The Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY) is an internationally recognized film festival celebrating Latin American cinema. In its 24th anniversary the Festival features over 30 films that demonstrate the richness of Latin American culture and its effects on global filmmaking, including NY, US and World Premieres of contemporary cinema from the region; award-winning documentaries that explore iconic Latinx literary, cinematic, and musical figures; and retrospectives of remastered classic films that have left an indelible mark on cinematic production around the world. Special events include panels on alternative film markets and indie filmmaking in the U.S. and Latin America, presentations and masterclasses by some of Latin America’s most celebrated artistic figures, roundtable discussions with industry professionals, networking receptions, parties, and more!

Schedule of Events:

April 10, 2024:

2:45 PM: The Unseen Gaze: A Retrospective of Nicolas Guillen Landrian

HFFNY kicks off with a free program honoring Nicolas Guillen Landrian as part of the festival’s collaboration with Hofstra University. The Unseen Gaze: A Retrospective of Nicolás Guillén Landrián presents the significant restoration project unveiling the lost legacy of Cuba's pioneering black filmmaker, Nicolás Guillén Landrián. This restoration project sheds light on the forgotten contributions of Landrián while illuminating the dark realities that marginalized his work. Free and open to the public.

April 11, 2024:

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Virtual Masterclass: Mastering Script Negotiation (via Zoom)

Learn strategies to successfully value, market, and sell your screenplay in this online workshop hosted by LoperaSanchez. Workshop is Free and open to the public (registration required), and will be in Spanish with simultaneous English translation; attendees are welcome to participate in either language during the Q&As.

Virtual Masterclass: Mastering Script Negotiation - Unlocking the Art of Negotiating Your Screenplay: Strategies for Success

Have you ever poured your heart and soul into crafting a screenplay, only to find yourself stumbling when it comes time to put a price on your work? Negotiating the value of your script with film executives can be a daunting task but fear not! In this exclusive masterclass, screenwriter and author, LoperaSanchez will equip you with the essential tools and strategies needed to navigate the negotiation process with confidence.

During this workshop, participants will:

Learn effective negotiation techniques tailored specifically for scriptwriters
Gain insight into the valuation of their creative work
Discover new methodologies for approaching negotiations with industry professionals
Develop the skills to confidently articulate the value of their script for both feature films and television series

Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your screenwriting career and master the art of negotiation. Reserve your spot today and take the first step towards securing the value your creative work deserves!

Register Here

April 12, 2024:

1:00 PM - 2:10 PM: Homage To Landrian: Part 1

Discover the groundbreaking, recently restored shorts of Nicolás Guillén Landrián (1938-2003), Afro-Cuban filmmaker, painter, and poet

Part 1: The Unseen Gaze: A Retrospective of Nicolas Guillen Landrian

A Significant Restoration Project Unveiling the Lost Legacy of Cuba's Pioneering Black Filmmaker

Shorts in this program are subtitled in English.

Program will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

Part 1 of HFFNY's homage to Nicolás Guillén Landrián includes the following short films, all subtitled in English and newly restored.

En Un Barrio Viejo
1963 | 9 min

Los Del Baile
1965 | 10 min

Ociel Del Toa
1965 | 17 min

Coffea Arábiga
1968 | 18 min

Taller De Línea Y 18
1971 | 15 min

2:30 PM - 4:10 PM: Fresa Y Chocolate / Strawberry and Chocolate
Part of Laughing through Rebellion: The Cine Libre of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

A showcase of six iconic films, newly restored by the Academy Film Archive and presented in collaboration with the Cohen Film Collection

Film is subtitled in English and will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

Fresa Y Chocolate / Strawberry and Chocolate

Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Juan Carlos Tabío | Cuba-Mexico | Fiction | 1994 | 110 min

Perhaps Alea's most internationally acclaimed work, this 1993 film explores themes of friendship, sexuality, and political repression in Castro's Cuba. It tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Diego, a homosexual intellectual, and David, a young communist student. The film navigates the complexities of identity and ideology with sensitivity and depth.

