Good Presence of Cuban Cinema at the 37 Havana Festival

The films in competition in the event have been produced by the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Arts and Industry (ICAIC, as per its initials in Spanish) or by the independent sector.

In the first group are the fiction feature films La cosa humana, from Gerardo Chijona; Cuba Libre, from Jorge Luis Sánchez; Bailando con Margot, from Arturo Santana, and Vuelos prohibidos from RigobertoLópez, while La emboscada, from Alejandro Gil, will be screened out of the contest.

Independent productions in this category are the multi-awarded film La obra del siglo, from Carlos Machado Quintela; El acompañante, from Pavel Giroud, Café amargo, from Rigoberto Jiménez; Espejuelos oscuros, from Jessica Rodríguez, and Caballos, from FabiánSuárez.

All this and other details about the Festival were informed during a press conference that took place at the Fresa y Chocolate Cultural Center in this capital and that was presided over by  Roberto Smith president of ICAIC who recognized the  “huge quality” of all these films.

Likewise, he commented about the necessary numerical balance the Festival selection commission tried to keep between the participating foreign films and the national ones, and he advanced that it will be probable to de sign an analogous event to be celebrated next summer to exhibit the whole national production and another one dedicated to national animated films, with a growing production. 

Roberto Smith, together with Esther Hirzel, director general of ICAIC Animation Studies, Danilo León, director of Audiovisuals ICAIC, and Lea Pintado, director of ICAIC information Center, announced that also part of the Festival general program will be Últimos días de una casa, from Lourdes de los Santos that will be competing in the documentary category, likewise Una luz de inteligencia y amor, fromRegino Oliver Matos, and Pan y cebolla, pero contigo,from Carlos León, that will be screened out of contest.

National animated films participating in the event will be El camarón encantado, from Adrián López; Las aventuras de Juan Quinquín, from Alexander Rodríguez, and the much awaited Xip Zérep contra los Vampiros Lácteos, from National Award-winner Juan Padrón

On the other hand, Smith shared the good news regarding the technological improvements in some movie theater rooms of Havana, and the creation of new small screening rooms that will work at the Multi-functional Cultural Centers, a new idea that will certainly contribute to the promotion of the best of our national culture.

Translation: Liana Fleitas (Cubarte)