
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
SINCE: 1998
WHERE: Austin, Texas, USA
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival is … based in Austin Texas. The festival provide a rare showcase of films and videos from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula. The film festival celebrates films and videos made by or about Latinx in the U.S. or the rest of the world, as well as films and videos by or about indigenous groups of the Americas are also featured.
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
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TORMENTS OF LOVE Win Top Prizes at 21st Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_28932" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Tourments d’amour / Torments of Love[/caption] The 21st Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF21) concluded on Sunday, May 6th with announcements of the winners, presented by festival director Jean Anne Lauer. The evening’s ceremony was followed by a screening of the closing night film Kayak to Klemtu (Canada), with writer and director Zoe Hopkins in attendance. “This year’s closing night celebrated 21 years of Cine Las Americas in the company of many returning fans and supporters, as well as with attendees who were joining us for the first time – which is everything any festival team hopes for” stated Lauer. “We opened the festival with a life-affirming journey from South America to Europe, and ended it with a kayak adventure along the west coast of Canada, and throughout the week we enjoyed hearing audience responses to those films and every one they viewed in between.”
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2018 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival to Open with EL ÚLTIMO TRAJE (THE LAST SUIT) [ Complete Lineup ]
EL ÚLTIMO TRAJE (THE LAST SUIT) This year’s twenty-first Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF21) will kick off on Wednesday, May 2nd, with the drama/comedy EL ÚLTIMO TRAJE (THE LAST SUIT), directed by Pablo Solarz and starring Miguel Ángel Solá.
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DELICATE BALANCE, ON THE ROOF, MARA’AKAME’S DREAM Win Awards at 2017 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22253" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]ON THE ROOF[/caption] The 20th annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF20) concluded with announcements of the winners, followed by the closing night film Sueño en Otro Idioma / I Dream in Another Language (Mexico/Netherlands), directed by Ernesto Contreras and with actor Eligio Meléndez in attendance. “The closing night ceremonies are always a special time for us to come together to honor the winners and celebrate the festival as a whole. This year was no exception, as it marked the twentieth festival wrap for Cine Las Americas. The films in competitive categories are a sample of an extensive program, through which we aim to showcase the diversity and excellence of contemporary Ibero-American and American Indigenous films and videos. We hope that audience members have enjoyed this year’s festival experience, from the film screenings, to discussions with invited guests and filmmakers, to the special programs, all of which are representative of the voices of amazing talent emanating from all over the Americas and beyond” stated Lauer. The festival showcased contemporary films from the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. The selection was comprised of 172 films and videos representing 28 countries in production or co-production of the titles. All films were presented in English and/or subtitled. The festival granted jury and audience awards in nine categories, including the annual Hecho en Tejas competition, and the Emergencia Youth Film competition. Please join us in congratulating the following winners.
Narrative Feature Competition
Jury Awards
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature EL TECHO / ON THE ROOF Dir. Patricia Ramos, Cuba/Nicaragua Jury Honorable Mention EL SUEÑO DEL MARA’AKAME / MARA’AKAME’S DREAM Dir. Federico Cecchetti, MexicoAudience Award
Audience Award for Narrative Feature EL SUEÑO DEL MARA’AKAME / MARA’AKAME’S DREAM Dir. Federico Cecchetti, Mexico EL TECHO (ON THE ROOF) and EL SUEÑO DEL MARA’AKAME (MARA’AKAME’S DREAM) are also winners of an InkTip Script Listing. InkTip Script Listings provide writers/filmmakers with the opportunity to get their scripts read by InkTip’s extensive network of producers, reps, manager, agents, and other qualified industry professionals.Documentary Feature Competition
Jury Awards
Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature FRÁGIL EQUILIBRIO / DELICATE BALANCE Dir. Guillermo García López, Spain/Uruguay/USA/Morocco/Mexico/Jordan/Japan/Hong Kong/Chile Jury Honorable Mention JONAS E O CIRCO SEM LONA / JONAS AND THE BACKYARD CIRCUS Dir. Paula Gomes, BrazilAudience Award
Audience Award for Documentary Feature FRÁGIL EQUILIBRIO / DELICATE BALANCE Dir. Guillermo García López, Spain/Uruguay/USA/Morocco/Mexico/Jordan/Japan/Hong Kong/ChileNarrative Short Film Competition
