Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Humberto Solas Low-Budget Film Festival begins in its usual venue: Gibara


The international low-budget film festival is one of the most popular of the alternative film circuit. Since its first edition in 2003, it gathers filmmakers from around the world committed to defending more humane and aesthetic films made with modest resources.
The coastal town of Gibara is the usual venue for the event that takes place this time from April 19 to 25.
Cuban filmmaker Humberto Solas founded the low-budget Film Festival and choiced Gibara as the principal venue. The town is a hefty 800-kilometre trek from Havana and an hour’s drive along poor roads from both Holguín (which boasts an international airport) and the pristine beaches of Guardalavaca.
Gibara was declared a National Monument in 2004. Despite the remoteness, relocating the Festival is unlikely because of the very close relationship which bas been built through years between the festival and the people of Gibara.
During this year´s festival, several Culture Centres of this city will host forums for debates on current issues related to film production, theatre, painting, dance and literature will also have a space including art exhibitions by renowned Cuban artists, and the Objetivo Fishara photo exhibition.
Around 160 works of diverse formats, genres, countries, and styles will participate in the event. Of these, more than 70 will be in the official section divided into groups of fiction, documentary, animation and video art.
Contenders from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany and Cuba, will animate this film fest under the guide of a 12-member jury of producers, critics, essayists and writers.
During the preceding seven years, the low-budget Film Festival has established itself as an autonomous cultural and community forum. It has developed a welcomed space for encounter, reflection and has laid the foundation for a network of independent filmmakers and small events with the objective of creating joint projects in the alternative field.

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