La Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio will receive recognition for her career

The most important cinematographic meeting in the country will be inaugurated on the night of January 26 at the National Theater, with a special dedication to the city of New York and the Dominican productions made from the Big Apple.

SANTO DOMINGO. – The Santo Domingo Global Film Festival (FCGSD) will celebrate its 16th edition from January 26 to February 1. This occasion highlights his tributes to the appreciated member of the Dominican film industry Pericles Mejía, who died last year, and to New York City, as the axis of Dominican emigration that has served as the setting for important films that highlight Dominicanness.

In a meeting with the press held at the Homewood Suites By Hilton Santo Domingo hotel, the director of the Santo Domingo Global Film Festival, Omar de la Cruz, offered the details of the day that once again focuses on the projection of the national and international film industry .

De la Cruz explained that the inauguration will once again take place in the Carlos Piantini hall of the National Theater with the international premiere of “Once Upon a Time in the Caribbean” by Ray Figueroa, a film that combines elements of western and samurai cinema. but with a clear Puerto Rican accent.

YALITZA APARICIO

During the opening ceremony, the FCGSD will award recognition for her career to the Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio, who made her film debut with “Roma” by Alfonso Cuarón. She is the second Mexican actress nominated for an Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the first of indigenous origin. Recently, she was in the Netflix production, “The Great Seduction,” directed by Celso García.

“Yalitza Aparicio is a Mexican actress who achieved a great performance in Alfonso Cuarón's film, which projected her into the film industry. Today we recognize her for her dedication and career,” commented Omar de la Cruz.

ELVIS NOLASCO

Actor and producer Elvis Nolasco, known for his roles in the crime drama “Godfather of Harlem” and the anthology series “American Crime,” will be recognized as a worthy representative of the Dominican diaspora. He was one of the actors in “Looking for a Dream” and will present his multi-award-winning short film production “Ro & the Stardust.”

In this edition, 108 full-length and short film productions will be screened

ROAD TO THE OSCAR

This year's program features various films that have been contenders for the Oscar for Best International Film. Among these, the Mexican “Tótem”, by Áviles, remains on the short list, a portrait of a Mexican family that overflows with beauty and drama, and the Japanese selection “Perfect days”, directed by Wim Wenders, which gives us a sensitive cinema, especially human and with a powerful visual sense.

Additionally, the following can be seen during the festival: “Los criminales”, by Rodrigo Moreno, representative of Argentina, a postmodern, fascinating and enigmatic robbery saga; “The Colonists”, by Felipe Gálvez, candidate from Chile, a brutal and chilling plea against capitalist colonialism; “In the shadow of Beirut”, by Stephen Gerard Kelly and Garry Keane (Ireland), a collection of human stories full of resilience and hope and “In the shadow of the sun”, directed by Miguel A. Ferrer, selection from Venezuela, about a young deaf man who will test his perseverance in a society not suitable for inclusion.

INCLUSIVE CINEMA

This year the topic of inclusion stands out at the thematic level. The feature “In the Shadow of the Sun” will have closed captions so that people with hearing limitations can enjoy the film. It is also included in the program “Campeones”, a sequel to the popular film that changed the perception of people with disabilities and erased labels to focus only on the stories. "Diversity is an ability to approach life's challenges from a place other than the standard," says its director Javier Fesser, emphasizing the need for social inclusion.

One of the characters in “Campeones” is Braineitor, who plays himself and has been nominated for the Goya Award for Best New Actor who suffers from degenerative muscular atrophy. His story will be told in “The Life of Braineitor”, a documentary that has been filmed in parallel to the filming of the film, directed by the award-winning Álvaro Longoria. In a positive and inspiring tone, the documentary shows Brian's story of improvement and how the Video games and social networks have changed his life.

PRESERVATION AND AUDIOVISUAL MEMORY

Another of this year's thematic axes is the important role of audiovisual preservation and memory. In this sense, “The art of light and shadow” will be exhibited, which covers the history of cinema and the audiovisual world through animations and interviews with various experts. Miguel Herrero directs this film that is the result of his research into the origins of this art. The documentary “The Other Memory of the World” seeks to reflect, in a poetic way, on the importance of the care and preservation of the film archives that make up our memory. Likewise, “Juan Mariné: A century of cinema” is about one of the longest-serving cinematographers and film restorers in Spanish cinematography. His passion for cinema, his dedication to it, his research in both the field of photography and film restoration, and his generosity make him an exceptional being.

