CINE LATINO FILM FESTIVAL 2016
This inaugural national festival showcasing a program of some of the finest films from Latin America comes to Sydney to entertain and culturally enrich audience’s movie going experiences.
A program which boasts 30 films from 11 Latin countries including Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile explores urban and rural life in these countries. There’s a good mix of films for all tastes including documentaries, comedies, dramas and four films about football for sport enthusiasts.
Festival director Alex Castro, who has been involved in Latin American cinema for 15 years, said that filmmaking has been on the increase in these countries with the advent of digital technology.
“The biggest increase has been in independent filmmaking. Most of these films are a labour of love, but they are good quality and are seen throughout the world in one way or another. There are also Latino filmmakers who work in Hollywood and many have been honoured with Oscar awards, such as Mexican Alfonso Cuaron, who was named Best Director for Gravity in 2013.”
“Many of these Latino films deal with family connections, such as Guarani, a film from Paraguay which examines a man’s relationship with his granddaughter. It’s raw, touching and a very real story,” explained Castro. “Parallel Roads is a universal story about the fragility of life – two babies mistakenly switched at birth and the shattering effect this has upon the families many years later.”
“These films have been specifically selected for Australian audiences as it’s practically impossible to show them all. People will wonder why they should watch these films, but they may be pleasantly surprised as they may connect with these stories. These films say different things about different people in different countries – some are familiar stories, but some are not. Take a chance on a film or two,” concluded Casto. (MMo)
HOT PICKS
THE VIOLIN TEACHER (Brazil) – Inspired by a true story, this film is about a former child prodigy violinist who teaches children in one of the biggest slums in Latin America and the consequences that await once his haunting past is unleashed.
FRANCIS: PRAY FOR ME (Argentina) – This is the story of Argentinean priest Father Jorge Bergoglio, who in 2013 became Pope Francis 1, the 266th and current pope of the Roman Catholic Church. A beautiful and insightful film.
3 BEAUTIES (Venezuela) – A laugh out loud black comedy which satires that Latin American obsession – beauty queens. A smart and comedic gem.
Aug 9–24. Palace Norton St & Palace Verona. $20-$70 (5 film pass). Tickets & info: cinelatinofilmfestival.com.au
