Cuban Ballet Star Carlos Acosta Joins HFFNY For NY Premiere Of YULI

The 20th HFFNY concludes on April 16 at the DGA Theater, with a celebration of world-renowned Cuban ballet dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta. The International Performing Arts Foundation (TIPAF), and The American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (AFLFC) present the NY premiere of Yuli (2018), the poignant feature film of Acosta's life. Proceeds from VIP tickets, which include the Cocktail Party and Fiesta Cubana, will go to supporting exchange programs in the arts and a 3-year residency at Acosta Danza offered to emerging dancers of limited means from around the world.

Directed by acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Icíar Bollaín and written by Paul Laverty, Yuli had its world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in September 2018, where it won the Best Screenplay Award. It also received five nominations from the Spanish Goya awards, including Best New Actor for Carlos Acosta, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay. It later premiered at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January 2019, and is set to premiere at the Miami Film Festival in March 2019. Yuli will be screened in London on April 3, as part of a live film event sponsored by the Royal Opera House before opening widely in cinemas across the UK. The New York premiere at HFFNY on April 16 will be followed by screenings at the Washington, D.C. International Film Festival and the 45th Seattle International Film Festival, among others.

The International Performing Arts Foundation (TIPAF), a tax exempt organization under 501(c)3, aims to promote the performing arts through exhibitions, workshops, seminars, financial support for performances, the renovation of arts facilities, and artist-in-residence programs. TIPAF works closely with Carlos Acosta and Acosta Danza, as well as The Carlos Acosta International Dance Foundation, a registered charitable organization in the United Kingdom. Their most recent project provides funds to Acosta Danza for the 3-year Dancers-in-Residence Program, offered to a select group of talented, emerging dancers of limited means from around the globe.

The American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (AFLFC) has built cultural bridges between the U.S. and Cuba since 2000 through exchange programs in the arts. In partnership with the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (LFC), a non-governmental, non-profit art and cultural organization in Havana, AFLFC has given American and Cuban professionals and students, in the fields of arts and culture, opportunities to broaden their understanding of the arts, enhance their professional careers, and enrich and expand creative expression. WHY: HFFNY, a major program of AFLFC, is the longest-running Latino Film Festival in NYC. Since 2000, the festival has brought the vibrant energy of Cuban and Latin American

films to NYC audiences. April 5-16, 2019, HFFNY carves out a platform for cross-cultural dialogue through educational panels, international movie premieres, thoughtfully curated retrospectives, interactive Q&A sessions, and plenty of glitz and glamour. This year, HFFNY focuses on the experiences of women in the Latin American film industry, and has invited directors, producers, and actresses from across the region to participate in the Festival and share their experiences.