6:00 PM - 11:30 PM: Opening Night Film + After-Party: La Mujer Salvaje (Wild Woman)
Alán González | Cuba | Fiction | 2023 | 93 min | NY PREMIERE

Screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Alán González

Tickets also include entrance into HFFNY's Opening Night After-Party. For screening-only tickets please see the Opening Night Encore Screening at 8:30PM

In a Havana slum, a woman survives a bloody fight between her husband and her lover. In a desperate attempt to spare her son from the scandal, she decides to run away with him, but a video of the incident has already gone viral.

Awards / Festivals:

2023 Toronto International Film Festival/ World Premiere
2023 Cine Ceará Ibero-American Film Festival/ Best Film; Outstanding Lead Performance (Lola Amores); Best Sound (Michel Caballero, Angie Hernández)
44th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana/ Special Jury Mention for Best First Feature; Audience Award for Best Film; SIGNIS Award for Best Film

8:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Opening Night Encore Screening: La Mujer Salvaje (Wild Woman)
Alán González | Cuba | Fiction | 2023 | 93 min | NY Premiere

Tickets are for screening only. For tickets that include HFFNY's Opening Night Ceremony, Screening, Q&A + After-Party please see the Opening Night Screening at 6:00PM

In a Havana slum, a woman survives a bloody fight between her husband and her lover. In a desperate attempt to spare her son from the scandal, she decides to run away with him, but a video of the incident has already gone viral.

Awards / Festivals:

2023 Toronto International Film Festival/ World Premiere
2023 Cine Ceará Ibero-American Film Festival/ Best Film; Outstanding Lead Performance (Lola Amores); Best Sound (Michel Caballero, Angie Hernández)
44th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana/ Special Jury Mention for Best First Feature; Audience Award for Best Film; SIGNIS Award for Best Film

April 13, 2024:

12:30 PM - 2:10 PM: La Muerte De Un Burócrata / Death Of A Bureaucrat

Part of Laughing through Rebellion: The Cine Libre of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

A showcase of six iconic films, newly restored by the Academy Film Archive and presented in collaboration with the Cohen Film Collection

Film is subtitled in English and will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

La Muerte De Un Burócrata / Death Of A Bureaucrat
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea | Cuba | Fiction | 1966 | 85 min

When a deceased factory worker is buried along with his union card, his family—in need of the document so that his widow can collect the pension she’s due—must contend with endless bureaucratic red-tape to have the body exhumed. Marrying Buñuel-style surrealism with nods to 1920s silent comedy, this uproarious absurdist farce is a daring satire of governmental inefficiency.

Feature will be preceded by

El Arte Del Tabaco / The Art Of Cigars
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea | Cuba | 1974 | Documentary | 7min

El arte del tabaco is a Cuban documentary about the cigar industry directed by reknowned Cuban director Tomas Gutierrez Alea featuring the music of Rodrigo Prats.

2:30 PM - 4:15 PM: Tito, Margot Y Yo / Tito, Margot & Me
Mercedes Arias, Delfina Vidal | Panama-Colombia | Documentary | 2022 | 92 min | NY PREMIERE

Followed by a Q&A with directors Mercedes Arias and Delfina Vidal

A cinematic portrait of the larger-than-life love affair of Panamanian diplomat Tito Arias and his wife, famous dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn, that weaves together interviews, found footage, letters, old photographs, and emotive dance sequences.

4:35 PM - 6:20 PM: Ayahuasca Now
Carlos Bruno Cejas | Argentina | Documentary | 2024 | 90 min | World Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Carlos Cejas and producer Mario Stecher

A group of US veterans, affected by the traumas of war, travel to the Peruvian Amazon seeking redemption. Their tales shed light on soldiers' mental battles, voicing the daily struggle to heal the invisible wounds of war.

