By Liz Lopez
The GuadaLAjara Film Festival in Los Angeles, presented by University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, Grodman Foundation, the Festival Internacional de Guadalajara and is formerly known as FICG in LA, announced a 100% virtual 2020 program reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival, celebrating ten years since its premiere in Los Angeles, also revealed its new name – GuadaLAjara Film Festival – as an homage to the two cities in which it was founded. Its mission remains unchanged: to showcase the best of Latin American cinema and continue to serve as bridge for Latino filmmakers between Hollywood and Latin America. The all-digital festival will run December 17-19, 2020.
This year’s festival will focus on Los Angeles – seeking to amplify the diverse voices of Latin films. The festival aims to further engage second and third generations of Latin filmmakers whose stories are fundamental to understanding one of the largest minorities in the United States, thus continuing to preserve the roots and language. Its goal is to profile the experiences of those who have lived on both sides of the border, to share, conserve and entertain the different ethnicities of Los Angeles, reinforcing the festival’s mission to encourage greater inclusivity.
Starting with this year´s 10th edition, the festival will pay tribute to the leaders behind vital organizations that help pave the way to a better future for all Latinos. Its inaugural honoree will be Monica Ramirez, CEO and Founder of Justice4Women Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports migrant women and promotes better living and working conditions. 100% of this year’s net box office will be donated to the Justice4Women Foundation.
The festival curated films that represent individuals and institutions who work for the betterment of Latinos in the United States through enhanced quality of life, better education and equal justice. This year’s programming will center on stories around our commonalities across cultures:
Opening Night: NO MAN’S LAND from Director Conor Allyn, starring Frank Grillo, Andie MacDowell, George López and Esmeralda Pimentel. Migration is an issue that will always be fundamental when we talk about the relationship between Latin America and the United States. No Man’s Land addresses this problem from a human perspective.
Center Piece: 499, from director Rodrigo Reyes and stars Eduardo San Juan Breña as a 16th-century conquistador who begins an epic journey, documents stories of how the Spanish dehumanized the societies they encountered.
Closing Night: SUMMERTIME from Director Carlos López Estrada, starring Mila Cuda, Paolina Acuña-Gonzaléz, Tyris Winter, Gordon IP, Marquesha Babers, Austin Antoine and Bryce Banks. A film that tackles the theme of being an “Angeleno,” representing the diversity in a big city in the United States.
“The festival’s new mission is to show the best of Latin American cinema, and open doors for emerging Latinx creators, with the intention of cultivating a borderless film industry” stated Festival’s Director Ximena Urrutia Partida.
The festival will showcase a selection of emerging LatinX talent, Ibero-America and Documentary shorts films. For schedules, details on all events offered and how to attend, visit https://www.ficginla.com
Source: GuadaLAjara Film Festival