7th Sydney Latin American Film Festival Announces 2012 Program

Mia (Argentina) poster

Last night at the offices of the Consulate-General of Uruguay in Australia and New Zealand, the 7th Sydney Latin American Film Festival announced over 30 award-winning Australian premieres from 15 different countries.

Encompassing films from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Cuba and Australia, the festival aims at not just showcasing cinema from those countries but in raising awareness for grassroots, community initiatives in those countries.

The festival from 6 to 16 September at the Dendy Opera Quays, Addison Road Centre, Mu-Meson Archives and the Bankstown Arts Centre. Check out the official site for more details and tickets.

Mia poster

SLAFF 2012 opens with the Australian Premiere of Mia, from Argentine filmmaker Javier Van de Couter. Winner of the Best Film at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the director will visit Australia to introduce his film and answer questions.

Some of the other highlights include the quirky Have You Seen Lupita? (Mexico/Chile, Gonzalo Justiano), biopic of Chilean heroine Violetta Parra in Violeta Went to Heaven (Chile, Andrés Wood), the stark black and white of Southwest (Brazil, Edwardo Nunes) and the Closing Night film that aims to literally bring Cuban cinema back from the dead, the zombified Juan of the Dead (Cuba/Spain, Alejandro Brugués). Then do it all again with the West Opening Night’s The Rumble of the Stones (Venezuela, Alejandro Bellame).

There’s also a Spotlight on Local Filmmakers, featuring a series of seven shorts from local talent.

Juan of the Dead poster

The full list includes:

Features

  • Mia (Argentina, Javier Van de Couter)
  • Violeta Went to Heaven (Chile, Andrés Wood)
  • Southwest (Brazil, Eduardo Nunes)
  • Silence in Paradise (Colombia, Silence in Paradise)
  • The Return (Costa Rica, Hernan Jimenez)
  • The Zero Hour (Venezuela, Diego Velasco)
  • Sibila (Chile/Spain, Teresa Arredondo)
  • Choco (Colombia, Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza)
  • Have You Seen Lupita? (Mexico/Chile, Gonzalo Justiano)
  • Juan of the Dead (Cuba/Spain, Alejandro Brugués)
  • The Rumble of the Stones  (Venezuela, Alejandro Bellame)
  • Lean Mean Cows (Uruguay/Argentina, Santiago Svirsky)
  • Mount Bayo (Argentina, Victoria Galardi)
  • The Delay (Uruguay/Mexico/France, Rodrigo Plá)
  • Anonymous (Chile, Renato Pérez Arancibia)
  • The Inca, The Silly Girl and The Son of A Thief (Peru/Bolivia, Ronnie Temoche)
Documentary
  • Brilliant Soil (Mexico, José Luis Figueroa & Sebastián Díaz Aguirre)
  • Voices That Heal (Peru/USA, Delia Ackerman & Heather Greer)
  • The Sacred Science (Peru/USA, Nick Polizzi)
  • Rivers of Men (Mexico/Boliva, Tin Dirdamal)
  • Die Standing Up (Mexico, Jacaranda Correa)
  • Cultures of Resistance (Various, Iara Lee)