Films Announced for Havana Film Festival New York, Returning Next Month

The Havana Film Festival NY, a project of The American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, is back in theaters to present an exceptional program celebrating the diversity of voices and cultural expressions of Ibero America and its diaspora through inspiring stories on the big screen, November 5-11, 2021.

All screenings, panels, and special events take place in-person at the Village East Cinema (181-189 2nd Avenue, NYC). Festival guests, attendees, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated and must wear a mask at all times except while eating.

"In the last 18 months the world appreciated the vital importance of art and the creativity of the artists who kept us at home in quarantine in a kinder way, but we also realized how film festivals are fundamental in their social function which is to bring together different voices in a close space such as the movie theater. This edition of the Havana Film Festival NY wants to present films that represent, not only a dozen of Ibero American countries, but also themes that can produce laughter, create uncomfortable moments or deep reflections to perceive and get closer to the realities of Latin America or/and of the immigrant Latinos ", says Diana Vargas, HFFNY's Artistic Director.

HFFNY makes its long-awaited return to theaters Friday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. with a red carpet event to celebrate its Opening Night Ceremony and the New York premiere of multi-award winning Colombian film El Olvido que seremos/Memories of my Father, courtesy of Cohen Media Group. Directed by Oscar-award-winner Fernando Trueba and starring beloved actor Javier Cámara, it tells the true story of a Colombian doctor concerned for both his own children and those of the underprivileged classes in the violent 1970s in Medellin. Based on the book of the same name by renowned author Hector Abad Facilionce who will be present at the screening to discuss the film and the story behind it, and answer audience questions. In collaboration with NYU's King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (www.KJCC.org)

On Thursday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m. the Festival closes with the Havana Star Prize Award Ceremony, followed by the New York premiere of acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Icíar Bollaín's powerful new film, Maixabel, the inspiring true story of a woman (Blanca Portillo, Volver) who decides to take a brave step towards coexistence and peace by agreeing to face the imprisoned ETA terrorist behind the murder of her husband (Luis Tosar, Celda 211). Following the screening will be an in-person Q&A with Bollaín. The evening is co-presented in collaboration with NYU KJCC.

The Festival's program includes a tribute to two beloved Cuban filmmakers who passed away earlier this year: Enrique Pineda Barnet (1933-2021), the genius behind films that offered a rich introspective and experimental perspective as a path to generations of Latin American filmmakers interested in exploring the concept of avant-garde cinema, and Juan Carlos Tabío (1943-2021), who proved comedy in cinema is a serious matter that can teach us about ourselves and the society we live in without relying on political rhetoric. In memory of these iconic artists, the Festival will screen the newly restored versions of Pineda Barnet's Giselle (1965) on Sunday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m., accompanied by a Q&A with Cuban actor Hector Noas, and Tabío's Se permuta / House Swap (1983) on Tuesday, November 9 at 3:00 p.m.. Also included is the panel Writing Inspiration: From Ideas to Storytelling, wherein filmmakers from across the Ibero-American diaspora discuss the process of finding ideas for their films and the difference between an idea and a story. This panel, free and open to the public, takes place on Tuesday, November 9 at 5:00 p.m.

Alongside a stellar line-up of documentary and feature films, the 21st HFFNY celebrates Ibero-American stories told in short format with a short film series showcasing experimental, animated, documentary, and fiction works, including: Willard Morgan's Vestiphobia Cuba, which follows and builds upon a collaborative Cuban-American live art extravaganza; Daniel Santoyo's Flying Pigoen, a Cuban thriller that unpacks the intergenerational divides of two assailants waiting to carry out a robbery; Ivan Kotevski's The Angel's Cave, a sci-fi animation set out of this world; Carlos Barba's tale of a revealing mother-daughter raodtrip across Cuba, Las Polacas / The Polacks; Alberto Ferrera's biting vignette about the aftermath of a wild night out, Lesson #4; Cristian Peña's chilling tale of a man driven to extremes by his bizarre obsession, Dante; and El Cine libertario / The Libertarian Cinema, an eye-opening documentary on Spanish anarchist cinema.

This year a total of 19 films compete for the Havana Star Prize in the categories of Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Actor, Actress, and Documentary.