6:40 PM - 8:30 PM: Bajo Un Sol Poderoso / Under A Powerful Sun
Enrique (Kiki) Álvarez | Cuba | Fiction | 2022 | 87 min | US Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Kiki Álvarez

A Cuban filmmaker locks himself in his house to confront his loneliness and the ghosts of the couples who starred in three of his films made over 31 years, from the fall of the Berlin Wall until today. An essay on loneliness, absence, restlessness, and the weight of social circumstances on individuals. A film about Havana, filmed in Havana, lived in Havana, under a powerful sun.

8:45 PM - 10:35 PM: La Leyenda De Arsenio preceded by short film Y La Calle Que?

La Leyenda De Arsenio
Rolando Almirante | Cuba | Documentary | 2012 | 80 min

preceded by Y La Calle Que? (Dario Bolivar | U.S. | Documentary | 2024 | 14 min)

Followed by a Q&A with director Dario Bolivar

An exploration of the life and legacy of Arsenio Rodríguez, father of Son and Salsa, as told by renowned musicologists, family members, and his disciples in New York, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, in honor of his 100-year anniversary.

Y La Calle Que?
Dario Bolivar | U.S. | Documentary | 2024 | 14 min

Roly Garbalosa, production manager for Karol G and Bad Bunny, shares experiences and compares Regueton and Salsa rhythms in a documentary, a Stagedoor production.  

April 14, 2024:

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Aldo Baldin - A Life For Music
Yves Goulart | Brazil | Documentary | 2024 | 114 min

Followed by a Q&A with director Yves Goulart and producer Marcelo Nigri

Aldo Baldin - A Life for Music is an operatic documentary that unfolds talented tenor Aldo Baldin as he journeyed from humble beginnings in Brazil to international recognition in Europe. Baldin was among the finest tenors in the world during the 1980’s, particularly as an interpreter of Bach's pieces. He worked with conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Helmuth Rilling, Herbert von Karajan, Rolf Beck, Karl Richter and Peter Schreier. With longing stories from a wide range of musicians, friends and family members, Aldo Baldin – A Life for Music celebrates the unique career of this artist and professor, as one of the greatest classical musicians from Brazil.

3:00 PM - 4:20 PM: Landrian
Ernesto Daranas Serrano | Cuba-Spain | Documentary | 2023 | 80 min

Film will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

Nicolás Guillén Landrián, Cuba’s first black filmmaker, was ostracized and eventually exiled as a result of his avant-garde approach to filmmaking. In 2022, in recognition of the genius unrecognized in his own time, Cuban filmmaker Ernesto Daranas began a process of restoring some of Landrián’s most seminal works. This documentary takes us into Daranas’ investigation, a journey of discovery that features Gretel Alfonso (Landrián's widow) and the photographer Livio Delgado as they recall passages from the life and work of this pioneering Afro-Cuban documentary filmmaker.

4:40 PM - 6:30 PM: Rebelion / Rebellion
José Luis Rugeles | Colombia-Argentina-U.S. | Fiction | 2022 | 105 min | NY Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director José Luis Rugeles

The film portrays a vulnerable, anonymous Joe Arroyo in his claustrophobic journey through different moments in his life. A musical genius, salsa singer and composer, Joe’s music and unique voice could not be contained on stage. The film follows the man into his most private depths to the beat of his lover’s soul, tormented by his great love: music. It is an atemporal exploration of his life, an adventure into the dark, solitary place where Joe’s talent was at its rawest and his emotions and impulses were free.

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM: Nosotras / We, The Women
Emilce Quevedo Díaz | Colombia | Documentary | 2023 | 70 min | NY Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Emilce Quevedo Díaz

Through three generations of women in her family, the director reflects on the joys of women’s bonds and resilience but also on the devastating impact of traditional gender roles, gender violence and the suffocating weight of religion.