Jury Award for Best Narrative Short PISCINA / POOL Dir. Leandro Goddinho, Brazil Jury Honorable Mention SHINAAB Dir. Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr., USADocumentary Short Competition
Jury Award for Best Documentary Short EL BUZO / THE DIVER Dir. Esteban Arrangoiz, Mexico Jury Honorable Mention for Celebrating Underrepresented Voices in Film EVEN WITH THEIR NAILS: WOMEN FILMMAKERS IN NICARAGUA Dir. Tania Romero, Nicaragua/USA Jury Honorable Mention for Cinematography DAS ÁGUAS QUE PASSAM / RUNNING WATERS Dir. Diego Zon, BrazilHecho en Tejas Competition
Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Award THE HISTORY OF MAGIC: ENSUEÑO Dir. Jose Luis Gonzalez, USA Hecho en Tejas Audience Award AFTER FIRE Dir. Brittany Huckabee, USAMusic Video Competition
Audience Award for Best Music Video QUEMAYAMAYA Dir. Javier Garcia, MexicoEmergencia Youth Film Competition
Audience Award for Best Youth Film (tie) THE FRUIT LEATHER GANG & THE CASE OF THE HAUNTED DOUGHNUT Dir. Zinnia, Ramon, Alina, Javier Austin Film School, Austin, TX, USA SOVEREIGN’S WATER Dir. Verel Moon On Native Ground, Forestville, CA, USA
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Indie Thriller HARBINGER to World Premiere at Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
The fantasy/eco-thriller Harbinger, the debut feature of writer-director Cody Duckworth, will have its world premiere at the 19th Annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. Austin-based entertainment company luzworks produced Harbinger, a cautionary fairy tale in the tradition of the Brothers Grimm that follows a young girl and her family who leave the city for an idyllic location to escape her nightmares, only to find more horrific experiences in reality than she could have ever dreamed. Literature is rich with examples of tales that were not only intended for children but for adults as well. Harbinger does owe its story line to classic folklore in a modern way. Just as Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is a message about innocent children seeing things more clearly than adults, Harbinger stresses an environmental theme that is current and socially significant for all ages. The film’s tag line says it all: “Not all fairy tales are created equal.” “I love the magic of storytelling,” intones the movies’ director Cody Duckworth, “When I was a kid, the whole world seemed all at once magical and frightening. Adults need more fairy tales in their lives. It helps explain the real world in a less invasive way … because Marvel comic book characters can only do so much.” Harbinger most recently won a Silver Remi Award in the Fantasy/Horror category at the 49th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival. However, the filmmakers chose to premiere Harbinger in Austin instead of Houston. Writer-director Cody Duckworth was born and raised in Boerne, Texas, a small town outside of San Antonio. He studied Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts. Harbinger will premiere at the festival on May 7th at 4pm at The Marchesa Hall and Theatre, in Austin, Texas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAKae0lHIBk
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CLIMAS, POWER AND IMPOTENCE: A DRAMA IN 3 ACTS Win Top Awards at 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
The 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival wrapped on Sunday, April 26th with the screening of the closing night film Mr. Kaplan directed by Alvaro Brechner of Uruguay, and the awards ceremony. The festival awarded CLIMAS directed by Enrica Pérez of Peru (pictured above) the winner of the Jury Award for Best Narrative Featu
re, and POWER AND IMPOTENCE: A DRAMA IN 3 ACTS (PODER E IMPOTENCIA, UN DRAMA EN 3 ACTOS) directed by Anna Recalde Miranda, won the Jury Award for Best Documentar y Feature. “It is always such a pleasure to wrap the festival with a celebration of jury and audience honorees. As awards are announced, it allows all of us to reflect on the past days of the festival–all the films we viewed both in and out of competition–and what has really stuck with us. I’m especially proud of the diversity and artistic excellence represented by this year’s program, which is exemplified by this year’s competition winners” stated Festival Director Jean Lauer. Narrative Feature Competition Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature CLIMAS Directed by Enrica Pérez, Peru Documentary Feature Competition Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature PODER E IMPOTENCIA, UN DRAMA EN 3 ACTOS (POWER AND IMPOTENCE: A DRAMA IN 3 ACTS) Director: Anna Recalde Miranda, Paraguay/France/Italy Special Jury Prize in Cinematography HOTEL NUEVA ISLA Directed by Irene Gutiérrez, Javier Labrador, Cuba/Spain Narrative Short Film Competition Jury Award for Best Narrative Short INDIGO Directed by Amanda Strong, Canada Honorable Mention for Acting EL SERMÓN DE LA MONTAÑA (Sermon on the Mount) Directed by Pepe Puertas Piñero, Spain Documentary Short Competition Jury Award for Best Documentary Short FLOR DE LA MAR (Flower of the Sea) Directed by Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela Hecho en