Since its inception in 1979 the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema has encouraged and promoted the best of the seventh art in the region. There have been so far 36 the times that Havana has been taken by this event, some of its main arteries will reflect the crowds at the wait between film and film, while most of the cultural and educational institutions, screening rooms, galleries and squares of the city will host multiple projections, among other activities.
This edition, from December 4 to 14, will connect filmmakers and film lovers of all ages, tastes and artistic interests as every year. A total of 116 works of dissimilar formats, looks, genres and audiovisual pretensions will be screened on the 23 cinemas, video rooms of Havana and other collateral alternative spaces. In the Official Section we find one hundred works represented mainly by Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Cuba. 21 feature films will fight for the Coral Award, and there also an equal amount of medium, short and debut films, 30 documentaries, 23 animations and 25 unpublished scripts and 11 posters.
The Samples from Other Latitudes are highly acclaimed and expected by our viewers. This occasion will be conducive to approach to recent films that have received higher international recognition in recent festivals. The always welcomed samples of German, French, Spanish, Italian, American and Canadian film remain and the novelty of this edition will be a sample of Japanese animation. The spaces La hora del corto, Latinoamérica en perspectiva, Los colores de la diversidad, A sala llena, Ciudades y otros paisajes, Vanguardias, Panorama documental, Sector Industria y Nuestra América primera copia will be present along with informative sections. Works of film festivals such as Gramado, Vancouver and Trinidad and Tobago can also be seen.
This edition will pay tribute to the late Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez. A panel on his imprint on Latin American cinema will be made, it will be presented the book Los amores contrariados , by Maria Lourdes Cortés and three documentaries about his work will be screened. Filmmakers Mario Handler, from Uruguay and the Austrian Ulrich Seidl will be other honorees. A Coral award of honor will be granted to the Puerto Rican actor and producer Benicio del Toro, recurring figure in the Havana film event.
As in every year, the cinema is accompanied by other artistic expressions. In Cuba Pavilion, one of the venues of the event, the public can appreciate the posters sample Historiay de un harakiri and a selection of the work of the renowned designer Rafael Morante. Servando gallery will display the sample Ausencia presente, by Marta Maria Perez and La Rampa cinema will host a sample of Czech film and posters.
Posters in competition will also be exhibited at the lobby of Chaplin Movie Theater. Special presentations, sales of books and magazines, conferences and concerts are some of the program activities of this 36th edition.
The acclaimed Spanish-Argentine film Relatos salvajes by Damian Szifrón that is included in the competitive section shall open the festival.
Cuba’s proposal includes the films La pared de las palabras, by Fernando Pérez, Fátima, by Jorge Perugorría, Conducta, by Ernesto Daranas, Venecia, by Enrique Álvarez, Vestido de novia, by Marilyn Solaya; Traigo conmigo, by Brazilian Tata Amaral, La voz en off, by Chilean Cristián Jiménez and Tierra en la lengua, by Colombian Rubén Mendoza, are some of the films that will fight for the awards of this new edition of the Festival which becomes Havana, for 10 days, in the capital of Latin American cinema.