8:40 PM - 10:20 PM: Centerpiece Screening: El Mundo De Nelsito / Nelsito's World
Fernando Pérez | Cuba-Spain | Fiction | 2022 | 100 min | NY Premiere

A car accident… The victim is Nelsito, a 16-year-old autistic teenager who has run away from home. While everyone is worried about him, his big eyes are registering every detail. From his stretcher and through his imaginary pen, Nelsito reveals the dark, hidden side of those who surround him: wicked children, murderous women, adorable swindlers… Once recovered, Nelsito will be received by these characters – now simple neighbors who are real, ordinary and genuine. But which are the real ones? Those ordinary mortals or the ones that Nelsito has imagined in each of them?

April 15, 2024:

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: La Ultima Cena / The Last Supper

Part of Laughing through Rebellion: The Cine Libre of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

A showcase of six iconic films, newly restored by the Academy Film Archive and presented in collaboration with the Cohen Film Collection

Film is subtitled in English and will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

La Ultima Cena / The Last Supper
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea | Cuba | Fiction | 1976 | 120 min

A powerful exploration of race, religion, and colonialism in Cuba during the 18th century. Set on a remote plantation, it follows the lives of a group of African slaves who rebel against their Spanish masters. Alea's masterful direction brings to life the complexities of power dynamics and resistance in a visually stunning and emotionally gripping narrative.

3:20 PM - 4:40 PM: El Castillo / The Castle
Martin Benchimol | Argentina | Documentary | 2023 | 80 min | NY Premiere

Having worked as a maid her whole life, Justina's former employer leaves her an enormous mansion deep in the Argentinian Pampa. The only condition is that she must never sell it. As the house falls to pieces and the farm animals are sold off, Alexia, her daughter, gets ready to return to the city.

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Santa Cancion / Blessed Song
Juan Carlos Travieso Fajardo | Cuba | Documentary | 2023 | 71 min | US Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Juan Carlos Travieso

In Cuba, there is a magical city intoxicated with lights, legends, and songs. The Longina Troubadours Meeting was born there, bringing together the youngest figures of the singer/song-writer genre. This documentary explores the movement's past, present, and future.

6:45 PM - 8:10 PM: El Caso Monroy / The Monroy Affaire
Josue Mendez | Peru-Venezuela | Fiction | 2023 | 95 min | NY Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Josue Mendez

Ronnie Monroy, about to turn 65 and face retirement, discovers the Women's Prison, where he finds a new purpose. He helps inmates recover their freedom and start life anew. But what seems driven by generosity and affection, is really guided by a perverse need to exert power.

8:50 PM - 10:20 PM: Heroico / Heroic
David Zonana | Mexico-Sweden | Fiction | 2022 | 88 min | NY Premiere

For young men in Mexico who are desperate to escape a life of poverty and lack of prospects, often the only option is to find work in organizations characterized by violence, either in the drug trade, or the military. Since his mother is ill and in need of expensive medication, 18-year-old Luis – who has Indigenous roots – opts for the latter. The national military academy, or “Heroico Colegio Militar”, is steeped in tradition. He experiences an extremely rigorous training program built upon unconditional obedience and the breaking of an individual’s personality. The rift between his responsibility to his mother and his own values pushes him to his limits.

April 16, 2024:

1:00 PM - 2:10 PM: Homage To Landrian: Part 2

Part 2: The Unseen Gaze: A Retrospective of Nicolás Guillén Landrián

A Significant Restoration Project Unveiling the Lost Legacy of Cuba's Pioneering Black Filmmaker

Shorts in this program are NOT subtitled in English.

Program will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

Part 2 of HFFNY's homage to Nicolás Guillén Landrián includes the following short films, newly restored. Please note this part of the program contains films that have not been subtitled in English.

Un Festival
1963 | 11 min

Reportaje Plenaria Campesina
1966 | 10 min

Para Construir Una Casa
1972 | 16 min

Un Reportaje Sobre El Puerto Pesquero
1972 | 10min

Enciclopedia popular. Patio arenero
1962 | 10min

2:20 PM - 3:55 PM: Short Film Showcase

Showcase will be followed by a Q&A with director Àlex Lora.