CINEMA DIRECTED BY WOMEN

This year's programming in competition for both fiction and documentary has 50% representation of women filmmakers. Recently, women have stood out in direction, winning more important annual awards and awards at international festivals. As a reflection of this, the festival will feature new female talents in the First Feature competitions such as Estíbaliz Urresola Solaguren (20,000 species of bees), Gabriella Moses (Boca Chica), Glorimar Marrero (La pecera), Itsaso Arana, (The Girls are fine) and Anabel Caso (Trigal).

Competing in the documentary category are filmmakers Sofía Paoli Thorne (Guapo'y), María Luisa Pujol (Juan Mariné: A Century of Cinema), Erika Santelices (The Photographer on 40), Efthymia Zymvragaki (Light Falls Vertical) and Mariela Pietragalla. (The other memory of the world).

Works by directors Lila Avilés (Totem), María Alche (Puan), Liz Lobato (Land of Our Mothers), Elena Martín (Creatura), Aranxa Echavarria (Chinas), Patricia Ramos (A Night with the Rolling Stones) will also be exhibited. , Bethan Hardison (Invisible beauty) and newcomers Maritza Ceballos, Zenia Veigas and Sailin Carbonell in the collective film “Aislados”.

DIVERSITY

Likewise, the theme of diversity is highlighted, present in several of the works to be presented. In “Monster,” Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda makes a plea against bullying in a beautiful story about friendship and love, winner of the Queer Palm at the Cannes Festival. In “20,000 Species of Bees,” a trans girl's search for identity triggers a family catharsis.

“I am loving you madly”, set in Seville in the late seventies, evokes the beginnings of the Andalusian LGTBI movement, paradoxically conceived within the Church. In “Almamula”, a teenager fleeing homophobic attacks, moves to a rural house in the middle of an enchanted forest where a monster takes away those who commit carnal sins. Finally, “Passages” addresses a marriage that addresses a homosexual marriage that becomes involved in a love triangle marked by passion, jealousy and narcissism.

COMPETITION SECTIONS

The Santo Domingo Global Film Festival is accredited by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers), with a specialty in First Films. Created in 1933, it is an organization made up of 36 member associations from 30 of the main audiovisual producing countries. Its Secretariat is located in Brussels, Belgium. The FIAPF is also responsible for regulating international film festivals, including some of the largest in the world.

The competing sections are the following:

First Fiction Opera “Jimmy Sierra” Competing in this section: “20,000 species of bees”, by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain); “Almamula”, by Juan Sebastián Torales (Argentina); “Boca Chica”, by Gabriella Moses (Dominican Republic); “La Pecera”, by Glorimar Marrero (Puerto Rico); “Trigal”, by Anabel Caso (Mexico); “A night with Adela”, by Hugo Ruiz (Spain); “The girls are fine”, by Itsaso Arana (Spain); ”The Colonists”, by Felipe Galvez (Chile) and “The Wild Woman”, by Alan González (Cuba).

First Fiction Opera “Fernando Báez” Part of the selection: “El Castillo”, by Martin Bechimol (Argentina); “Guapo’y”, by Sofía Paoli Thorne (Paraguay); “The art of light and shadow”, by Miguel Herrero Herrero (Spain); “The colonial”, by David Buitrón (Mexico); “My last sentence”, by Juan Mata (Spain); “Juan Mariné: A century of cinema”, by María Luisa Pujol (Spain); “Light falls vertical”, by Efthymia Zymvragaki (Spain); “The Photographer of 40”, by Orlando Barría and Erika Santelices (Dominican Republic) and “The Other Memory of the World”, by Mariela Pietragalla (Argentina).

