Our 2023 summer film festival delves into the Cuban immigration experience, offering a multi-focus exposé of the different waves of Cubans leaving the Island in the last six decades: from the children’s exodus in the early sixties, to the Mariel boat crisis of 1980, to their present-day plight as undocumented immigrants. The series will profile their struggle to enter mainstream society in the U.S., Sweden, and Spain, the thriving success of famous artists in New York City, the emotional turmoil of those who remain behind, and the existential angst of all who carry their country inside them.
Our festival this year will be a hybrid program, including an equal number of in-person screenings and online streamings, with an eclectic lineup of full-length films, documentaries, and shorts, including NYC, U.S., and World Premieres. All films will be followed by a Q&A with the audience, featuring in-person and online appearances by several directors and producers.
The filmmakers include Ricardo Bacallao, Iván Acosta, Phillip Goodman, Heidi Hassan, Carlos Gutiérrez, Olga Merediz, María Lino, Adalberto Delgado, Mira Nair, and Yan Vega, as well as film producer Carmen Valdivia. We will cap our festival at Instituto Cervantes with the World Premiere of the Ricardo Bacallao documentary I Never Left / Nunca me fui, featuring heartrending profiles of six Cuban women artists from different fields, whose careers have been intrinsically linked to New York City: visual artist Gladys Triana, classical pianist Juana Zayas, singer and actor Olga Merediz, composer Tania León, ballet school director and former ballerina Aydmara Cabrera, and poet Maya Islas.
Each film will be streamed twice during the festival, as noted below. The films are either in English, or in Spanish with English subtitles.
For a detailed description of all the films, click here:
‘THE INNER COUNTRY’ FILM PROGRAM
FILM SCHEDULE:
Monday 21 In Person @ Anthology Film Archives $12 General / $9 Members
BEBO (NYC Premiere) 3:30 pm
Followed by a Q&A with director Ricardo Bacallao
If you prefer to buy tickets beforehand, click here: https://tinyurl.com/2yx8vcdx
Tuesday 22 In Person @ Anthology Film Archives $12 General / $9 Members
ROSA AND THE EXECUTIONER OF THE FIEND 3:30 pm
Followed by a Q&A with director Iván Acosta
If you prefer to buy tickets beforehand, click here: https://tinyurl.com/2yx8vcdx
Wednesday 23 Online Free Admission on our Vimeo channel
WE SHALL RETURN 5 pm (Special Screening)
THE PEREZ FAMILY 7 pm (Special Screening) Followed by a Zoom Q&A with the audience
Thursday 24 Online Free Admission on our Vimeo channel
BEBO (NYC Premiere) 5 pm
OTRA ISLA 7 pm
Friday 25 Online Free Admission on our Vimeo channel
ROSA AND THE EXECUTIONER OF THE FIEND 5 pm
WE SHALL RETURN 7 pm (Special Screening) Followed by a Zoom Q&A with the audience
Saturday 26 Online Free Admission on our Vimeo channel
OTRA ISLA 4:30 pm Followed by a Zoom Q&A with director Heidi Hassan
THE PEREZ FAMILY 8 pm (Special Screening)
Sunday 27 In Person @ The National Opera Center $12 General / $9 Members
OPERATION PEDRO PAN: THE CUBAN CHILDREN’S EXODUS 4:30 pm
Followed by a Q&A with producer Carmen Valdivia and film participant Carmen Romanach
Monday 28 In Person @ The National Opera Center Members Only–Must RSVP at info@cubanculturalcenter.org
MY TWO MOMS 6 pm (Private Focus Group Screening)
Followed by a Q&A with director Olga Merediz
Tuesday 29 In Person @ City College (CCNY) Free Admission
An Evening of Shorts (U.S. and NYC Premieres) 6 pm
RITUALS & HARINA; MANOLO; MEMOIRS OF A CUBAN FAMILY; SOUVENIR
Followed by a Q&A with directors María Lino and Yan Vega
Wednesday 30 In Person @ Instituto Cervantes Free Admission–Must RSVP at info@cubanculturalcenter.org
I NEVER LEFT: 6 CUBAN WOMEN ARTISTS FROM NY (World Premiere) 6 pm
Followed by a garden reception with the director and the protagonists
Thursday 31 Online
MY TWO MOMS 5 pm (Members Only–For Private Streaming Link, RSVP at info@cubanculturalcenter.org)
OPERATION PEDRO PAN: THE CUBAN CHILDREN’S EXODUS 7 pm
Friday, September 1 Online Free Admission on our Vimeo channel
An Evening of Shorts (U.S. and NYC Premieres)
RITUALS & HARINA; MANOLO; MEMOIRS OF A CUBAN FAMILY; SOUVENIR 5 pm
I NEVER LEFT: 6 CUBAN WOMEN ARTISTS FROM NY 7 pm (Special Screening)
To attend an IN-PERSON screening, please note the address of the corresponding venue below.
DISCOUNTS are available for all members of CCCNY, Anthology Film Archives or Instituto Cervantes.
IN-PERSON SCREENING LOCATIONS:
Anthology Film Archives
32 2nd Ave. (at 2nd St.), NYC
The National Opera Center
330 7th Ave. (at 29th St.), NYC
At Scorca Hall, 7th Floor
City College (CCNY)
Convent Ave @ West 140th St., NYC
At Shepard Hall, Room 291
Instituto Cervantes
211 East 49th St. (bet. 2nd & 3rd Aves.), NYC
To watch a film ONLINE at the designated day and time, click here:
https://vimeo.com/event/3610462
To attend any LIVE Q&A SESSION VIA ZOOM after an online screening click here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89526024766
FOR MORE INFO, WRITE TO: info@cubanculturalcenter.org
To watch the trailer of our opening film, BEBO, click here:
This film festival is presented in co-sponsorship with Instituto Cervantes
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In association with Anthology Film Archives and CCNY (CUNY)
And is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
With the promotional collaboration of
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