Cine Las Americas 16 Reviews: Narrative/Panorama Shorts

By Mark Saldana One the things I really like about Cine Las Americas is the fact that before most feature films, they present one of the shorts submitted to the festival.  Because  my coverage involves mostly feature length films at festivals, I rarely get the opportunity to view shorts showcases.  This year I was able… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16 Reviews: Narrative/Panorama Shorts

Cine Las Americas 16 Review: 7 CAJAS/7 BOXES

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) For the piece de resistance, Jean Laurer and her programmers picked an awesome gem of a film to close out the festival. This import from Paraguay had me thoroughly engaged and invested in its story and characters from start to finish. Of all the films I… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16 Review: 7 CAJAS/7 BOXES

Cine Las Americas 16 Review: Panorama Double Feature

By Mark Saldana As part of their Panorama Short Films line up, this year’s Cine Las Americas festival had a double feature of two, hour long, short films on Saturday night (April 20th).  The Panorama section celebrates Narrative and Documentary films which “represent innovative and independent filmmakers in complement to the rest of the program;… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16 Review: Panorama Double Feature

Cine Las Americas 16: NOS VEMOS, PAPA/SEE YOU, DAD

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) From Mexico, writer/director Lucia Carreras tells an affecting and even disturbing tale of a young woman’s painful struggles in coping with the loss of her father. Pilar (Cecilia Suarez) has remained very close to her father and has taken care of him up until his death.… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16: NOS VEMOS, PAPA/SEE YOU, DAD

Cine Las Americas 16 Review: PATH OF SOULS

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) Every year, Cine Las Americas has maintained a commitment not only to promoting Hispanic/Latino themed and Spanish/Portuguese language films, but also to films dedicated to indigenous and Native American peoples. This year, CLAIFF had two Native American films in their lineup which I had the pleasure… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16 Review: PATH OF SOULS

Cine Las Americas 16 Review: HASTA NUNCA/SEE YOU NEVER

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Exactly twenty four hours after watching The Last Time I Saw Macao, I watched another ambitious film which has a similar approach to storytelling.  Only this time, the experimental technique pays off.  Director Mark Street tells the story of Uruguayan talk radio host Mario Ligetti (Rufo… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16 Review: HASTA NUNCA/SEE YOU NEVER

Cine Las Americas 16 Review: THE LAST TIME I SAW MACAO

By Mark Saldana  Rating: 2.5  (Out of Four Stars) This experimental film by Joao Pedro Rodriguez and Joao Rui Guerra de Mata ambitiously attempts to combine seemingly random film footage of the city of Macao with a highly imaginative narrative, but doesn’t quite succeed in its execution. The narrative involves the return of an unnamed,… Continue reading Cine Las Americas 16 Review: THE LAST TIME I SAW MACAO

Local Movie News: The 20th Annual Austin Film Festival’s Honorees

JONATHAN DEMME TO RECEIVE ESTEEMED  “EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTION TO FILMMAKING” AWARD AT 2013 AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL     Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan named “Outstanding Television Writer”   Bones EP Barry Josephson to receive inaugural “Heart of Film” Award At the Fest’s 20th Anniversary October 24-31, 2013   Austin, TX, — April 24, 2013 – Austin Film… Continue reading Local Movie News: The 20th Annual Austin Film Festival’s Honorees