Tejas Competion Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Award POR QUÉ EL RECUERDO (THE SOLITUDE OF MEMORY) Directed by Juan Pablo González, Mexico/USA Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Honorable Mention EL FUEGO DETRÁS (THE FIRE BEHIND) Directed by Leo Aguirre, USA Audience Award for Narrative Feature (Tie) O ÚLTIMO CINE DRIVE-IN (THE LAST DRIVE-IN THEATER) Directed by Iberê Carvalho, Brazil VIENTO APARTE (A SEPARATE WIND) Directed by Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Mexico Audience Award for Documentary Feature TRES MUJERES GUERRERAS (THREE WOMEN WARRIORS) Directed by Alexander Preuss, Germany/Colombia Audience Award for Best Music Video EL MARINERO Y LA SIRENA (THE SAILOR AND THE MERMAID) Directed by Patricia Vonne, USA Audience Award for Best “Emergencia” Youth Film THE LONELY BAKER Directed by Cyntheara Tham, Allison McInerney, Ayanna Marte RAW Art Works, Lynn, MA, USA
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Cine Las Americas International Film Festival Announces 2015 Film Lineup
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival announced its 2015 program, including the Hecho en Tejas showcases. All films are presented in English or with English subtitles (if English is not the original language). The 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival is scheduled for April 22-26, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The full festival lineup includes 41 feature films, 49 short films, and 5 music videos, in representation of 18 countries’ participation in production and co-production of the films. Hecho en Tejas films are shot and/or produced in Texas and showcase the wide variety of work by filmmakers with varied backgrounds and experience. This year, the Hecho en Tejas program includes two feature films, six short films, and two music videos. About the Hecho en Tejas Films Features Agave is Life (pictured above) Dir. David Brown, Meredith Dreiss Historical/Cultural Documentary, 2014 AGAVE IS LIFE is the story of mankind’s alliance with the agave plant, from which tequila is derived. Told through the lens of archaeological and historical investigations, and narrated by Edward James Olmos, the film explores ten thousand years of the human-agave relationship. Once a critical resource for hunter-gatherers, agave was a source of food, drink, textiles, fuel, and medicines. We learn that this unique desert plant, once embedded in cultural identity, mythology, art, and rituals, faces an uncertain future. Today, ancient folkways, from fiber craftsmanship to traditional pulque and mescal productions, are rapidly disappearing. While entrepreneurs and scientists work to turn the tide, a loss of diversity of both cultivated and wild species may be the ultimate arbitrator. What’s the Use? Dir. Nicole Elmer Alternative/Comedy/Drama, 2014 Seventeen year-old Sara defends her pride from a career oriented greasy-spoon waitress and her potty mouth. In the gymnastics of her self-defense, she recalls the night when she moved home to live with her father Tony, a skinny loser fresh out of rehab. Determined to start their lives over, he throws her a birthday party, only to have it wrecked by Shy, a dangerous loan shark. Pissed by her father’s passive retreat into his bedroom, Sara sets off to find Shy and take care of her father’s debt on her own. On her journey through the 4th of July heat of Austin, Texas, she meets a love-starved perfectionist, a professional Love Guru, and an eccentric who is planning a painless suicide. Finally reaching Shy, he pushes her fragile ego to the edge, where she is forced to finally see her family’s dark secret and realize she might be her own greatest enemy. Shorts ¿Por qué el recuerdo? (The Solitude of Memory), Dir. Juan Pablo González El fuego detrás (The Fire Behind), Dir. Leo Aguirre Jornaleras (Women Workers), Dir. Marcela Moran Morgan Robyn Collado, Dir. Danea Johnson Sunrise, Dir. Diego Rico Yo soy Juan (I am Juan), Dir. Patrick Rangel Music Videos El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga Film Titles from Full Program, by Program Section New Releases OPENING NIGHT: The Martini Shot, Dir. Demetrius Navarro, USA CLOSING NIGHT: Mr. Kaplan, Dir. Álvaro Brechner, Spain/Uruguay/Germany ADDITIONAL TITLES: Buscando a Gastón (Finding Gaston), Dir. Patricia Perez, USA/Peru Castanha, Dir. Davi Pretto, Brazil Dólares de arena (Sand Dollars), Dir. Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, Argentina/Mexico/Dominican Republic Feriado (Holiday), Dir. Diego Araujo, Ecuador/Argentina La isla minima (Marshland), Dir. Alberto Rodríguez, Spain La voz en off (Voice Over), Dir. Cristián Jiménez, Chile/France/Canada The Lodge, Dir. Terril Calder, Canada This May Be the Last Time, Dir. Sterlin Harjo, USA Tres D (Three D), Dir. Rosendo Ruíz, Argentina Viejos amigos (Good Old Boys), Dir. Fernando Villarán, Peru Narrative Feature Competition Climas, Dir. Enrica Pérez, Peru El futuro (The Future), Dir. Luis López Carrasco, Spain Los enemigos del dolor (The Enemies of Pain), Dir. Arauco Hernandez, Uruguay O Último Cine Drive-in (The Last Drive-in Theater), Dir. Iberê Carvalho, Brazil Viento aparte (A Separate Wind), Dir. Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Mexico Documentary Feature Competition Gazelle – The Love Issue, Dir. Cesar Terranova, Brazil/French Polynesia/USA Hotel Nueva Isla, Dir. Irene Gutierrez, Javier Labrador, Cuba/Spain La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala, Dir. Pia Janning, Til Frohlich, Ireland/Guatemala Poder e impotencia, Un drama en 3 actos (Power and Impotence: A Drama in 3 Acts), Dir. Anna Recalde Miranda, Paraguay/France/Italy Tres mujeres guerreras (Three Women Warriors), Dir. Alexander Preuss, Germany/Colombia Ambulante Showcase El hogar al revés (Upside Down Home), Dir. Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, Mexico H20mx, Dir. José Cohen, Mexico Retratos de una búsqueda (Portraits of a Search), Dir. Alicia Calderón, Mexico Panorama Features Algún lugar (On the Road, Somewhere), Dir. Guillermo Zouain, Dominican Republic Anatomía de un vestido (Anatomy of a Dress), Dir. Flora Pérez Garay, Puerto Rico Asolagados (Flooded), Dir. David Vázquez Vázquez, Spain Ati y Mindhiva (As the Tree Under the Hurricane), Dir. Claudia Fischer, Colombia BKLYN 11211, Dir. Zac73dragon, Spain/Bolivia/USA Chuy, El hombre lobo (Chuy, The Wolf Man), Dir. Eva Aridjis, Mexico Dos Aguas (Two Waters), Dir. Patricia Velásquez, Costa Rica/Colombia Flory’s Flame, Dir. Curt Fissel, USA Genoveva, Dir. Paola Castillo Villagran, Chile Icaros, Dir. Georgina Barreiro, Argentina/Peru Les indiens, l’aigle et le dindon (The Indians, the Eagle and the Turkey), Dir. Iphigénie Marcoux-Fortier, Karine van Ameringen, Canada Movimientos espectaculares (Spectacular Movements), Dir. Mateo Hinojosa, Bolivia/USA/Venezuela Oil & Water, Dir. Francine Strickwerda, Laurel Spellman Smith, USA Salgán & Salgán: A Father-Son Tango, Dir. Caroline Neal, Argentina Narrative Shorts Competition Bolero para surfear en Moravia (Bolero for Surfing in Moravia), Dir. Valerio Mendoza Guillén, Venezuela/Czech Republic El sermón de la montaña (Sermon on the Mount), Dir. Pepe Puertas Piñero, Spain Indigo, Dir. Amanda Strong, Canada La carta (The Letter), Dir. Mara Soler, Mexico Leonard Peres, Dir. Missy Hernandez, USA Documentary Shorts Competition Dona Rosa, Dir. Mathias Mangin, Lucas Mandacaru, Brazil Elena Asins – Génesis, Dir. Álvaro Giménez Sarmiento, Spain Flor de la mar (Flower of the Sea), Dir. Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela I Was Born in Mexico, But…, Dir. Corey Ohama, USA Nuestro hogar (Our Home), Dir. Detsy “Mara” Barrigon, Iván Jaripio, Panama Music Videos C.T.R.L, Dir. Mariana Conde, United Kingdom El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne, USA (Hecho en Tejas) La ciudad (The City), Dir. Javier Orman, Tom Farrell, USA Nitahkôtân (I Have Arrived), Dir. Moe Clark, Canada Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga, USA (Hecho en Tejas) Indigenous Shorts Program – Retrospective Día 2 (Day 2), Dir. Dante Cerano Bautista, Mexico Late, Dir. Christi Bertelsen, USA Mohawk Midnight Runners, Dir. Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Canada Poi Dogs, Dir. Joel Moffett, USA Roberta, Dir. Caroline Monnet, Canada Search for the World’s Best Indian Taco, Dir. Steven Judd, USA Smoke Break, Dir. Sally Kewayosh, USA Panorama Shorts 2 and 2, are 4, Dir. Pedro Sena Nunes, Portugal Aceito (I Do), Dir. Felipe Cabral, Brazil Beyond Recognition, Dir. Michelle Grace Steinberg, USA Bloodlines, Dir. Christopher Cegielski, USA Caballo de mar (Knight of the Seas), Dir. Fernando Alcántara, Iñaki Gaztañaga, Spain Deseo (Desire), Dir. Carolina Cortella, Argentina En la orilla (At the Edge), Dir. Liza Hoos, Xavier Basurto, Mexico Inch’ Allah, Dir. Angélica Romanini, Mexico Nudo (Knot), Dir. Juliana Gómez Castañeda, Cuba Soberano papeleo (Sovereign Paperwork), Dir. Lala Severi, Uruguay Una pared (A Wall), Dir. Javier Ferreiro, Cuba YO, la PEOR de TODAS (I, the WORST of ALL), Dir. Francisco Lupini, USA Emergencia “Youth Film” Special Presentation Cine Joven Latinitas Showcase, Various Directors, USA Emergencia “Youth Film” Competition Lineup A Harmonious Cacophony, Dir. Marielle Boland, Isabela Reid, USA A Pirate’s Life, Dir. Isabella Olaguera, Nick Haaf, USA Can I Help You?, Dir. Pedro Salles Leite, Brazil Ella (Elle), Dir. David Hebrero, Spain Growing, Dir. Allison Coon-Come, Canada Háblame (Talk to Me), Dir. Alba Linares, Spain Kayna Wawaiki Jamuni (Now I Come as Your Son), Dir. Nicolas Page, Chile La boda de las calaveras, Dir. Ricardo Miguel Salazar, USA Little Red, Dir. Wynter Rhys, USA Never Comes Easy, Dir. Naate, Canada Pleasant, Dir. Miranda Whitus, USA Sin madre (Without A Mother), Dir. Buffy Almendares, USA The Lonely Baker, Dir. Cyntheara Tham, Allison McInerney, Ayanna Marte, USA The Only Road, Dir. Sergio Valencia, Nathan Miguel, Alan Bagh, USA For the 18th consecutive year, Austin will serve as host to a wide range of international films and filmmakers as the festival creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for statewide audiences. The festival will showcase contemporary films from the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. All films are presented in English and/or subtitled.
