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28TH HAVANA FILM FESTIVAL
The best movies for thousands of spectators
The event is from December 5 to 15
BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA — Granma
International staff writer—
THE
freshest and most solid films of the region will be
competing on Havana’s big screens when projections
begin on December 5 for the 28th Latin American Film
Festival.
Alfredo
Guevara, the event’s chair, explained at a press
conference that all the films selected for the
competition and other sections of the festival are
quality ones, and of interest to the Cuban public,
“which we usually expect to number nothing less than
500,000.”
The
Official Selection pictures, including fiction,
documentaries and animated, will enable viewers to
“appreciate the thematic and stylistic diversity
that characterizes” Latin American film.
In
contrast to previous years, when organizers have
kept the festival’s opening film a complete secret,
this year it was announced that El laberinto del
Fauno by Guillermo del Toro will do the honors.
It was also revealed that after the prize ceremony
(on the 15th), the film Volver, by Spaniard
Pedro Almodóvar, will close the festival.
As
always, the fiction competition is the one
unleashing passions. Eighteen films are in the
running for the Coral awards, including by
well-known directors like Mexican Paul Leduc (El
cobrador), Argentine Carlos Sorín (El camino
de San Diego), Brazilian Carlos Diegues (El
mas grande amor del mundo), and Peruvian
Francisco Lombardi (Mariposa negra).
Cuba is being
represented by Manuel Pérez (Páginas del diario
de Mauricio) and Pavel Giroud (La edad de la
peseta).
However, the competition for first works is becoming
increasingly attractive, so much so that this year,
three Corals are being awarded in this category, in
which 18 films are likewise competing. They include:
Madeinusa, by Peruvian Claudia Llosa (who won
the award for Best Unpublished Screenplay in the
25th Festival) and Noticias lejanas, by
Mexican Ricardo Benet ( Astor de Oro at the Mar del
Plata Festival.
Three
Cubans are included in this section: Jorge Luis
Sánchez, with El Benny; Alejandro Gil, with
La pared and Alejandro Moya with Mañana.
Brazil
is the best-represented country in the documentary
category, followed by Cuba, which is competing El
proceso (Rolando Almirante); San Ernesto nace
en La Higuera (Isabel Santos-Rafael Solís);
Monteros (Alejandro Ramírez) and Existen
(Esteban Insausti).
The
animated films, fortunately, number 25 this time.
They are led by Brazil (9) followed by Cuba (7) and
Argentina (5).
The
competition for unpublished screenplays, which
awards financial support to the winner to film his
or her project, has become one of the main
attractions: 126 entries, led by Argentina with 53,
and followed by Perú (11), Brazil, Colombia, Cuba,
Mexico and Venezuela (all with 8).
Other
categories that remain are Latin American Panorama,
Informative Documentary, Made in Cuba, and diverse
film showings (German, Spanish, Italian, Swiss and
French, among others).
Three
tributes have been announced: the 20th anniversary
of the San Antonio International School of Film,
Television and Video; to Mexican Gustavo Alatriste
and to Italian Roberto Rosellini.
Some
names of directors and actors who will be visiting
have been announced: Stephen Frears (who will
present his most recent film, The Queen, a
recent prizewinner at the Venice Film Festival);
Ralph Fiennes (unforgettable in Schindler’s List)
and Jose Wilker (a star in Diegues’ film).
These
are just the films included in official categories,
showings or special presentations. The moment of
truth will come in a few days, when one must choose
which to go see.
(Translated by Granma International)
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