2013 April 27 & 28 The Philadelphia Foundation salutes the Filadelfia Latin American Film Festival in the work that they do! We, too, have a tradition of service to the community. The Philadelphia Foundation links those with financial resources to those who serve societal needs. Since 1928, We Have: Built Healthy Communities • Advanced Opportunities • Strengthened Children & Families • Enhanced Culture & Recreation Contents Sponsors 3 Violeta se fue a los Cielos 13 Welcome Message 4 Mi Primer Amor 14 Advisory & Board 7 7 Cajas 16 Schedule 8 Lemon 17 Paal 10 América 18 The Unique Ladies 11 Thank You 19 ROC Shorts 12 Cineastas 21 2013 FLAFF • 2 Sponsors 2013 FLAFF • 3 Welcome Message Dear Friends, you a festival with a strong focus on inspiring. We are very excited to be films by and about Latinas and Latin one of the first festivals to screen Welcome to the Second Annual American women, with premieres of The Unique Ladies. Gloria Moran Filadelfia Latin American Film Gloria Moran’s The Unique Ladies, will be in Philadelphia for all screen- Festival, the first and only Annual Sonia Fritz’s América, and Andres ings. On Saturday, Gloria will be Film Festival in the region to focus Wood’s Violeta Se Fue a los Cielos. teaching a masters class at Scribe exclusively on the exhibition of Latin Video Center. This class is a unique American and Latino film and media The Festival kicks off with the short opportunity for filmmakers and artists. This year, we are very excited film Paal followed by Gloria Moran's audiences to engage with the to present a range of premieres, The Unique Ladies, a film production filmmaker and get an insider’s look hard-hitting documentaries, shorts funded in part by a very popular at her craft and process. and digital media, from diverse kick starter campaign initiative. The cultures and geography, providing Unique Ladies is about San Diego’s Andres Wood’s Violeta Se Fue a los an array of perspectives from and only all women’s low-rider car club. Cielos is a gorgeously shot film on about Latin America and the U.S. The film portrays the strength and the life of the late Latin American resolve of a group of women who singer and icon of Nueva Canción, This year we welcome a number of go out to challenge the male domi- Violeta Parra. The film sets out to tell filmmakers, actors and producers to nated world of low rider culture with the complicated life of a unique our region to discuss their work with their sheer talent, devotion and love artist and the complex contradic- diverse audiences and local for the work they do. The cars are tions between her personal life as a filmmakers. We are proud to bring something else, and their story is woman, a mother, a wife and her art. 2013 FLAFF • 4 The film, based loosely on her son’s unknown contents through the felon and one-time Tony Award-win- memoir, does not purport to close dangerous and infamous Parguayan ner, spoken word artist Lemon the unfinished spaces of Violeta’s street Market known as “Number 4”. Andersen. The film chronicles narrative for the viewer. Instead, Soon, things get complicated for Lemon’s struggles to meet life’s Wood honors our perspective as an Victor as the contents of the box challenges. It is a story about not audience by allowing us to access seem to be highly coveted and giving up, chasing your dreams and her full complexities and contradic- people will stop at nothing to get the reinvention of self. Lemon tions, refusing to give us the easy their hands on them. Compared to Andersen and Beth Levison will be answers for closure sometimes such films as the Fast and The available to discuss the film and expected in film, leaving open the Furious, Reservoir Dogs, Slumdog Lemon’s current project. narrative of the unfinished spaces Millionaire and El Mariachi, 7 Boxes we inhabit. holds its own with fast paced The shorts included in the Festival dialogue, action, and exciting deft give us an opportunity to turn our One of Toronto’s International Film precision camera work that takes gaze to more intimate worlds. In Festival’s favorite films, 7 Boxes, you inside the film, and along the Paal, we are introduced to a Mayan offers us a very different film, a fast way, you become (willingly or boy who longs to teach us about the paced action thriller from Paraguay. unwillingly) Victor’s passenger and universe he was born in. Mi Primer Directed by Juan Carlos Maneglia witness. You are in for a ride. Amor shows us a young boy trying and Tana Schémbori and winner of to figure out women and their the Euskaltel 2012 Award in San We are also thrilled to offer Lemon, universe through his infatuation with Sebastian Spain, 7 Boxes tells the the highly acclaimed 2011 Doc NYC his live-in female cousin. story of Victor, a wheelbarrow Special Jury Prize Winner by Beth goods transporter receiving an Levison and Laura