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Ambulante to Showcase Mexican Documentary Films at 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_7862" align="alignnone" width="1180"]EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME[/caption] Cine Las Americas is partnering with Ambulante to present a special series of three documentary films at the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, taking place April 22-26, 2015. The Ambulante Showcase screenings will take place at 8pm on three consecutive evenings, Thursday April 23rd, Friday April 24th, and Saturday April 25th, in the Jones Auditorium at the Ragsdale Center, located on the campus of St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. The screenings are free and open to the public. Ambulante was founded in 2005 by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes,and is a Mexico based non-profit organization that annually organizes an international documentary film festival, touring Mexico for three months. Through the presentation of films, workshops, talks, seminars, networking panels, and documentary theater, Ambulante opens up different ways of experiencing and understanding documentary film. The Ambulante festival is currently holding its 10th edition, which will be closing in the state of Oaxaca next May 3 after 92 days on tour. “For Cine Las Americas, this partnership with Ambulante represents an opportunity to share with our festival audience a series of films in line with both organizations’ missions,” said Cine Las Americas Festival Director Jean Lauer. “Ambulante’s mission to ‘cultivate new forms of expression and encourage debate’ compliments Cine’s objective of ‘promote cross-cultural understanding … through film and media arts.’ We are confident that this is the beginning of a long-term collaboration in support of documentary films and discourse around important contemporary issues.” The Ambulante showcase during the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will be hosted by special guest Christine Davila, Director of Ambulante California. The showcase consists of three documentary films from Mexico, exploring contemporary issues that resonate across the border. EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME (2014), a moving portrait directed by Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, presents the lives of women looking forward and chasing their dreams, while working day and night, and shines a light on their children, who learn to survive without their mother’s available daily presence. RETRATOS DE UNA BÚQUEDA / PORTRAITS OF A SEARCH (2014), directed by Alicia Calderón, is a window into the impact of the Mexican drug war and specifically how thousands of mothers search for their missing daughters and sons as a result of the war. H2OMX (2014), directed by José Cohen and Lorenzo Hagerman, examines the question of whether Mexico City, with over 20 million residents, can avert disaster and become water-sustainable.
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Uruguayan Film “Mr. Kaplan” to Close Cine Las Americas Intl Film Festival
Mr. Kaplan will be this year’s closing film for the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival taking place on Sunday, April 26. The Uruguayan film is written and directed by Alvaro Brechner (Bad Day to Go Fishing) and is loosely inspired by the story of the filmmaker’s own grandfather. The comedy and drama is the story of an elderly Jewish man who has built a quiet life for himself in Uruguay after fleeing from Europe during WWII. But now at 76, he’s become convinced that he’s discovered a Nazi in hiding and plans to expose him. The cast stars Hector Noguera, Nestor Guzzini and Rolf Becker. “We’re pleased to have confirmed this presentation of Mr. Kaplan by one of Latin America’s leading writer-directors. Both Mr. Kaplan and Brechner’s first feature Bad Day to Go Fishing were submitted by Uruguay to the Academy for consideration for best foreign-language film, and this will be a great way to wrap this year’s festival” said Festival Director Jean Lauer. Mr. Kaplan director Brechner is not new to Cine Las Americas’ audiences. His film Bad Day to Go Fishing /Mal Día Para Pescar, took home both the Jury and Audience Awards for Best First or Second Narrative Feature at the 2010 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. For the 18th consecutive year, Austin will serve as host to a wide range of international films and filmmakers as the festival creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for statewide audiences. The festival will showcase contemporary films from the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. All films are presented in English and/or subtitled. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHVNUYy7y5w
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Award Winners Announced For 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
MATEO directed by María Gamboa
Cine Las Americas announced the award winners for the 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, which took place April 22 to 27 in Austin, Texas. The festival grants jury awards in the categories of Narrative Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, Narrative Short Film, and Documentary Short Film. The Hecho en Tejas Jury Award is presented in partnership with the Texas Archive for the Moving Image (TAMI). In addition, four audience awards are recognized: Audience Award for Narrative Feature, Audience Award for Documentary Feature, Audience Award for Best Hecho en Tejas Film and the Emergencia Audience Award, granted to the most popular youth film. MATEO directed by María Gamboa swept the major awards winning both the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature.
