This is an encore screening of two films from past editions of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival- YVEETE and COOKING UP DREAMS- and an early screening of a recently completed film FESTIVE LAND: CARNAVAL IN BAHIA. The films screen back to back starting at 1PM.  We’ll have the pleasure of having filmmaker Carolina Moraes-Liu in attendance for FESTIVE LAND.

Cooking Up Dreams 1PM

Dir. Ernesto Cabellos, 2009 Peru , 75 min.
This documentary journeys to the kitchens of Peru’s coast, highlands and jungle, as well as Peruvian expat communities in Paris, London, Amsterdam and New York for answers. From the most humble family kitchens to the poshest restaurants, from stories of pioneering Peruvian chefs abroad to those who preserve ancient recipes at home, we find that Peru’s cuisine is deliciously integrating for its people, who have historically been marked by ethnic and economic differences. Renowned chefs such as Gaston Acurio, Ferran Adria, Juan Mari Arzak and Bernardo Roca Rey share their views on Peru’s cuisine alongside those unsung chefs, who also dream of Peru’s cuisine as a motor of development. Spanish with subtitles.

Yveete 2:30PM

Dir. Rogelio Almedia, 2008 USA , 104 min.

When a young Chicana , Yveete is sent to live with her grandmother in Mexico after a misunderstanding involving a local drug dealer, she finds that all is not what it seems in this heartwarming drama of cultural and national identity as well as acceptance set in a small Mexican town. Film in English & Spanish.

Festive Land: Carnaval in Bahia 4:30Pm

Dir. Carolina Moraes-Liu, 2012 USA, 60 min
Filmmaker in attendance.

Examines one of the largest and most extraordinary popular celebrations in the world, the week-long Carnival that brings more than two million people to the streets of Salvador, the capital of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. Carnival is the most expressive showcase of the unique cultural richness of Bahia, where African culture has survived, prospered, and evolved, mixing with other Brazilian influences to create forms found nowhere else in the world. The film captures this unique cultural energy through extraordinary footage of musical performances, dances, religious manifestations, and street celebrations.
At the same time, Carnival reflects the racial and social tensions of Brazil’s heterogeneous society. At first glance there appear to be two million people chaotically mixed on the streets, but a more detailed look reveals how patterns of segregation driven by racial, social and economic differences continue in Carnival.
Featuring: Gilberto Gil / Daniela Mercury / Armandinho

Led by revered Educator/Choreographer Juan de Dios Ramos Morejon, Raices Profundas follows the dynamic history of Cuba’s music and dance genres, starting with the colorful Afro-Cuban tradition, including Palo Monte and the fiery Orisha dances of the Yoruba pantheon (Elegua, Oshun, Ogun, Chango and Yemaya). The show also features Cuba’s popular music and dance styles such as Chankletas, Son, Cha Cha Cha and contemporary Cuban Salsa.

Your discount code is CUBA12. This code will give you $5 off per ticket from the regular advance price of Raices Profundas as well as most of the Festival’s programs taking place at the Marines Memorial Theatre. Click here to get tickets.

To take advantage of this discount offer: Enter in the promotional code box CUBA12 where indicated on the ticket order page online or ask for the CUBA 12 code by phone (415-771-6900). Please note that $2 handling fee will still apply per ticket unless you go to the Marines Memorial Box Office (609 Sutter Street) and purchase the ticket onsite. The discount code applies only for advance purchases and cannot be used in combination with other discounts. You must enter the promotional code BEFORE you complete your transaction. If you have any questions, please call the box office at 415-771-6900. We look forward to seeing you!

MORIR DE PIE- DIE STANDING UP  This film idirected by Jacaranda Correa comes from  Mexico. This is the inspiring story of Irina Layewska, a tireless fighter and advocate for personal freedoms, fighting for progressive causes. Having idolized Che Guevara, Irina fought in the Cuban solidarity movement. When faced with a fatal illness, Irina decides to undertake a personal revolution, to welcome the woman he has always had inside him. It’s also the love story of Irina and lifelong partner Nelida.

Click here for more information and tickets.

ALL SHE CAN is a film directed by Amy Wendel from the US.  In a small south Texas town, there aren’t many career options for young people besides oil rigs, the military, or fast-food restaurants. Luz Garcia, a fiery high-school athlete, is determined to forge a different future; she’s gained admission to the University of Texas at Austin. The problem is she can’t afford to go. With her one shot at a scholarship riding on the state powerlifting championship, she sees no choice but to bend the rules to ensure her victory. Although Luz’s rashness and frustration land her in increasingly hotter water, they also fuel her with courage and empowerment.

Rarely do we see a female protagonist with such agency, intelligence, and flawed humanity, and the experience is enormously satisfying. With lush naturalism, Benavides Born nimbly portrays the textured world of an America seldom explored onscreen: a place where multifaceted, third-generation Mexican-American characters, conscious of obstacles and opportunities, fight to shape their own lives.

For tickets and more information click here.

Lourdes Grobet, Ponzoña, Arena Coliseo, ca. 1983; gelatin silver print; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, gift of Jane and Larry Reed; © Lourdes Grobet San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

We had a chance to attend a viewing of the new “Photography of Mexico” exhibition at SFMOMA last week. It’s an impressive installation of photographs that are part of the museum’s collection.  A recent donation of photographs prompted the museum to assemble  this study which covers a diverse range of subjects and styles from the 1920′s to now.

The exhibition includes photographs by Mexican, American, and European photographers. Some of you may be familiar with the work of Lola Flores Bravo, Graciela Iturbide, or Manuel Carillo.

One of the images that grabbed our attention because of a connection to a film is by Tina Modotti. Some of you may recall that  she was portrayed by Ashley Judd in the 2002 biopic  FRIDA.   Tina Modotti and several other luminaries were contemporaries of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Post-revolutionary Mexico was a magnet for artists, activists, writers, and political thinkers.

Click on the image to get more details about the exhibition- which includes lectures and special events. The exhibition runs through July 8, 2012.

Cine+Mas SF Latino Film Festival Entry Form 2012- PDF

Cine+Mas SF Latino Film Festival_Entry Form 2012-Word

Happy Valentine’s Day! ¡Feliz día de la amistad!

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love.

asve

Demian Bichir from Mexico was nominated in the Best Actor category for his role in “A Better Life”.  The film was released in 2011 with much critical acclaim. It’s a drama about an undocumented immigrant father, working as a gardener, that struggles both to provide for his son and to keep him out of harms way. Gangs beckoning and immigration agents on their heels.

“The Artist” has been marketed heavily with both critical and popular appeal. It’s no surprise that Oscar nominations would be in the cards.  Though we don’t get to hear her in this fantastic silent film,  here’s your chance to hear Argentina born Berenice Bejo, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, in an interview last year after a film festival screening:

Five time Oscar nominee Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematographer,  hails from Mexico and has worked on some amazing films including “Pan’s Labyrinth”, “Children of Men”,  ”Y Tu Mama Tambien”, and many more. He’s up for an Oscar with “Tree of Life” directed by Terrence Malick which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.  Here’s a great introduction by Ben Affleck at the Hollywood Film Awards: