Havana Film Festival New York celebrates 11 Years of Latin American Cinema

New York, 28 March 2010. The Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY) launches its second decade, April 16-23, with a program of award-winning films, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions with noted international filmmakers, actors and producers. Special events are scheduled for April 7th at El Museo del Barrio and April 9th at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Over 40 highly anticipated and influential films from and about Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinos in the U.S. will be screened.

A variety of genres and themes from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, U.S. and Uruguay, ranging from comedy, thrillers, drama, film noir and children’s tales, as well as films and documentaries about the influence of music and dance are all part of this year’s Festival.

On April 16th, HFFNY opens with the New York premiere of the Brazilian film, Veronica, 1 pm at the Quad Cinema, the Festival’s primary screening venue. The Opening Night Ceremony and Screening takes place at the New York Directors Guild Theatre, 110 West 57th Street, at 7 pm with the New York premiere of Los Dioses Rotos, the box office sensation and award-winning film by Cuban director Ernesto Daranas. Actress Silvia Aguila will present the film.

Since its inception, HFFNY has recognized and celebrated some of the most illustrious Latin American filmmakers in the industry. Continuing this tradition, HFFNY 2010 honors renowned Cuban writer, director, poet, actor and dramatist Enrique Pineda Barnet, who has given the public more than 4 decades of unforgettable cinema. HFFNY pays him tribute with screenings of Cosmorama, considered the precursor to the contemporary video art movement, and today is part of the permanent collection at the Centro Reina Sofia de España (Queen Sofia of Spain Center); La Bella de la Alhambra, Best Picture winner of the prestigious Goya award; and La Anunciación, his most recent film about the reunion of state-side Cubans and their families.

As the festival enters its second decade, HFFNY established the Havana Star Prize to recognize the work of outstanding filmmakers in the categories of Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The first Havana Star prizes will be awarded at the Closing Night Ceremony on April 23rd at 7 pm at the New York Directors Guild Theatre. Internationally renowned Cuban artist, Yoan Capote, designed the Havana Star Prize especially for HFFNY.

The fifteen films competing for the first Havana Star Prize are:

    * Los Dioses Rotos (Broken Gods) – a love triangle within the modern day Cuban underworld recalls the life of famous politician and pimp Alberto Yarini. Director Ernesto Daranas, Cuba
    * Dawson Isla 10 (Dawson Island) – the harrowing ordeal of deposed President Allende’s cabinet after the 1973 coup who are determined to survive political imprisonment. Director Miguel Littin, Chile
    * La Pasión de Gabriel (Gabriel’s Passion) – a young priest, caught in the middle of a civil war he doesn’t understand, struggles with his love for the church and a young lady. Director Luis Alberto Restrepo, Colombia
    * Hermafrodita - a touching story about a young girl’s struggle in the 60’s to keep her dual sexuality a secret. Director Albert Xavier, Dominican Republic
    * La Bodega (The Warehouse) – a young man and his best friend seek to avenge his sister’s brutal assault. Director Ray Figueroa, Guatemala
    * Huacho – a beautifully conceived story about the struggles of a peasant family in Chile. Winner of the Opera Prima prize at the Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana (New Latin American Cinema of Havana). Director Alejandro Fernandez, Chile
    * La Tigra, Chaco - a sweet and touching story of a young man who, while visiting his father, finds love with an old childhood friend. Directors Federico Godfrid and Juan Sasiaín, Argentina
    * Memories of Overdevelopment – the long-awaited sequel to Tomás Gutierrez Alea’s classic Memorias del Subdesarrollo (Memories of Underdevelopment). Director Miguel Coyula, Cuba
    * Miente (Lie) – an edgy, visually stunning psychological thriller told through the eyes of a young artist. Director Rafi Mercado, Puerto Rico
    * Castro – based on a Samuel Beckett novel, a woman searches for her wayward husband with the help of three hapless men. Director Alejo Moguillansky, Argentina
    * Veronica – the story of an elementary school teacher who while escorting one of her students home, discovers his slain parents and they are forced to go on the run to try to save themselves. Director Mauricio Farias, Brazil
    * El Premio Flaco (The “Booby” Prize) – a comedy about how to laugh at despair when a woman is lifted out of poverty after winning a lottery. Directors Juan Carlos Cremata and Iraida Malberti, Cuba
    * Crónicas Chilangas (Chilango Chronicles) – the intersecting lives of three people in Mexico City – an honest retired teacher, a young man who believes in extraterrestrials and a woman addicted to porn. Director Carlos Enderle, Mexico
    * Libertador Morales, El Justiciero – an honest motorcycle-taxi driver and law-abiding citizen, Libertador Morales becomes El Justiciero, an avenging hero who foils the crime spree of a local Caracas street gang. Director Efterpi Charalambidis, Venezuela
    * Historias Extraordinarias (Extraordinary Stories) – a visually stunning and award-winning film that weaves together three separate and seemingly unconnected stories. Director Mariano Llinas, Argentina

SPECIAL GUESTS OF THE FESTIVAL

Returning after several years of absence is the Cuban delegation:

Enrique Pineda Barnet – Director, La Anunciación

Silvia Aguila – Actress, Los Dioses Rotos

Hector Noas – Actor, Los Dioses Rotos

Juan Carlos Cremata and Iraida Malberti – Directors, El Premio Flaco

Ian Padron – Director, Eso Que Anda / Van Van Fever

Susana Molina – Vice President, ICAIC

Rosa Maria Molina – Director of International Relations, ICAIC

Leon Gieco – Director, Mundo Alas, Argentina

Diego Vasquez – Actor/Writer, La Pasión de Gabriel, Colombia

Albert Xavier – Director, Hermafrodita, Dominican Republic

Rafi Mercado – Director, Miente, Puerto Rico

Miguel Coyula – Director, Memories of Overdevelopment, U.S.-Cuba

Carlos Enderle - Director, Crónicas Chilangas, Mexico

Alejandra Villasmil – Artistic Director, Huacho, Chile

Efterpi Charalambidis – Director, Libertador Morales, Venezuela

Ernesto Cabellos - Director, De Ollas y Sueños, Peru

Mariano Llinás – Director, Historias Extraordinarias, Argentina

Ignacio Rey – Producer, La Tigra, Chaco, Argentina

Ray Figueroa – Director, La Bodega, Guatemala

Estela Bravo – Director, Anecdotes about Fidel, Cuba

Alfredo Calvino – CEO, Latino Fusion

Maria Marta Antin – Universidad del Cine, Buenos Aires Talent Campus

Pablo Medina – Director, El Play, U.S-Dominican Republic

Alejandro Lora – Director, Homo Erectus, Cuba

Israel Rodirguez - Director, The Extraordinary Life of Fernando Bujones, U.S

Ivy Goulart – Director, Beyond the Light, Brazil

HFFNY is made possible with public funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, a state agency and supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Mayor Bloomberg’s Latin Media and Entertainment Commission (LMEC) supports the festival. HFFNY is included in New York City’s Immigrant Heritage Week celebration.

The Havana Film Festival New York is a project of American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (AFLFC), a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization building cultural bridges between the U.S. and Cuba through programs in the arts.

For a complete schedule of events and venues, please log on to www.hffny.com/2010
Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20100327161827zzzz.nb/topstory.html