17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival Award Winners
Narrative Feature Competition
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
MATEO
Dir. María Gamboa, Colombia/FranceMateo, 16, collects extortion money on behalf of his uncle and uses his pay to help out his mother, who grudgingly accepts the ill-gotten money out of need. They live by themselves in the poor, violent neighborhoods alongside the Magdalena River valley in Colombia. To prove his worth, Mateo agrees to infiltrate a local theater group in order to uncover its members’ political activities. As he becomes enthralled with the free-flowing creative lifestyle of the troupe, his uncle escalates demands on him to produce incriminating information on the actors. Under pressure, Mateo must make difficult choices. At the Miami International Film Festival, where MATEO had its world premiere, the film won Best First Feature and Best Screenplay.
http://youtu.be/tYYStTWt76M
Special Jury Award for Best Comedy
LA DESPEDIDA (The Goodbye)
Dir. Alvaro Diaz Lorenzo, Spain/USADocumentary Feature Competition
Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature
ROQUE DALTON, ¡FUSILEMOS LA NOCHE! (Roque Dalton, Let’s Shoot the Night!)
Dir. Tina Leish, Austria/El Salvador/CubaROQUE DALTON, ¡FUSILEMOS LA NOCHE! is a poetic documentary, a manifesto both for reading poetry and for living a life that takes responsibility for the state of the world. Roque Dalton (1935-1975) is El Salvador’s most important poet. His life is an adventure, his poetry an exciting shower of sparks between political utopia and sensuality, revolutionary beliefs and lust for heresy. As playful as Roque Dalton’s poetry, this film interweaves interviews with his family, friends, lovers and contemporaries with touching readings of his works by students, actors, prostitutes, prisoners, famous friends and the children of the underprivileged protagonists of his works. The film has screened to great success on the festival circuit, including important stops at the Havana Film Festival and MiradasDOC.
Statement from the Jury: “We appreciated seeing a complex political figure like Roque Dalton integrated into a poetic narrative. It also included the complexity found in any human story, because everything is not black and white.”
Narrative Short Competition
Jury Award for Best Narrative Short
PADRE (Father)
Dir. Santiago ‘Bou’ Grasso, Argentina/FranceHonorable Mention for Narrative Short
ROJO (Red)
Dir. Carlos Alejandro Molina M., VenezuelaDocumentary Short Competition
Jury Award for Best Documentary Short
TRAZOS EN LA CUMBRE (Drawing on the Heights)
Dir. Alejandro Victorero, Carlos Alejandro Molina, VenezuelaHonorable Mention for Cinematography
NADIE ESPECIAL (Nobody Special)
Dir. Juan Alejandro Ramírez, PeruHecho en Tejas Competition
Texas Archive of the Moving Image Hecho en Tejas Jury Award
LADONNA HARRIS: INDIAN 101
Dir. Julianna Brannum, USAAudience Awards
Audience Award for Narrative Feature
MATEO
Dir. María Gamboa, Colombia/FranceAudience Award for Documentary Feature
SIGO SIENDO (I’m Still)
Dir. Javier Corcuera, Peru/SpainAlthough the film is about music and musicians, it is not strictly a musical film. Rather, it is a reflection of seemingly disparate stories searching to find one another in a Perú struggling to find its own identity. SIGO SIENDO was nominated for the Platino Prizes, and chosen to screen at Iberodocs in Edinburgh, where director Javier Corcuera was honored for his career achievements as a documentary filmmaker.
Hecho en Tejas Audience Award
MICHA
Dir. Eugene Martin, USAAudience Award for Emergencia Youth Film Competition
THE HEARING
Dir. Russell Ratt Brascoupe, CanadaWapikoni Mobile
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2014 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival Unveils Films Selected to Screen in ‘Hecho en Tejas’ Program
Chateles del campo (Country Kids)
Following an announcement earlier this week of their official Opening/Closing night films, Cine Las Americas announced today the list of titles selected for participation in the Hecho en Tejas program at the 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, which runs April 22-27, 2014.
For this year, the Hecho en Tejas program showcases 14 films representing work by filmmakers from around the state, including Austin, Arlington, Corinth, Edinburg, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and San Marcos. While some of these films are indeed made by upcoming talent, bringing diverse content and maturing, local voices that can reach universal audiences, the selection also includes the works of veteran filmmakers. As a whole, these films add to Cine Las America’s level of diversity and artistic excellence, and compliment the festival’s international lineup, which includes more than 140 films from over 30 different countries.
