The Newport Beach Film Festival’s 2007 line-up features a world class selection of Latin American films and documentaries including the North American premiere of “El Camino De San Diego” (The Road to San Diego) and the West Coast premiere of “Sonhos de Peixe” (Fish Dreams). The Latino Spotlight will be held on Sunday April 22nd and will include screenings of Pretendiendo (Ugly Me), Vinicius and Un Mundo Maravilloso (A Wonderful World). An after party will be held at the Orange County Museum of Art. A brief synopsis of each film is listed below.

The 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 19-29, 2007, and will showcase more than 350 films from around the world, offering an ambitious and international selection of features, shorts, documentaries and animation that will compete for both Jury and Audience awards.
The festival is expected to attract more than 35,000 people in 2007.

COMO PASAN LAS HORAS (THE HOURS GO BY)
Monday, April 23rd, 4:00 p.m. in the O.C. Register Theatre.
(Argentina) A father takes his son to the beach while his wife spends the afternoon with her ailing mother. Their simple, family life goes on as if nothing else in the world matters. But does anyone's heaven last forever? Like an unfinished poem searching for an ending, this artful film takes you places you wouldn't expect. It's magical.


DREAM HAVANA
Monday, April 23rd,
(U.S./Cuba) In August, 1994, more than 33,000 Cubans attempted to escape the island by sea. Two writers, friends since adolescence, are faced with a choice-continue struggling with the hardships of the island or brave the open water on a homemade raft? Santana remains in Cuba, suffering through his country's economic crisis. Jorge chooses the sea and must endure a three year odyssey of refugee camps and uncertainty that leads him to a life as an award-winning reporter in Chicago. In 2001, Santana publishes a novel which wins Cuba's top literary prize and recieves permission to fly to México for the awards ceremony, his first time off the island. Jorge arrives and the two friends reunite at the edge of the Pacific.


SONHOS DE PEIXE (FISH DREAMS)
Friday, April 20th,
(Brazil) The story of a 17-year-old young man from northeastern Brazil who attempts to support himself by lobster diving. Deeply infatuated with a local girl, complications arise when another boy enters the picture and upsets the delicate balance between them.

UN MUNDO MARAVILLOSO (A WONDERFUL WORLD)
Sunday, April 22nd,
(Mexico) After a world conference on poverty declares there are no more poor people in Mexico, a homeless beggar named Juan Perez becomes a national hero through an accidental and humorous twist of fate. A high-level government official seizes an opportunity to exploit the media by using Perez for political gain. His actions and those that follow, set off a unique and unconventional chain of events. This dark political satire takes audiences on a funny and illuminating journey, highlighted by superb production design and cinematography.

ACHADOS E PERDIDOS (LOST AND FOUND)
Friday, April 20th,
(Brazil) An ex-cop is involved in the death of his lover, a prostitute who works in the streets of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. After her death, strange events begin to unfold while as he is haunted by the police and criminals from his past.

EL CAMINO DE SAN DIEGO (THE ROAD TO SAN DIEGO)
Friday, April 20th, & Sunday, April 22nd,
(Argentina) A young Argentine backwoodsman learns that soccer star Diego Maradona is ailing in a Buenos Aires hospital, and resolves to bring him a tree root he's uncovered--which he's certain looks just like his idol. Tracing a pilgrimage filled with humor, writer-director Carlos Sorin spins a delightfully offbeat tale about the roles that fate, religion and idolatry can play in life.

PRETENDIENDO (UGLY ME)
Sunday, April 22nd,
(Chile) Amanda is humiliated by her lover and fired from her job. She decides to move to a new town and start over, but this time by making herself up as an ugly woman in an effort to be taken seriously. When she meets a cocky new coworker and quintessential 'player,' she decides to go one step further and test him by playing both her ugly persona and her real one. But juggling a double life proves harder than she'd imagined, and when real feelings begin to develop she finds her comedy of errors has turned into an odd and sexy love triangle.