NY Latino Film Festival Celebrates 10th Anniversary

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Reviews

Published on Saturday, 22 August 2009 22:40

Written by T. Terry Maloney

The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) celebrated its 10th Anniversary recently, screening in Manhattan from July 27 to August 2nd. This year, NYILFF debuted in new venues at the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 9 and the School of Visual Arts Theater. NYILFF is presented by Home Box Office.

Major stars appearing in films at this year’s festival included Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo, Calle 13, Ruben Blades, Vin Diesel, Christina Milian, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Jim Jones, Kerry Washington, Brandon Routh, Illeana Douglas, Shannyn Sossamon, Lara Flynn Boyle, Easi Morales, Ericka Alexander, Voltio, Tego Calderon, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Victor Rasuk, Kuno Becker, Ana de la Reguera and Rev. Al Sharpton.

"We are very excited to be celebrating our 10th Anniversary,” says Calixto Chinchilla, Executive Director. “The NYILFF began as a dream to showcase our talent and to empower Latinos. We’ve been fortunate to have grown in size and stature. This year, we have everything; highly anticipated Hollywood premieres to independent films from filmmakers across the globe, industry forums, music showcases and free outdoor events for everyone."

"Our 10th Anniversary is a testament to the strong support we receive from our corporate partners and the community, at large," says Elizabeth Gardner, Executive Director. "The NYILFF has come a long way since 1999, and we continue to break ground as the #1 showcase for Latino and Urban films and filmmakers."

"We congratulate the NYILFF on reaching a 10-year milestone," said Lucinda Desir, vice president, Acquisition and Multicultural Marketing at HBO. "Their spirit, passion, energy and commitment to the Latino film community are just some of the reasons why we come back every year. They have truly raised the NYILFF to the premier Latino festival that it is today."

 

NYILFF Award Winners

The 2009 Best Film Award, presented by HBO, went to Iniside A Change, directed by Rik Cordero. The cast included Ephraim Benton, Donté Bonner, Karen Chilton, Consequence, Darrell Vanterpool and Seth Stewart. In addition to winning the Best Film Award, Director Rik Cordero also received $2,500 from HBO.

The 2009 Cinelatino Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary was presented to Stages, directed by the Meerkat Media Collective. In addition to winning the Cinelatino Audience Choice Award, Meerkat Media Collective also received $1,000 on behalf of Cinelatino, a $500 film certificate from Kodak, and software from AVID.

The 2009 Best Short winner was Lalo, diirected by Daniel Maldonado. The cast included: Karina Bonnefil, Neftali Jurec, Billy Magnussen, Doua Moua, Giselle Rodriguez and Abigail Stucker. In addition to winning the Best Short award, Daniel Maldonado also received a $500 film certificate from Kodak and software from AVID

The 2009 Cinelatino Audience Choice Award for Best Picture was presented to El Regalo De La Pachamama, directed by Toshifumi Matsushita and starring Christian Huaygua. In addition to winning the Cinelatino Audience Choice Award, Director Matsushita also received $1,000 on behalf of Cinelatino.

Bratt Brothers Open Festival, Leguzamo Honored

Opening night saw the New York premiere of La Mission, starring Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez and Talisa Soto Bratt. La Mission is writer-director Peter Bratt's rich and powerful story of a man's journey toward redemption through his struggle with violence and homophobia. The film is produced by Benjamin Bratt, Alpita Patel and Peter Bratt.
The NYILFF and Tres Generaciones® Tequila were proud to honor Latino superstar John Leguizamo, a Queens native, as "a shining example to our community, and a long-time supporter of NYILFF." Leguizamo was honored with the Tres Generaciones COA Award, a special award created by the brand to recognize outstanding achievements in Latino filmmaking.

Where God Left His Shoes is the story of Frank (Leguzamo), Angela, and their two children who are evicted from their New York City apartment and are forced to move into a homeless shelter. After a few difficult months, good news comes on Christmas Eve: a nearby housing project has an apartment available immediately, but Frank needs a job to qualify. While the rest of the city prepares for Christmas, Frank and his stepson roam the cold streets of New York trying to find a job by day's end. Where God Left His Shoes is the story of a family that refuses to break apart during the darkest time of their lives and discovers that they will survive as long as they have each other.

Dominican Night was celebrated on July 30 with the screening of Don't Let Me Drown, directed by Cruz Angeles. In a post-September 11th world overflowing with fear and hate, two Latinos discover that sometimes the only thing that can keep them from drowning is love. Presented by Heineken, sponsored by HBO and the Dominican American Professional Alliance.

Closing Night on August 1st featured the premiere of The Line, directed by James Cotten, The Line is the story of rival mobsters and mysterious assassins waging warfare on the mean streets of Tijuana. It is a gripping crime drama with an all-star cast that includes Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Esai Morales, Armand Assante, Bruce Davison, Jason Connery, Michael DeLorenzo, Joe Morton, Valerie Cruz, Jordi Vilasuso, Danny Trejo, Kevin Gage and Gary Daniels. Presented by DIRECTV Más, sponsored by Heineken and Tres Generaciones Tequila.

Other premieres at NYLIFF included: Calle 13: SinMapa, Los Bandoleros/Fast & Furious, Red ApplesFalling, Life Is Hot In Cracktown, Assault In The Ring, Bring It On: Fight To The Finish, Paraiso, Sultanes Del Sur (Sultans Of The South), La Clave. and Trek to To The Holy Land.

According to spokesperson Raymond Diaz, NYILFF is "the leading US Urban Latino Film festival, with a reported annual audience of 25,000. NYILFF's continued growth and success is due, in part, to its unique position as the only Latino film festival specifically targeting the second and third generation, English-dominant, acculturated Urban Latino - an increasingly powerful demographic that has caught the attention of Madison Avenue." According to the latest Pew Research Center figures, Latinos will comprise nearly 30% of the entire U.S. population in the next few decades and is growing at a rate 2-3 times faster than the general population. "By all accounts, any marketer wishing to add new consumers must target the Latino demographic," declared Diaz.

The 2009 NYILFF was made possible with the additional support of HBO Latino, Heineken, DIRECTV Más, American Airlines, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily News/Viva, Telemundo, WNBC, 103.5 KTU and 93.1 WPAT FM

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