14th Havana Film Festival New York highlights
14th Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY) takes place April 12-19 with more than 45 films, including World, U.S. and N.Y. premieres from Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinos in the US. Participating countries are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the United States.
The full program and complete list of films will be available starting March 11th at www.hffny.com
HFFNY is the annual film and cultural event that New Yorkers eagerly look forward to. The festival offers an international cocktail of award-winning movies and panel discussions featuring distinguished directors, actors and producers.
HIGHLIGHTS OF HFFNY 2013
-Fernando Birri: HFFNY pays tribute to renowned Argentinean filmmaker, writer, and painter Fernando Birri, considered the father of New Latin American Cinema. Fausto Criollo, Paisajes Devorados and Che La Utopía will be showcased. Birri has won many international awards including The Golden Persistence of Vision Award at the 45th San Francisco International Film Festival and the Cóndor de Plata Lifetime Achievement Award by The Film Critics Association of Argentina.
-A Flash-back at the History of Cuban Cinema: A series of films produced before 1959. Luciano Castillo, a film critic, writer and researcher, delves into the evolution of Cuban cinema with a special showcase of films made before the revolution.
-Opening Night: HFFNY opens on April 12th/6:30pm at the Directors Guild Theatre (DGA) with the New York premiere of Amor Crónico (Chronic Love), a film that sways between reality and fiction. It stems from the desire by Grammy-nominated singer CuCu Diamantes to document her experiences in a musical tour throughout several cities in Cuba. Directed by actor Jorge Perugorria, Chronic Love is an exceptional road movie taking Cuban-born, New York-based CuCu Diamantes back to her roots.
-Closing Night: HFFNY wraps up on April 19th/7pm at the Directors Guild Theatre (DGA) with the Havana Star Prize awards ceremony and NY premiere of 7 Cajas (7 Boxes), the great Paraguayan film by Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schembori. This is the story of Víctor, a poor delivery boy at Municipal Market No. 4 in Asunción whose life hinges on the seven mysterious boxes in his wheelbarrow. 7 Cajas was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Premios Goya (Spain's Oscars). It was also a winner at Festival de San Sebastián and the Cockattoo Film Festival in Australia.
-Havana Star Prize: 19 films will compete in fiction for: Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director; in documentary: Best Documentary. The awards ceremony will take place during Closing Night on April 19th, 7p.m. at the Directors Guild Theater (DGA). All films are subtitled in English.
-April 5th First Fridays! at the Bronx Museum of the Arts kicks off the festival with Havana Havana, a documentarythat explores a new generation of musicians inspired by changes in Cuba. Raúl Paz, a famous Cuban musician, assembles a lineup of stars such as Desemer Bueno, Kelvis Ochoa y David Torrens for a concert in Havana. These artists left the island many years ago and return to add a new spirit to Cuban music.
-Free events & films: In partnership with important cultural institutions such as the Museum of the Moving Image, The Bronx Museum of the Arts and Instituto Cervantes, HFFNY 2013 will offer several events free of charge and others at discounted prices.