“This year has been amazing for Texas films and filmmakers, and with 5 features and 9 shorts, our Hecho en Tejas program is bigger than ever! I think that audiences will be surprised by the level of diversity within this Hecho en Tejas lineup. Both in terms of places in Texas being represented, and Texas filmmakers traveling outside of the state to tell stories of local, national and international interest,” Jean Lauer, Programming Director, Cine Las Americas.
Other sections of the festival also feature Texas-ties, including films in the Emergencia Youth Film Competition, the Cine Joven: Mundos Diferentes telenovela from Austin School of Film, and a retrospective of early Chicano films directed by San Antonio native, Efraín Gutiérrez. More details to come about these programs.
About the ‘Hecho en Tejas’ program
Cine Las Americas presents “Hecho en Tejas,” a series of films shot and/or produced in Texas, to showcase the wide variety of work being produced in the state by filmmakers with varied backgrounds. This year’s Hecho en Tejas film presentations will take place during the festival on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 at the Marchesa Hall and Theater, Austin Film Society’s new home for classic, independent and art house film programming. For a fifth consecutive year, Cine Las Americas is pleased to count on a partnership with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI), to present a jury award to the best “Hecho en Tejas” film.
About the films
Features
Chateles del campo (Country Kids)
Dir. Jason Outenreath Nicaragua/USA, Documentary, 2013CHATELES DEL CAMPO is a playful and deeply personal documentary about growing up in rural Nicaragua. Connecting educators, parents, and kids, the film explores crucial issues facing the country through the lighthearted tone of its youthful protagonists. Following the students and teachers of two rural elementary schools over the course of an academic year, school is revealed not just as a place of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also a place to learn the responsibilities of adulthood that loom large over many children’s daily lives. CHATELES DEL CAMPO explores the space where the forces of education, environment, and childhood collide, and celebrates the fact that no matter the country, culture, or language, kids will be kids.
LaDonna Harris: Indian 101
Dir. Julianna Brannum USA/ New Zealand, Biographical Documentary, 2013The film is the first documentary about Native activist and national civil rights leader, LaDonna Harris. After moving from Walters, OK to Washington DC with her US Senator husband, Harris began an extensive and public life of Indian political and social activism. One of her first assignments was to educate the executive branch of the US government on the unique role of American Indian Tribes and their relationship with the federal government. This course was called “Indian 101” and was taught for over 35 years. The film explores her achievements, the personal struggles that led her to become a voice for Native peoples, and her contemporary work to reshape Indian Country in America and abroad.
Las Marthas
Dir. Cristina Ibarra USA/ Mexico, Documentary/History, 2013The annual debutante ball in Laredo, Texas is unlike any other. Part of the largest celebration of George Washington’s birthday in the world, a select group of mostly Mexican-American girls is chosen each year to dress in elaborate gowns representing iconic figures from America’s colonial history. Their goal: to recreate a party hosted by Martha Washington, but this time set along the US/Mexico border. A year in the making, each girl’s dress can weigh 100 lbs and cost up to $30,000 — nearly the median family income of Laredo. Las Marthas follows two of the girls — Laurita Garza Hovel and Rosario Reyes — as they prepare for this extraordinary rite of passage. The theatrical release of this film, which we are pleased to present, features footage and delves more into complexities not included in the broadcast version.
Micha
Dir. Eugene Martin USA, Drama/Coming of Age, 2013The death eight years ago of Micha’s Lebanese father left he and his Mexican mother destitute. When his mother dies suddenly, it leaves Micha no choice but to leave Mexico and seek work and a future in the United States. Micha attempts to navigate the northern route of migrant and service workers to build a life for himself in Texas. After staying on the streets in Brownsville and Dallas, Micha lands in the small town of Denton, Texas where he meets a homeless young woman, Penny, who helps him learn how to survive and find community.
Waiting for Sandoval
Dir. David B. Carren USA, Thriller/Fantasy, 2014Daniel Ortiz lost the only thing that mattered to him when his fiancé was murdered in the jungles of Central America ten years ago. When he attends a stage play about that painful era, Daniel is suddenly pulled into the production itself, and finds himself trapped in a Central American prison the woman he loves. Will he save her? Will they get a second chance? Or will they die together in a place with no name or hope?
