Panama Int’l Film Festival kicks off with zest and ‘Viva’ – NYIFF selects ‘Dance’ as opening film

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LOS ANGELES, April 9, (RTRS): A bevy of international producers, directors and actors walked the red carpet in front of Teatro Balboa, in Panama City’s atmospheric historic quarter, for the opening ceremony of the 5th Panama International Film Festival, with Paddy Breathnach’s Cuban-set “Viva” playing as the opening pic.

The fest’s director Pituka Ortega Heilbron began by explaining how the fest has grown since its 2012 bow and this year is welcoming over 350 films and over 450 international guests.

She then reminded the audience of the power of film and cited the example of the Pakistan film “Girl of the River” about honor killings, which in February of this year won an Academy Award for Best Short and led to the introduction of a law abolishing this abhorrent practice.

“Cinema can change the world,” she exclaimed to loud applause. She then listed the social issues raised in some of the films screening at the fest, such as racial hatred, sexism, social and political questions. She said that the opening film “Viva” is a classic example, and emphasizes the importance of values such as love, compassion and acceptance.

The President of the IFF Panama Foundation, Yasser Williams Arosemena then took the stage and said that the fest’s success is due to multiple factors, first and foremost because it is fruit of Panamanian culture, a 100-year old history, dotted by key events such as the construction of the Suez Canal and which have brought a constant flow of international visitors to the country.

Success

He said that creating the festival had been a “Mission Impossible”-style task worthy of Tom Cruise, but had been achieved with resounding success.

Co-founder of the IFF Panama, Rob Brown, a Canadian multi-tasking arts fundraiser and journalist, added on stage that government-commissioned studies had demonstrated that every $1 invested in the sector generates $13 in taxes, jobs and tourism.

Panama’s Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Him said that the festival, attended by leading directors, producers and actors places Panama in the international spotlight as a key center for the seventh art. He also confided that his own personal life has been linked to the world of cinema, in particular via his mother Blanca Beatriz Casanova, a leading Latin American actress.

The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nestor Gonzalez, emphasized that his ministry is committed to upping its support for the sector, including greater support for educational workshops, a pronouncement which Panama’s movie industry will have listened to with large interest.

He cited the fact that in 2015, 14 Panamanian projects were screened in top festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, San Sebastian, LA and Buenos Aires, garnering over 20 prizes.

He also added that this year the Biarritz Festival Latin America is planning a country tribute to Panama.

Finally, he referred to the forthcoming Panamanian release of Jonathan Jakubowicz’s boxing film, “Hands of Stone,” starring Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin and Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez, who is attending the fest.

The fifth IFF Panama runs April 7-13.

Also:

LOS ANGELES: Bardroy Baretto’s Konkani feature “Let’s Dance to the Rhythm” will open the 16th annual New York Indian Film Festival.

Centering on a destined-for-disaster love story between a singer and her mentor, “Let’s Dance to the Rhythm” is a 1960s-set romance-drama that celebrates Goan music. The film, which stars Vijay Maurya, Palomi Ghosh and Prince Jacob, will screen at the festival’s opening night gala on May 7 at NYC’s Skirball Center for Performing Arts.

“’Let’s Dance to the Rhythm’ is a beautiful representation of another era, where jazz music flourished outside of the realms of the popular Hindi cinema of Bombay,” NYIFF director Aseem Chhabra said in a statement. “The film is a joyful celebration of the music, the energy and the musicians and it is a story that not many people know about.”

Umesh Kulkarni’s “Highway” a diversity-centered Marathi film that follows an Indian road trip, has been selected as the festival’s centerpiece film. NYIFF will close with Hansal Mehta’s “Aligarh”, which offers a glimpse into the true-life story of a professor who was fired for his sexual orientation.

The 16th annual NYIFF runs from May 7-14 in New York City, and further information on the festival’s additional screenings and events will be released April 10.

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