New England Festival of Ibero American Cinema
Encyclopedia
The New England Festival of Ibero American Cinema is a film festival
that takes place annually in the cities of Providence
and New Haven in the United States
. It is the largest Latin American cinema festival in the region of New England. Held in early fall in Providence
and New Haven
, the festival aims to become the premier showcase for new works from Latin American and Ibero American filmmakers. The festival comprises competitive sections for feature films, documentaries and short films. A group of non-competitive showcase sections, including Desde Cuba: New Cinema and Panorama are also an important part of the festival. Panels, Art Exhibits and Discussions are the focus of the festival which every year invites and hosts spanish and Latin American filmmakers to interact with Providence and New England audiences.
(Peru), Memorias del Desarrollo (Cuba), The Last Summer of the Boyita (Argentina), and Celda 211 (Spain).
The goal of the festival is to showcase strictly Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese-made films.The main focus of the event is to conduct a competition for the first time directors of these films, present a series of filmmaker panel discussions, address socioeconomic issues of importance to Latin America, promote the interaction of young international filmmakers with latino students and all the residents of Providence and New England and to celebrate the Jury Awards. The Festival highlights the work of "Latin American" filmmakers who produced their films in their country of origin and are interested on sharing their experience with New England audiences. Without the New England Festival of Ibero American Cinema, most of these films would not have the opportunity to be shown in Providence and in New England. NEFIAC's Emerging Filmmakers Award Competition requires for all films to be no older than 18 months and they must also be New England Premieres.
The jury of the 2010 festival was headed by Professor Ann Marie Stock (The College of William and Mary), and included filmmakers Javier Espada (Spain
) and Ishtar Yaseen (Costa Rica
). The Festival has a strong support from some of the most important universities in the world, including Brown University
, Yale University
and Dartmouth University
. In addition, a number of Ibero and Latin American filmmakers visited the festival, including Julia Solomonoff
(Argentina), Javier Fuentes León (Perú), Cecilia Domeyko (Chile), Miguel Gomes
(Portugal), Pedro Ruiz (Venezuela), Ishtar Yaseen Gutierrez (Costa Rica), Ian Padrón (Cuba), Rafi Mercado (Puerto Rico), Miguel Coyula
(Cuba) and Carlos Marques Marcet (Spain).
A unique feature of this Ibero and Latin American Film Festival is the program Desde Cuba: New Cinema. The segment showcases the works of award winning young independent cuban filmmakers and exclusively presents International Premieres. The segment was initially presented in 2008 and it is now on its Fourth Edition. No other film festival in the United States presents such a program.
(Peru
) and Miente (Puerto Rico
).
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
that takes place annually in the cities of Providence
Providence
Providence may refer to:* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island* Divine providence, the idea of divinely ordained events and outcomes- Entertainment :* Providence , a French/Swiss film directed by Alain Resnais...
and New Haven in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the largest Latin American cinema festival in the region of New England. Held in early fall in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, the festival aims to become the premier showcase for new works from Latin American and Ibero American filmmakers. The festival comprises competitive sections for feature films, documentaries and short films. A group of non-competitive showcase sections, including Desde Cuba: New Cinema and Panorama are also an important part of the festival. Panels, Art Exhibits and Discussions are the focus of the festival which every year invites and hosts spanish and Latin American filmmakers to interact with Providence and New England audiences.
Providence/Latin American Film Festival
NEFIAC began in Providence in September 2010 as a Latin American and Ibero American film festival in an effort to attract Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese filmmakers to Providence and to the New England region at large. In addition, it has the purpose of exposing the local community to different cultures and facilitating understanding and communication among residents with different ethnic backgrounds. The effort was especially felt to be of significant relevance since a large number of the residents of Providence and New Haven identify themselves as latinos. The 2010 festival featured films such as UndertowUndertow (2009 film)
Undertow is a 2009 Peruvian drama film directed by Javier Fuentes-León. The film won the prestigious World Cinema Audience Award in the Dramatic category at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival...
(Peru), Memorias del Desarrollo (Cuba), The Last Summer of the Boyita (Argentina), and Celda 211 (Spain).
The goal of the festival is to showcase strictly Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese-made films.The main focus of the event is to conduct a competition for the first time directors of these films, present a series of filmmaker panel discussions, address socioeconomic issues of importance to Latin America, promote the interaction of young international filmmakers with latino students and all the residents of Providence and New England and to celebrate the Jury Awards. The Festival highlights the work of "Latin American" filmmakers who produced their films in their country of origin and are interested on sharing their experience with New England audiences. Without the New England Festival of Ibero American Cinema, most of these films would not have the opportunity to be shown in Providence and in New England. NEFIAC's Emerging Filmmakers Award Competition requires for all films to be no older than 18 months and they must also be New England Premieres.
The jury of the 2010 festival was headed by Professor Ann Marie Stock (The College of William and Mary), and included filmmakers Javier Espada (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) and Ishtar Yaseen (Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
). The Festival has a strong support from some of the most important universities in the world, including Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and Dartmouth University
Dartmouth University
Dartmouth University is a defunct institution in New Hampshire which existed from 1817 to 1819. It was the result of a thwarted attempt by the state legislature to make Dartmouth College, a private college, into a public university. The United States Supreme Court case that settled the matter,...
. In addition, a number of Ibero and Latin American filmmakers visited the festival, including Julia Solomonoff
Julia Solomonoff
Julia Solomonoff is an Argentine film actor, producer, film and television director, and screenplay writer.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:Directing & Writer* Octavo 51...
(Argentina), Javier Fuentes León (Perú), Cecilia Domeyko (Chile), Miguel Gomes
Miguel Gomes
Miguel Gomes is a Portuguese fencing instructor, born Miguel Barata de Andrade Gomes, on 21 February 1972 in Lisbon.He teaches Olympic, Stage and historical fencing in the French tradition...
(Portugal), Pedro Ruiz (Venezuela), Ishtar Yaseen Gutierrez (Costa Rica), Ian Padrón (Cuba), Rafi Mercado (Puerto Rico), Miguel Coyula
Miguel Coyula
Miguel Coyula Aquino is a Cuban filmmaker. At age 17, he made his first short with a VHS camcorder, which led to his admittance to the International Film School of San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba...
(Cuba) and Carlos Marques Marcet (Spain).
A unique feature of this Ibero and Latin American Film Festival is the program Desde Cuba: New Cinema. The segment showcases the works of award winning young independent cuban filmmakers and exclusively presents International Premieres. The segment was initially presented in 2008 and it is now on its Fourth Edition. No other film festival in the United States presents such a program.
Notability of Festivals
Many famous filmmakers receive their big break at international film festivals. In 2010 NEFIAC presented the New England Premieres of three films that went on to become their original countries official entry to the Oscars in the Foreign Film Category, including Contracorriente UndertowUndertow (2009 film)
Undertow is a 2009 Peruvian drama film directed by Javier Fuentes-León. The film won the prestigious World Cinema Audience Award in the Dramatic category at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival...
(Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
) and Miente (Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
).