Browson, which Because our Festival is deeply unusual proposal to carry 7 boxes of tells the inspiring story of three-time rooted in the tradition of film and 2013 FLAFF • 5 media as art forms and a meaningful her life by moving to New York City. sity of the Arts and want to thank agent for social change, this year América offers the opportunity to their staff for their support of our we partnered with the Restaurant showcase a complex film about work. We would also like to extend Opportunities Centers (ROC) to family, friendship, migration, a special thanks to our Board of present two premiers, produced by intimate partner violence, sacrifice, Directors and Advisory Committee Danny Glover’s Louverture Films. and the complex realities of the members for their hard work over Just completed, and screened at the Puerto Rican migratory experiences, the past year to make this Festival a 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, these contrasted against the migratory reality. two shorts offer an opportunity to experience of other Latin American examine the exploitation of labor immigrant women. Director Sonia We hope you enjoy the program- in the food service industry in this Fritz, visiting our Festival from Puerto ming, and that you will come back country and in Philadelphia, Rico, will present her work. for more! specifically. We would not be here today with- out our supporters, including our When the lights dim, and the film The Festival closes with the most dedicated, our donors and rolls, we too are you. Welcome. Philadelphia premiere of Sonia audiences. We would like to thank Fritz’s América. Produced and shot in our sponsors, the Greater Philadel- Sincerely, Puerto Rico and New York City, phia Film Office, the Philadelphia América tells the story of a young Foundation, The University of the woman living in Vieques, Puerto Arts, International House, The Rico during the island’s confronta- Leeway Foundation, Casa de tion with the U.S. navy. Abused by Duende, and Bread and Roses. We her husband and wanting to protect are honored to work with both Beatriz Vieira & David Acosta, her daughter, she decides to change International House and the Univer- Co-Founders/Directors 2013 FLAFF • 6 Staff Directors Board Advisory Board Founders Linda Blackaby, Consultant & Film Festival Manager Beatriz Vieira Denise Brown, Executive Director, Leeway Foundation David Acosta Gretjen Clausing, Executive Director, PhillyCam Fran McElroy, Media Producer Members Louis Massiah, Filmmaker, Executive Director, Scribe Video Center José Benitez Joacy Mendonça, Educator Susan Chernin Kay Pyle, Film Producer Gerald Macdonald David Haas Nina Moreno Pedro Ospina 2013 FLAFF • 7 Schedule Saturday, April 27 Sunday, April 28 International House Elaine C. Levitt Auditorium, Gershman Hall, University of the Arts 1:30PM Paal/Child 1:00PM 7 Cajas / 7 Boxes 2:15PM The Unique Ladies 3:30PM Lemon 3:15PM ROC Shorts 6:00PM The Unique Ladies 7:00PM América 4:30PM Violeta se fue a los Cielos / Violeta Went to Heaven 9:00PM Party 6:30PM Reception Music: Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble Crisol 8:00PM Mi Primer Amor / My First Love 8:20PM 7 Cajas / 7 Boxes 2013 FLAFF • 8 Paal/Child Saturday, April 27th 1:30PM @ International House Christoph Müller & Victor Vargas Mexico / Canada / Switzerland Mayan, English subtitles 21 minutes Paal tells the story of Memo, a Mayan child, whose biggest dream is to tell the stories of his people. Through his own vision and fantasy, we explore the everyday life and culture of his town, and the exuberant nature of Yucatan's jungle in the south of Mexico. Paal pays homage to a magical world that is not exempt from the influence of the occidental world. 2013 FLAFF • 10 The Unique Ladies Saturday, April 27th 2:15PM @ International House Sunday, April 28th 6:00PM @ University of the Arts Gloria Moran USA / English, with Spanish subtitles 30 minutes The Unique Ladies is a short docu- mentary aimed to expose an audi- ence to Lowrider culture localized around women's work and participa- tion. Using a hybrid style of verite footage with interwoven interviews, The Unique Ladies take you on a funky ride down the streets of Chica- no San Diego. 2013 FLAFF • 11 ROC Shorts: Latino Restaurant Workers in the USA Sunday, April 28th 3:15PM @ International House 2 Shorts presented by Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) Sponsored by Bread & Roses USA English with Spanish subtitles 14 minutes 2013 FLAFF • 12 Violeta se fue a los Cielos/Violeta Went to Heaven Saturday, April 27th 4:30PM @ International House Andres Wood Chile / Argentina / Brazil / Spain Spanish with English subtiltes 110 minutes Like a Chilean Edith Piaf, Violeta Parra was a folksinger and pop culture icon whose songs, like "Gracias a la Vida," expressed the soul of her nation and protested social injustice.