Mickey

SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! In Mickey, Dano Garcia chronicles the uphill battle avant-garde artist Mickey Cundapí, who goes by Mis$ Mickey, faces every day. She lives in Mazatlán, Mexico, which has a teeming and vibrant art history, including its carnival traditions. Despite that, the city is very conservative, especially when it comes to LGBTQIA issues. This puts the trans artist in a confrontational position with several politicians and well-connected figures in the art world. How does Cundapí deal with the undeserved hate? How do the pressures she faces inform her artwork?

Garcia uses home movies from when Cundapí was a child, actual video of the subject’s art, and observational cameras to paint a picture of the artist’s life during her transition. The decade’s worth of footage shot reveals a shift in both the subject and the world at large. This is the ultimate thorough line of the narrative, thematically at least. Cundapí is clearly embracing becoming who she is meant to be, but is (understandably) upset at being overlooked or ignored just because of that. There’s a telling and sweet moment when she and her girlfriend are lying in bed singing a song to each other. It is adorable, but they both know the real world is out there, waiting to judge them. Courage is the name of the game here, and Mickey Cundapí embodies it every minute of the 75-minute runtime.

“…chronicles the uphill battle avant-garde artist Mickey Cundapí, who goes by Mis$ Mickey, faces every day.”

The way Garcia lets the artist’s work speak for itself is a smart move. The filmmaker never puts words in the subject’s mouth; instead, she uses every available avenue to let Cundapí tell and show audiences who she is. That sense of freedom in filmmaking highlights why Garcia, who is also trans, would be drawn to Cundapí’s story and why the director innately knows how to put it up on screen.

Mickey holds a quiet power. Yes, Cundapí’s art is in your face, but the filmmaking style is not. The filmmaker just observes the subject and lets her actions and words do all the heavy lifting. This is a good introduction to the artist known as Mis$ Mickey. It is an even better look at the uphill battle of being oneself in restrictive parts of the world.

Mickey screened at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.