Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere

The Gainesville Latino Film Festival (GLFF), organized by the Latina Women’s League, is proud to present the lineup for its fourteenth edition.  Held over three weeks, September 13 – 30, Festival events will be spread across 13 venues in Gainesville, Florida. Press kit information is attached.

This year’s theme, “Latin American Women in Film: Celebrating Women’s Voices and Visions,” will explore the strong presence of Latin America female directors in the industry. The lineup includes entries both from well know auteurs and newcomers. The Festival opens on Thursday, September 13 with Todos Queremos A Alguien / Everybody Loves Somebody by Mexican director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta. Una Mujer Fantástica /A Fantastic Women, from Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, will close out the Festival. We are proud to showcase these and other great films from Latin America in the beautiful town of Gainesville, Florida.

In addition to over 17 feature films, GLFF will screen short films and programs representing more than 12 countries.  This year’s festival will also feature special guest speakers, panel discussions, music and dance performances as well as art exhibits and events for the whole family.

2018 program highlights include our 2ndAnnual Short Film contest, on September 17, with film jurors Emily Hind and James Babanikos.  On September 15, we will have a special family event at the Florida Museum of Natural History with dance performances by the Peruvian group Danzas PeruJax.  The Peruvian Tablas de Sarhua /Sarhua Boards will be exhibited at the Cone Park Library Branch from September 13 – October 15.  This year we are introducing a new family program: Spanish Immersion Story time/ Hora del Cuento en Español will take place on September 22 and 29 & October 6 and 13 at the Millhopper Library Branch. GLFF has partnered with the Star Center Theatre to bring the sensational musical, In the Heights, to Gainesville on September 21.   On September 25 the University of Florida, Hispanic Heritage Month joins the Festival and celebrates its 50th anniversary with a Literacy Fair.  The Noche de Panamá / A Night of Panama, will bring Panamanian dance group Conjunto de Proyecciones Folkloricas Recuerdos De Mi Panamá to Santa Fe College’s E-Theater. On September 28, Gilberto de Paz and Tropix will bring the heat to downtown Gainesville with a Salsa concert, Night in el Barrio, so get your dancing shoes ready!  All Festival events are free and open to the public.  For more details, please visit www.GainesvilleLatinoFilmFestival.com

GLFF would not be possible without invaluable support from our loyal sponsors. This event has been funded in part by a Tourist Development Tax Grant from the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners in conjunction with the Alachua County Tourist Development Council.  Our sponsors play a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and help us show our commitment to quality in cinema and the arts. We are especially grateful for our long-term relationships with the City of Gainesville, Visit Gainesville, the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere, and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida. The Festival could not be more proud of our incredible venue partners– the Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History, Smathers Library at the University of Florida, the Thomas Center, Santa Fe College’s E-Theater, the Matheson History Museum, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities at Tacachale, the Millhopper and Cone Park Library Branches, and The Wooly.  Their unique contributions enhance the cinematic experience and expose our audience to all that Gainesville has to offer.

This year the Festival is introducing the GLFF Community Program, an initiative to raise awareness about community-level programs tackling urgent challenges in child welfare, education, human rights, and immigration and to point to opportunities for Festival-goers to be a part of positive change in our communities. Our 2018 partners are three well-known organizations,Farmworkers Self-Help, Inc., Americans for Immigrant Justice, and a Gator-community project, the UF student-led Puerto Rico Relief Project.

For a detailed event schedule see the attachment or visit www.GainesvilleLatinoFilmFestival.com