Whether you enjoy learning through films, discussions, musical performances or art exhibits, there is something for everyone to learn about Latino culture at Gainesville’s September film festival.
The Latina Women’s League will host its 11th annual Latino Film Festival starting 6:30 p.m. today at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art in the Chandler Auditorium.
The festival’s opening event is an Ecuadorian film by a female filmmaker celebrating women in film called “En Nombre de la Hija,” or “In the Name of the Girl.”
The film’s director Tania Hermida will lead a discussion after the film, answering audience questions and opening up a dialogue about the film and the cultural issues present in the character’s situation.
Victoria Condor-Williams, the festival’s director and Latina Women’s League president, said the festival gives the community a chance to learn about and address issues in Latino culture, such as immigration and refugee crises.
“It gives the community the opportunity to learn more about the challenge, the goals and the life of many immigrants who come here,” she said. “One of the things we are trying to present this year is a view about the situation not only in the U.S., but in general, like in Europe with the many children of the Syrian community.”
The story of refugees fleeing violence in their country and seeking refuge in another is one that happens in many places, she said.
“It’s important to learn and understand, and that is one of the reasons we are presenting these films and activities,” she said. “To know what’s going on in this world.”
Condor-Williams said she hoped the festival would present an opportunity for students to watch films from other countries.
“The screening opens the eyes to the challenge human beings have,” Condor-Williams said.
The festival is free and open to the community and relies on grants and sponsors for funding.
The films and presentations will take place at several venues across Gainesville, including the Hippodrome State Theatre and Santa Fe College.
UF and Santa Fe students volunteered to organize the event.
Nicole Segini, 20, the festival’s social media assistant, is in charge of two Saturday showings at the Harn.
The UF telecommunication junior said the showings — “Jaula de Oro” (“The Golden Cage”) and a Bolivian film called “Tierra sin mal” (“Land Without Evil”) — are both interesting and informative.
She hopes the content will attract a young audience.
“A lot of young people don’t necessarily go and watch movies at film festivals — they’re very different from what we normally watch,” she said.
These films show a different side of the world, she said.
“We want people to come and see how the different movies represent each country,” she said. “They’re all Hispanic, but there is a different culture in every country so I think it’s really fun to see that.”
