FILM PROGRAM

Sunday, April 10, 2022

THE GARFIELD THEATRE, 719 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH

The Symposium Film Program, curated by Diana Vargas, Artistic Director of the Havana Film Festival New York, includes film shorts from Latin America, a panel discussion, and a special feature film, El actor principal [The Leading Actor]. Films in Spanish and Portuguese will be screened with English subtitles.

The Symposium and Film Program are free and open to the public. The Garfield Theatre has limited capacity based on Covid policies, so seating is first come first serve. Proof of vaccination is required

2–2:45pm    Short Films Program by CortoCircuito NY
SiguesAhi  AreYouThere, FotoFocus Cincinnati

¿SIGUES AHÍ? [Are You There?] (2020)
Directed by Mónica Zamora

Are we really connected? This short film questions the effects of hyper-connectivity, revealing how the world of the internet both unites and separates us. The film is shot through a screen and with the shot-sequence technique. (12 min | Spain | Fiction)

IsadorasKaraoke Detail, FotoFocus Cincinnati

Isadora’s Karaoke (2020)
Directed by Thiago Mendonça

Alone in the quarantine, Isadora, the director’s daughter, sings. (6 min | Brazil, Portugal | Experimental)

Women, FotoFocus Cincinnati

MUJERES [Women] (2021)
Directed by Fátima Luzardo

A metaphorical collage, MUJERES questions the various representations of women in film and the roles of female directors and actresses who participate in perpetuating the stereotypes. (5 min | Spain | Documentary)

TransformArte, FotoFocus Cincinnati

Transformarte [Transform You] (2021)
Directed by Jimmy Valdivieso

In downtown Lima, Peru, a documentary filmmaker faces his own demons, plagued by the realization of how romantic preconceptions of cultures conflict with intentions to record hard social realities in an effort to save the world. (9 min | Peru | Documentary)

Fever, FotoFocus Cincinnati

Fever (2019)
Directed by Rafael Romero Peña 

Fever is an inner dialogue between two extremes: the idea of the “exotic” and its representation through the “visual.” Inspired by the claustrophobic atmosphere of Hong Kong, where extreme living conditions, overpopulation, and the crisis of post-colonial identity are held in contrast against the image of a modern capitalist paradise. (7 min | Spain, China, Netherlands | Fiction, Experimental)

Lesson 6, FotoFocus Cincinnati

Lesson #6 (2018)
Directed by Alberto Ferreras 

“Did you see who won best actress last night? Did you see what she was wearing?” A catty comment backstage at a drag bar triggers an unexpected and inspired rant. With Barbra Herr and Giovanka de Medicis. (4 min | USA, Venezuela, Spain | Fiction)

3–4pm    Film Panel
DianaVargas Headshot Credit Lipa Ri Ri, FotoFocus Cincinnati

Watching Movies with Subtitles
Moderated by Diana Vargas, Artistic Director of the Havana Film Festival New York, New York, NY, with panelists: Sandro Fiorin, Founder of FiGa Films, Miami, FL, and Rafael Romero Peña, Multidisciplinary Artist and Director of Fever (2019), Rotterdam, Netherlands

How does media—and photographic imagery in particular—create and distort understanding of foreign cultures? Between reality, perception, and appearance, where does the viewer in the United States construct his or her truth about Latinos and foreign countries? Between physical reality, hyper-connectivity, over-information, where is the center?

4–5:15pm    Feature Film
El Actor Principal Poster, FotoFocus Cincinnati

El actor principal [The Leading Actor] (2019)
Directed by Paula Markovitch

While actors Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart paraded on the red carpet of the 2017 Berlinale, director Paula Markovitch, with three hidden cameras and no permissions, filmed on the same carpet a fight scene for her movie El actor principal [The Leading Actor]. This film reflects on the view that Europeans have about creators from developing countries. (74 min | Mexico | Fiction)

5:30pm    Reception

See the complete Symposium schedule and Symposium Participants.

#FotoFocus #FFsymposium #telephotography