 minutes, and opens nationwide on September 19, 2025.