La Gran Obra
Àlex Lora | Spain | Fiction | 2024 | 20 min | NY Premiere

Leo and Diana, a rich couple, bring a broken TV to a recycle point. They meet Salif and his son, two scrap dealers. Diana asks them to come to their house to getmore objects. Once there, Leo looks at them collecting objects with mistrust, until they see the scrap dealers have something they want.

Jíbaro
Osmanys Sánchez Arañó | Cuba | Documentary Short | 2023 | 19 min | U.S. PREMIERE

Yamíl Alessander is a young trans man from the Sierra Maestra. Discrimination from his community has led him to make the decision to go deep into the mountains and survive in a hostile environment.

Nube
Christian Arredondo Narváez - Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada | France-Mexico-Hungary | Animation | 2023 | 8 min

After witnessing an old dark stormy cloud painfully rain and die in sorrow, Noma, a puffy white cloud realizes that Mixtli, her daughter, a dark stormy cloud, is in danger of raining prematurely.

4:00 PM - 5:45 PM: Desperte Con Un Sueno / I Woke Up With A Dream
Pablo Solarz | Argentina-Uruguay | Fiction | 2023 | 80 min | NY Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Pablo Solarz

Felipe is a teenager who spends his days riding a bike with friends along the empty streets of the beach town where they live, rapping freestyle and taking acting classes behind his mother’s back. Faced with the chance to audition for a film, he escapes to the capital city and meets his paternal grandmother after not seeing her since his father’s death, and puts together the pieces of his past.

6:00 PM - 7:40 PM: Pedágio / Toll
Carolina Markowicz | Brazil-Portugal | Fiction | 2023 | 102 min  | NY Premiere

Suellen, a Brazilian toll booth attendant and mother, falls in with a gang of thieves in an attempt to keep her family afloat. In doing so, she realizes she can use her job to raise some extra money illegally for a so-called noble cause: to send her son to an expensive gay conversion workshop led by a renowned foreign priest. But she unwittingly triggers a chain of events that will leave no one happy, except maybe the thieves.

8:00 PM - 9:50 PM: Una Noche Con Los Rolling Stones / A Night With The Rolling Stones
Patricia Ramos | Cuba-Nicaragua | Fiction | 2023 | 92 min | US Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Patricia Ramos

Rita, in the midst of a midlife crisis, decides to end a relationship that’s been going nowhere and embark on a quest for new love in the days leading up to the historic concert of The Rolling Stones in Havana.

April 17, 2024:

1:00 PM - 3:10 PM: Los Sobrevivientes / The Survivors

Part of Laughing through Rebellion: The Cine Libre of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

A showcase of six iconic films, newly restored by the Academy Film Archive and presented in collaboration with the Cohen Film Collection

Film is subtitled in English and will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

Los Sobrevivientes / The Survivors
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea | Cuba | Fiction | 1979 | 130 min

A bourgeois Cuban family of aristocratic origin locks itself into its mansion when the Cuban Revolution comes to power, waiting for the new regime to be overthrown. As time passes, they regress to older and older systems of political order, from capitalism to feudalism to “primitive savagery.”

3:30 PM - 5:15 PM: Retorno
Blanca Rosa Blanco |Cuba | Documentary | 2023 | 52 min | US Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Blanca Rosa Blanco

The documentary delves into the origins of the Fiesta de los Indianos, celebrated on the Island of La Palma, Spain. Through invaluable testimonies, it narrates the significance of the immigration of the island's population to Cuba from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Over the years, the Fiesta de los Indianos has evolved into a cultural and tourist phenomenon, attracting up to 80,000 participants in Santa Cruz de la Palma.

4:50 PM - 6:50 PM: Memento Mori
Fernando López Cardona | Colombia-Germany | Fiction | 2023  | 112 min | NY Premiere

A fisherman discovers the body of a headless man in the Magdalena River and bury it the cemetery as N.N. (John Doe), like others that have been found. In the port, people have started to adopt this corpses, they take the dead with no name as if they were their own, so they can replace the grief they feel for their own missing relatives. However, the "headless man" generates fear among the locals. The Animero, the man who takes care of the souls in the cemetery, approaches the crypt, he prays to him and marks the grave with the word: "Chosen". Only he, the great oracle, dares to adopt the beheaded man with the promise from him will find the head and return dignity to the body. It's a covenant that will take him to deep hell.