Shorts
Almost Crimes Dir. Diego Vega Peru/USA, Drama, 2013
Ex-Votos Dir. Ivete Lucas Mexico/USA, Drama, 2013
Gift of Gab Dir. Diego Rico USA, Comedy, 2013
Hinojosa Dir. Juan Pablo González USA/Mexico, Biographical Documentary, 2013
La cuesta: Worlding a Sidewalk Dir. Alvaro Torres, Daniel Perera Costa Rica/Guatemala/USA, Experimental Documentary, 2013
Life of Giorgio Dir. Sergio Carvajal-Leoni USA/Italy, Comedy, 2013
La dama y el caballo (The Horse Bride) Dir. Simon Quiroz USA, Drama/Fantasy, 2012
The Good Kind Dir. Ofelia Yanez USA, Drama/Coming of Age, 2013
The Book of Joe Dir. Mario Pena USA, Action/Sci-Fi, 2013
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LAST CALL(TERCERA LLAMADA) to Open and BAD HAIR (PELO MALO) to Close 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL)
The 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, which runs April 22-27, 2014, will open with Francisco Franco’s TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL), Winner of Audience Awards in Lima and Guadalajara, Best Editing at the Havana Film Festival and the award for the entire female cast at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in 2013. TERCERA LLAMADA stars Irene Azuela, Ricardo Blume, Anabel Ferreira, Kristyan Ferrer, Karina Gidi, Rebecca Jones, Fernando Luján, Jorge Poza, Cecilia Suárez, Mariana Treviño, and Silvia Pinal in her first film role in 20 years.
PELO MALO (BAD HAIR)
Closing the festival is PELO MALO (BAD HAIR), directed by Mariana Rondón, PELO MALO, which has enjoyed great international success, including acclaimed premieres in Toronto and Cartagena, and the prestigious Concha de Oro award for best film at the 2013 San Sebastián International Film Festival.
The story of TERCERA LLAMADA is based on a play written by director Francisco Franco in which a theater group goes through a challenging process in trying to bring to stage the play Caligula for an international theater festival.The incredible cast of the film provide moments of great humor and drama, and the film offers subtle and fresh points of view on contemporary Mexican society. TERCERA LLAMADA is a Habanero Films release.
In PELO MALO (BAD HAIR) from Venezuela, nine year old Junior is fed up with his “bad hair,” and wants to straighten it for his yearbook picture so he can look like a fashionable pop singer. This elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother, who finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate Junior’s fixation with his looks. The film portrays contemporary life in Caracas from the perspective of regular citizens who try day by day to get ahead in their lives. PELO MALO is a FiGa Films release.
ABOUT THE FILMS
Tercera llamada (Last Call)
A film by Francisco Franco
Mexico, Comedy/Drama, 2013
In Spanish with English subtitlesStarring: Irene Azuela, Ricardo Blume, Anabel Ferreira, Kristyan Ferrer, Karina Gidi, Rebecca Jones, Fernando Luján, Jorge Poza, Cecilia Suárez, Mariana Treviño, and Silvia Pinal
In one and a half months, a theater company will premiere “Caligula,” the play by Albert Camus. The neurotic director is constantly disagreeing with his cast. The diva is offended, the old actor cannot remember his lines, the producer is only sober when asleep, the assistant director believes the ghost of Pedro Infante appears in the theater, and the main actress is in panic. Will they be ready for Last Call?
A Habanero Release
http://youtu.be/w_fTLl6DYVs
Pelo malo (Bad Hair)
A film by Mariana Rondón
Starrring: Samuel Lange, Samantha Castillo, Nelly Ramos
Venezuela, Drama, 2013
Spanish with English subtitlesJunior is nine years old and has “bad hair.” He wants to straighten his hair for his yearbook picture so he can look like a fashionable pop singer. This elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother, who finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate Junior’s fixation with his looks. The more he tries to look sharp to make his mother love him, the more she rejects him. Eventually, he is cornered, faced with a painful decision.
A FiGa Films Release
http://youtu.be/mIN-DuZ416k
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Cine Las Americas International Sets 2014 Dates
Cine Las Americas announced the 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, to take place from April 22 to 27, 2014 in Austin, Texas. The festival brings a selection of the newest Ibero-American cinema and American Indigenous films, showcasing films and filmmakers through its world-renowned programs. The deadline for filmmakers to submit entries is December 13, 2013.
Cine Las Americas invites filmmakers, producers and distributors to participate in the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, now in its seventeenth consecutive year. The festival showcases contemporary films from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula. Films made by or about Latinos in the U.S. or the rest of the world, and films by or about indigenous groups of the Americas, are also invited to participate.
To be submitted for consideration, projects must have been completed after January 1, 2012. For all works where the spoken language is not English, English subtitles and/or narration are required. Preference is given to regional or national premieres, as well as to films that have not screened theatrically in Austin or on national television in the USA prior to the festival.
Deadline: December 13, 2013 at 5:00pm (Non-refundable entry fee US$25)
Late Deadline: January 17, 2014 at 5:00pm (Late entry fee US$50)
Emergencia Youth Films Deadline: January 17, 2014 at 5:00PM (Youth Films pay no entry fee)