Latino Film Festival Returns For 16th Year

Organización Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island presents the 16th annual Latino Film Festival of the Hamptons this weekend, from Friday, November 15 through Sunday, November 17.

“We wanted comedy but comedy with an edge for this year,” said Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island, who received roughly 30 film submissions this year. “With the film from Cuba, we felt it was important to share a story that goes beyond nostalgia.”

On Friday, Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill will screen “Antes que llegue el ferry” (“Before the Ferry Arrives”), a Cuban film debuting the directing trio Juan Caunedo, Vladimir Garcia, and Raul Escobar Delgado. It explores an uncertain time as Cuba awaits the arrival of its first ferry. It’s for ages 16 and over. A bilingual tour will be offered at 5:30 PM followed by a reception with bites from Golden Pear at 6 PM, the film at 7 PM, and conversation with the filmmakers.

“Amalia la secretaria” (“Amalia the Secretary”) will screen on Saturday at Guild Hall in East Hampton. Suitable for ages 13 and over, the Colombian film features a disgruntled secretary at a small company on the verge of sabotaging the office equipment in order to spend time with the handyman. A 6 PM reception will feature snacks from Provisions and a live dance performance from Folklore Colombiano. The film starts at 7 PM, followed by a conversation with the actors.

Concluding the festival will be an Argentinian animated film, “Pachamama” (“Mother Earth”) on Sunday at the Greenport High School auditorium. The movie is about the goddess who is revered by the indigenous people of the Andes. It’s a free film for all ages and the screening will have student artwork exhibited alongside in the style of the film. Perez called it “simply magical.”

New to the festival this year is the launch of OLA Media Lab, led by Maria Maciak, with a short from Sag Harbor teens. In January 2020, OLA will hold a six-to-eight-week series of workshops in Riverhead High School with the English as a New Language students.

“The impetus for the media lab is to encourage involvement and create space for visual storytelling to happen within pockets of our community that have had historically much less air time to share who they are, what interests them, and what stories we all share regardless of ethnic origin or native language,” said Perez.

Learn more at www.olaofeasternlongisland.org.

nicole@indyeastend.com