Global Animated Short Composed by “La Semilla”, by Daniel Ortiz (Spain); “Ovo”, by Stiv Spasojevic (France); “Anamorphose”, by João Rodrigues (Portugal); “El Faro”, by Mauricio Esparza and Luis Ángel Esparza (Peru); “Broken”, by Farzaneh Omidvarnia (Denmark/Iran); “Zhagar Meshed Khan”, by Natalya Fatikh (Russia); “Last Word”, by Diek Grobler (Republic of South Africa); “Lake Baikal” by Alisi Telengut (Germany/Canada); “The Magic Stone”, by Paula Herrera Vivas (Argentina) and “Raíces”, by Maya Rodríguez Montas (Dominican Republic).

Opera Prima short film “Claudio Chea”

They participate in “The Steak” by Kiarash Dadgar (Iran); “Women protagonists” by María Aranda (Argentina); “Little Fan” by Sveta Yuferova (Germany); “The End” by Rodrigo Villar Martínez (Spain); “For Esteban” by Héctor Almeida (Cuba); “Dream Maker” by Mohsen Mehri Darouei and Milad Kiaei (United Arab Emirates); “Pratikkha” (Waiting) by Somdipa Dey (India); “Unearthing words” by Juan Pablo Reyes Acevedo (Peru); “Conservation Of A Predefined Existence” by Luciano Papangelo (Italy); “Not Today” by Yağmur Mısırlıoğlu (Türkiye); “Wiwa” by Adrian Rivera (Ecuador); “Hou” (Keep) by Andrei Campan and Ramona Kristo (Romania/Belgium); “The Waters” by S.c. Teles (Spain/Kazakhstan); “Honeycomb” by Haider Hussain (Netherlands); and “The Old Young Crow” by Liam Lopinto (Japan/United States/Iran).

Global Fiction and/or Documentary Short

It consists of “Applause” by Guilherme Daniel (Portugal); “Hipocampo” by Víctor Ybazeta (Peru); “Company” by María Salafranca (Cuba); “A Bright Sunny Day” by Yupeng He (United States/China); “Between The Words” by Farid Ismaïl (Luxembourg); “Alma” by Sebastián Salazar Claro (Chile); “Kumbang” (Bugs) by Gwai Lou (Malaysia); “Go Back To The Sky” by Nina Zarabi (Iran); “From The Dark” by Erika Sanz (United States/Spain); “A Flame In Our Midst” by Elvert Bañares (Philippines); “Basri & Salma In A Never-Ending Comedy” by Khozy Rizal (Indonesia); “La Rotonda” by Carmen Tortosa (Spain); “Bird Drone” by Radheya Jegatheva (Australia); “Zemberek” (Plot Revenge) by Recep Çavdar (Türkiye); “Ña Jacinta” by Sandra Flecha (Paraguay); “5/3/0” by Danilo Stanimirović (Serbia) and “On The Grapevine” by Haoran Den (China).

Dominican cinema will be present in the “Made in Errede” Section with “Insular” by Héctor Valdez, world premiered at the Festival de la India (Goa), and “Safari” by Juan Antonio Bisonó, which tells the story of a young American involved in a love triangle in the Dominican Republic. “Consuelo” will also be presented, a documentary by Fernando Santos Diaz and Gabriel Valencia about the work of the Gray Sisters in a Dominican community.

The Spanish actress and producer will present “Are you coming or am I going?”, a comedy about problems, fetishes and paraphilias filmed in the Dominican Republic.

The “Global View” section includes “Monster” and “A perfect day”, as well as “How to have sex” by Molly Manning Walker, winner at Cannes, and “Amal”, a film that highlights the importance of reading and freedom of expression.

“Paradise,” an unconventional love story from Italy, and Catherine Breillat’s “Last Summer,” which challenges moral boundaries, are also part of the lineup.

From the “Hispanic Looks” Section, in addition to the statements “Close your eyes,” “Campeonex”, “Los criminales”, “La Sombra del Sol” and “Totem” will be on the billboard along with the Colombian film “The Other Son”, in which Juan Sebastián Quebrada shows extreme sensitivity in the portrayal of the process of grief after the death of a teenager. “Samsara” offers us a beautiful and surprising vision of the transition towards death and reincarnation. “Chinas” provides a valuable approach to a complex multicultural reality. “Creatura” invites us to a brave, surprising and powerful exploration of sexual taboos from childhood to adulthood.

