The Viva Panama Organization and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) are pleased to announce the launch of the 1st annual Panama International Film Festival L.A. The festival,designed to cast a spotlight on the emerging film industry in Panama and Central America, will feature works by up and coming filmmakers from the area as well as visual arts, musical and dance exhibitions and even culinary samples from the region.
The inaugural event will take place on November 21st at the AT&T Center at 1133 S. Hill St,Los Angeles, CA 90015 and will feature the work of four Panamanian directors: Ana Endara Mislov’s Reinas, Mercedes Arias’ Caja 25, Abner Benaím’s Chance and Carlos Carrasco’s Let Me Finish.
Reinas takes us on a tour of the spectacular and complex world of festive queen competitions, an integral part of Panamanian folklore. Caja 25 examines the complicated relationship between the United States and Panama, cemented since the U.S. participation in the creation of the small country and the construction of the Panama Canal.
Chance is a modern comedy of manners which expertly mines the relationships between the haves and the have-nots in contemporary Panama, while Let Me Finish examines the lengths to which individuals will go in search of basic companionship.
Viva Panama Organization is a decades-old Southern California non-profit institution dedicated to showcasing Panamanian arts and culture to North American audiences. As“Panamanian Cultural Ambassadors in the U.S.”, the Viva Panama Organization and its Ballet Folklórico have represented their nation at venues as diverse as the Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the Latin American Independence Day parades and the recent U.S. Special Olympics. VPO also hosts an annual gala to recognize and honor distinguished Panamanians in the U.S.
Recent honorees have included former Miss Universe Justine Paceck, legendary jockey Lafitte Pincay and NASA scientist Dr. Erika Podest.
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is a non-profit organization designed to showcase innovative works by emerging filmmakers from around the world, providing the Los Angeles community of entertainment professionals and film goers with a constant surge of monthly screening events. NFMLA provides a forum where filmmakers can be recognized for their contributions, have open audience discussions about their projects and connect with industry professionals for insight on distribution, production, acquisition and representation.
These two dynamic organizations have now joined forces to turn the spotlight on one of the fastest-growing and fertile film locations in the Americas. For tickets and information, go to http://www.newfilmmakersla.com/panama and http://www.vivapanama.org/events.html
For inquiries contact Carlos Carrasco at: carlos48@me.com, (310) 383-5809
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