From December 4 to 14, the Cuban capital will host the 46th edition of the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema (FINCL), an event that will pay tribute to the centenary of the intellectual and revolutionary Alfredo Guevara, founder of the film festival.
From the Taganana Room of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, FINCL Director Tania Delgado Fernández, along with Press Director Rubén Ricardo Infante, announced the main highlights of the program, which will include a special focus on Mexican cinema. In this context, the Coral of Honor will be awarded to Churubusco Studios on the occasion of its 80th anniversary.
Under the slogan “Filming Cinema,” the Festival’s communications campaign seeks to reflect both the dynamism of audiovisual production and the sector’s commitment to solidarity, especially after Hurricane Melissa struck eastern Cuba. In this regard, Mobile Cinema initiatives will be launched in affected communities, with a call for the active participation of the international film community.
One of the most significant initiatives will be MECLA “Open Island,” a Latin American film market that aims to make Havana a strategic bridge between Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eurasia. The call for entries is open to producers, distributors, sales agents, programmers, digital platforms, filmmakers, academic institutions, and audiovisual authorities.
Alexis Triana Hernández, president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), emphasized that “Open Island” will foster the circulation of content and talent, open avenues for East-West cooperation, and generate investment opportunities and strategic alliances to showcase the region’s creative potential.
This year’s festival received 2,225 submissions, of which 222 were selected for the official program, representing 42 countries. In addition to the traditional Latin American participants, a section dedicated to films from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) will be included.
The program features poster exhibitions paying homage to iconic figures and works, such as Alfredo Guevara, Luis Buñuel, and “Vampires in Havana,” as well as contemporary design exhibitions by artists like Raúl Valdés (Raupa).
For the first time, a grant will be awarded to female filmmakers over 50 years of age, an initiative of the United Nations Population Fund in coordination with the Palomas Project.
The Festival will also celebrate institutional anniversaries such as the 40th anniversary of the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema, the 65th anniversary of the Cuban Film Archive and the ICAIC Latin American Newsreel, and the third edition of the Juan Padrón in Memoriam Animation Forum.
The traditional Festival Passports will be available from November 24 at cinema box offices and at the Festival House. As part of the events commemorating Guevara’s centenary, ICAIC Editions will present the book “My Passion Beyond Cinema,” featuring 50 essays published in the magazine Cine Cubano and a previously unpublished photo gallery.