The section is completed with “Land of our mothers”, a surrealism from La Mancha by Liz Lobato; “Under therapy” by Gerardo Herrero, a claustrophobic reflection in the key of black comedy with ironic and biting dialogues; and “Killing Crabs” by Omar Rassak, a vibrant exercise in nostalgia that immerses the viewer in the heart of a coastal town in Tenerife in 1993.

The sections “Caribbean Views” are enriched with “Aislados”, offering four stories in times of pandemic, and “A Night with the Rolling Stones”, which intersperses the personal life of a forty-year-old woman with a historical moment in Cuba, framed for the concert of the famous rock band. The “Documentary Look” includes Fito Paez's experiences in Cuba, presented in “Fito's Havana” as a critical political and social reflection, in addition to “The Life of Brianeitor” and “In the Shadow of Beirut.”

The “Cinema and Gastronomy” section presents “Rioja, the land of a thousand wines” by José Luis López Linares, which highlights the flourishing moment that the wine region is experiencing thanks to the talent of the new generations. “Invisible beauty”, within “Cinema and fashion”, offers an intimate documentary self-portrait of the model and activist Bethann Hardison.

The festival will close with “La Ternura” by Vicente Villanueva, an imaginative and brilliant adaptation of the work of Alfredo Sanzol, an extravagant and surreal period comedy about the battle of the sexes on a desert island.

JURY
First Fiction Opera “Jimmy Sierra”
Jimmy-Jean Louis, President
Andres Farias, Steven Vargas, Enrique Iznaloa, Laura Amelia Guzman
First Documentary “Fernando Baez”
Abbey White, President
Luis Romero, Lester Rive,
Global Short
Céline Roustan, Natalia Gonzalez, Larry Laboe
Short film debut “Claudio Chea”
Gabriela Ortega, Victor Piñeyro
Animated short
Federico Kalwill, Raquel Laguna, Joanna Chacón

GUESTS
RAY FIGUEROA, ANNABELLE MULLEN, LUIS RIEFKOHL, ARÍ MANIEL, HÉCTOR
ANÍBAL, ESSINED APONTE, FELE MARTÍNEZ, NESTOR RODULFO, JULIETTA
RODRIGUEZ
Once upon a time in the Caribbean
FELE MARTINEZ
Once upon a time in the Caribbean, Under Therapy
LOLA LOVES
The Wild Woman, An Evening with the Rolling Stones
GLORIBEL MARRERO
Fishbowl
HUGO RUIZ
One night with Adela
STEPHEN GERARD KELLY
In the shadow of Beirut
MIGUEL FERRER
the shadow of the sun

GABRIELLA MOSES, STERLING RAMÍREZ, JEAN CRUZ
Boca Chica
ALVARO LONGORIA
The life of Brianeitor, Campeonex
JUAN KILL
My last sentence
ERIKA SANTELICES, ORLANDO BARRÍA
The photographer of the 40
HECTOR VALDEZ
Insular
FERNANDO SANTOS DÍAZ, GABRIEL VALENCIA
Comfort
DAVI VEGA
You come or I go?
JUAN PERDOMO, IVÁN BARRETO, JONAL COSCULLETA
Isolated
JOSÉ LUIS LÓPEZ LINARES
Rioja: Land of a thousand wines
ELVIS NOLASCO
Ro & the Stardust
PARALLEL ACTIVITIES
● PUERTO RICO – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CO-PRODUCTION MARKET
MEET & GREET
● Yalitza Aparicio
● Fele Martínez
● Essined Aponte
● Lola Amores

GLOBAL TALKS:
● FRANCISCO MENÉNDEZ NADAL
○ Humanly legal Ai-Ia
● JUAN MARCIO MIGLIORISI
○ Brands & Strategies in the Film Industry
● HÉCTOR VALDEZ & JUAN ANTONIO BISONÓ
○ From here to there and from there to aka
● GABRIELLA MOSES & GABRIELA ORTEGA
○ From Gabriela to Gabriela
● GERARD KELLY STEPHEN
○ Wartime documentaries
● PATRICIA PEREZ & RICARDO PACHECO
○ Introducing Mubi
● FEDERICO KALWILL
○ Animation: benefits and challenges