THE 23RD ANNUAL SAN DIEGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SELECTIONS FOR SPOTLIGHT FILMS SHOWCASE
Including Eva No Duerme with Golden Globe winner Gael Garcia Bernal
East County News Service
January 28, 2016 (San Diego) -- The programmers for the San Diego Latino Film Festival, presented by Fashion Valley, are pleased to announce the official Spotlight Films selections for its 23rd edition, set to take place March 10-20 at AMC Fashion Valley 18.
Under this inclusive category, films from Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Spain and Peru have been selected, starring some of some of the most recognized Latino movie stars, Jaime Camil, Gael Garcia Bernal, Damián Alcázar, Martha Higareda and Rosario Dawson.
"These films represent the intersection between artistry and commercial appeal. They feature some of the most recognized Latino stars in unforgettable performances, each elevating their craft to create iconic and varied representations of the Latino experience, ” said Moises Esparza, San Diego Latino Film Festival programmer.
"There is a compelling mix of genres in these selections: romance, comedy, action and suspense. These films are certain to appeal to a wide audience and be deemed some of the favorites of this year’s festival," he added.
Ilusiones S.A.
Director: Roberto Girault
Mexico- Comedy/Drama
A group of actors is dedicated to make the people’s dreams come true. They are hired by a wealthy man to pose as the family of his grandson, to avoid causing his wife pain, who anxiously awaits them after receiving a letter.
Starring: Jaime Camil, Adriana Louver, Silvia Mariscal y Roberto D’Amico.
Tráiler: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEA2emI7WYM
Eva no Duerme (Eva Doesn’t Sleep)
Director: Pablo Agüero
Argentina-Drama
In 1952, Argentina's beloved First Lady, Eva Perón, died of cancer at the age of thirty-three. A renowned embalmer was commissioned by the grieving Juan Perón to preserve her body for display. Three years later, when his government was overthrown by a military coup, Perón fled the country before he could make arrangements for the transportation of his wife's body. The military, now in control, kidnaps the corpse and thus began the two-decade journey of Eva's body throughout Europe and eventually back to Argentina.
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Denis Lavant, Imanol Arias. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2AIPgxXlW8
Magallanes
Director: Salvador del Solar
Peru-Drama/Suspense
Magallanes sees his humdrum life turn upside down the day Celina, a women he met in the violent years when he was a soldier with the Peruvian Army, jumps into his taxi in a Lima street. This unexpected re-encounter after 25 years with the dark past that unites them prompts Magallanes to embark on a daring plan, to help Celina get money and find his own redemption.
Starring: Damián Alcázar, Christian Mier, Magaly Solier, Federico Luppi. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3tOgzQEy7s
Malaventura (Misadventure)
Director: Carlos Rincones
Mexico-Comedy
On the way to the party of the year, four friends decide to play a joke that triggers a series of events that unfold throughout the day. When arrested, their friendship is tested and faces some tough personal decisions.
Starring: Miri Higareda, Juan Pablo Gil, Jesus Zavala. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIU8pdYg6VY
Puerto Ricans in Paris
Director: Ian Edelman
EE.UU-Comedy
Puerto Rican brothers–in-law Eddie and Luis just happen to be NYC’s two best counterfeit detectives. When the latest, must-have “It Bag” from celebrated Parisian fashion designer Colette’s new collection has been stolen, they head to Paris in hopes of cracking the case and collecting a handsome fee. With clashing sleuthing styles and personality traits, the comedic duo infuses a bit of color into the City of Lights.
Starring: Rosario Dawson, Rosie Perez, Luis Guzmán, Edgar Garcia. Trailer: Not available.
Tiempos Felices (Happy Times)
Director: Luis Javier M. Henaine
Mexico-Romantic Comedy
Max is unable to break up with his girlfriend, so he decides to hire an agency that specializes in ending relationships, only to discover that there is no perfect solution.
Starring: Luis Arrieta, Cassandra Ciangherotti, Miguel Rodarte, Humberto Busto. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WffyTR9yPLw
La Calle de la Amargura (Bleak Street)
Director: Arturo Ripstein
Mexico -Crime/Drama
In the early morning hours, two elderly prostitutes go back to their hovels. They are not tired from working; they are tired of not doing anything. One has problems at home with her teenage daughter and her crossdressing husband. The other, with her loneliness. But that night, they have a date to celebrate the victory in the ring of two wrestlers, twin midgets wearing masks. At the hourly hotel, in order to rob the tiny men of their earnings, they drug them with eye drops. But the dose proves fatal. They murder them unintentionally. Scared and confused, they decide to hide from the police and run away together to live, as they always have, on Bleak Street.
Starring: Patricia Reyes Spindola, Alberto Estrella, Silvia Pasquel, Arcelia Ramírez. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyxbO-umfLk
Una Última y Nos Vamos
Director: Noé Santillán-López
Mexico - Adventure Comedy
A Mariachi group will leave their hometown for the first time to perform at a national competition in Mexico City. After being selected, this band of seven set out to find an eighth member to be able to compete. They decide to recruit Martin, the son of one of the members who happens to be in a rock band. The eight men have to endure many challenges in which their brotherhood is put to the test. What seems to be the opportunity of a lifetime might soon become the beginning of the end for the band.
Starring: Héctor Bonilla, José Sefami, Martha Higareda, Mariana Treviño, Hernán Mendoza, Roberto Medina. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhC94RtM6oU
El Clan (The Clan)
Director: Pablo Trapero
Argentina/Spain
Biography/Crime/Drama
Old habits die hard: The "disappearances" that marked the Videla regime in Argentina continued after the dictator's fall in 1981, but the motive changed from politics to money. Arquimedes Puccio kidnapped wealthy men and women and held them for ransom in his home, using domineering control over his family and - for a time - the tacit protection of police to do it.
Starring: Guillermo Francella, Peter Lanzani. Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4jSwCrR44
Every year, the San Diego Latino Film Festival screens more than 160 films from Latin America, Spain, the United States, Mexico and other parts of the world in celebration of Latino film, art, and culture. The event also features after parties, filmmaker workshops and guest Latino celebrities from the hottest TV shows and feature films. Discounted Movie Ticket Packs and Festivals Passes are available for a limited time: Visit www.sdlatinofilm.com to purchase today!
For additional information, hi-res photos, video clips, and interview inquiries, contact Ernesto Lopez, Press Coordinator for the Media Arts Center San Diego: ernesto@mediaartscenter.org, (619) 942-3182