7:00 PM - 8:50 PM: La Hija De Lázaro / Lazaro’s Daughter
Gustavo Fallas | Costa Rica-Spain | Fiction | 2023| 90 min | NY Premiere

Followed by a Q&A with director Gustavo Fallas

Costa Rican journalist Ana Casasola investigates her father's death in a terrorist attack. Following a potential witness, Ana travels to the location near the Nicaraguan border. There, she discovers personal significance in this mysterious man.

9:00 PM - 10:45 PM: Transfariana
Joris Lachaise | Colombia - France | Documentary | 100 min | US Premiere

In a high-security prison south of Bogotá, the marriage of a FARC leader to a former transgender sex worker first caused a scandal and then led to a shift in opinion. The film seeks the signs that precede the changes in society.

April 18, 2024:

2:00 PM - 4:20 PM: Una Pelea Cubana Contra Los Demonios / A Cuban Fight Against Demons

Part of Laughing through Rebellion: The Cine Libre of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

A showcase of six iconic films, newly restored by the Academy Film Archive and presented in collaboration with the Cohen Film Collection

Film is subtitled in English and will be preceded by an introduction by Luciano Castillo, Director of the Cuban Film Archive (Cinemateca de Cuba)

Una Pelea Cubana Contra Los Demonios / A Cuban Fight Against Demons
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea | Cuba | Fiction | 1972 | 130 min

This film offers a compelling examination of political repression and resistance in Cuba during the 18th century. Inspired by historical events, it follows the journey of a group of slaves who rebel against their Spanish masters, seeking freedom and justice. Through vivid imagery and compelling characters, Alea confronts the brutal realities of slavery and colonialism while celebrating the spirit of rebellion and defiance. "A Fight Against Demons" stands as a testament to Alea's unwavering commitment to social justice and human dignity.

6:00 PM - 11:30 PM: Closing Night Film + After-Party: Igualada
Juan Mejia Botero | Colombia-USA-Mexico | Documentary | 2024 | 81 min | Special Presentation

Followed by Q&A with film producer Juan Yepes

Tickets also include entrance into HFFNY's Closing Night After-Party. For screening-only tickets please see the Closing Night Encore Screening at 8:30PM

Afro-Colombian activist Francia Márquez transforms a derogatory term, "Igualada," into a symbol of rights defiance. Her presidential campaign inspires a nation to dream of a more equitable future, challenging societal norms.  IGUALADA is a David and Goliath story. Thanks to close to 30 hours of footage shot with Francia between 2009 and 2011, the film also shows that Francia’s fight did not begin with the elections.

Awards / Festivals:
World Premiere Sundance Film Festival 2024

8:30 PM – 10:00 PM: Closing Night Encore Screening : Igualada
Juan Mejia Botero | Colombia-USA-Mexico | Documentary | 2024 | 81 min | Special Presentation

Tickets are for screening only. For tickets that include HFFNY's Closing Night Ceremony, Screening, Q&A + After-Party please see the Closing Night Screening at 6:00PM

Afro-Colombian activist Francia Márquez transforms a derogatory term, "Igualada," into a symbol of rights defiance. Her presidential campaign inspires a nation to dream of a more equitable future, challenging societal norms.  IGUALADA is a David and Goliath story. Thanks to close to 30 hours of footage shot with Francia between 2009 and 2011, the film also shows that Francia’s fight did not begin with the elections.

Awards / Festivals:
World Premiere Sundance Film Festival 2024

Dates: April 10 - 18, 2024

Location:

Quad Cinema,
34 West 13th Street,
New York, NY 10011.

Buy Tickets

Click here for more information.