Queridos! These are great times at Que Means What. I'm thrilled to announce a partnership with Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in the 36th annual CineFestival. The press release below contains more information about what to expect from the longest-running Latino Film Festival.
San Antonio, Texas (Feb.3, 2014) – The Guadalupe Cultural Art Center presents the 36th annual CineFestival, the nation’s original and longest-running Latino Film Festival, February 22 through March 1, 2014 at the historic Guadalupe Theater.
The eight day festival launches with the documentary, Cesar’s Last Fast. This will be the first screening of the film after its triumphant 2014 Sundance Film Festival World Premier. Other notable screenings include the feature, La Jaula de Oro (from Mexico), winner of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious A Certain Regard Award as well as Winner Best Narrative Film 2014 San Antonio CineFestival; the documentary, Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle, Winner Best Documentary 2014 San Antonio CineFestival; a series of shorts from the Morelia International Film Festival and the documentary, Las Marthas, Winner Special Jury Award 2014 San Antonio CineFestival.
“At the heart of CineFestival is the GCAC’s mission (to cultivate, preserve and promote Latino arts and culture). Its longevity is due, in large part, to this focused mission and to the vision of my predecessors.”, says Yvonne Montoya, Program Director at the GCAC and this year’s CineFestival Director. CineFestival screens the best in contemporary U.S. and International Latino films. The eight day program culminates with the Premio Mesquite Awards Night honoring the festival’s stand out entries in documentary and narrative filmmaking. And for the second year in a row CineFestival will host the Latino Screenwriting Project, a 3-day writing conference, organized with consulting support from the Sundance Institute, designed to support emerging U.S. based Latino screenwriters and filmmakers working on independent narrative feature screenplays.
“CineFestival is unique among U.S. Latino film festivals because in addition to its main goal of programming and presenting, the festival also helps develop new talent. This is demonstrated by the Latino Screenwriting Project” says Jim Mendiola, curator of CineFestival. This year, 64 screenplays were submitted for four spots in the intensive writing workshop – double the amount of entries received in 2013. He adds, “The future of Latino film begins with the words on the page. CineFestival is committed to nurture the talent that writes those words.”
Opening night tickets are $12 and individual screenings are $8. Festival passes and VIP lounge tickets also available. A full menu of ticket prices available at: http:// www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/cinefestival-tickets/. Work by local artist, Ray Santisteban, will be on display in the gallery space located inside the Guadalupe Theater during the festival. Santisteban’s photography was chosen for this year’s CineFestival’s poster.
The 2014 production of CineFestival is made possible through the generous support of: the City of San Antonio Department for Culture and Creative Development, Kresge Foundation, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, SA Current, Texas Public Radio, Santikos Theaters, Que Means What and Puro Pinche.
ABOUT THE GUADALUPE: The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to cultivate, promote and preserve traditional and contemporary Latino arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming. www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/
For a full list of all the fims to be shown, check out the schedule online. Stay tuned to Que Means What here, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for reviews, interviews and announcements. Hope to see you at CineFestival!
