A meeting place for lovers of the seventh art and a source of nightmares for the enemies of the Cuban Revolution, the 46th edition of the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema got underway Thursday evening in Havana… and the miracle continues.
In her opening remarks at the Charles Chaplin Theater in Havana, Festival Director Tania Delgado drew attention to the dangers currently looming over the region, whose peace is once again threatened by the hostility of the U.S. government.
She also expressed the festival’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause and denounced the Israeli genocide, a cause that will be addressed at the event with screenings of films related to the issue.
The director of the Festival emphasized that despite the challenges facing Latin America, and especially Cuba, this grand celebration of cinema continues to demonstrate its remarkable capacity for reinvention.
She highlighted the values and enduring relevance of the new Latin American cinema, its poetic, stark vision, a cinema that showcases multiple realities and complexities.
And Tania Delgado emphasized that 2,051 works were submitted for this edition, demonstrating that the new Latin American cinema remains vibrant. Delgado indicated that 114 films, 30 screenplays, and 30 posters were selected for competition. He noted that 283 films from 42 countries will be screened during the festival.
She also recalled that this Festival is dedicated to the centenary of Alfredo Guevara, a historical figure in Cuban and Latin American cinema, founder of this event, and a role model for cultural advocates worldwide.
In another address, the president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) underscored the country’s efforts to prioritize the survival of the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, despite the difficulties the country faces.
In this regard, he referred to the impact of the United States embargo on national life and, more recently, the severe damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in several eastern provinces of Cuba.
Triana emphasized that, nevertheless, the Havana Film Festival is going ahead; it is a fact. He explained that to address the frequent power outages, generators have been installed in each of the cinemas that are part of the festival’s screening circuit, an example of the government’s commitment to supporting the event.
With Mexico as the guest country, the Coral Award of Honor was presented at Thursday’s ceremony to Cristián Calonico, general director of Estudios Churubusco, a Mexican film studio celebrating its 80th anniversary.
The opening of the Festival featured the Cuban premiere of the Argentine film Belén, directed by Dolores Fonzi, which arrived with very positive reviews from film critics and was selected to represent Argentina in the Best Picture category at the 2026 Academy Awards and Goya Awards.
The gala was attended by Cuban Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso, other high-ranking state and government officials, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to the country, and prominent figures in Cuban culture.
Also present were international guests of the Festival, filmmakers, producers, actors, and students from the International Film and Television School of San Antonio de los Baños.
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
