Global Hispanic Film Festival Goes Virtual
During Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15,
West Chester University honors the contributions and cultures of Hispanic and Latino
Americans with programs and activities.
This year, one activity is the Global Hispanic Film Festival 2024 – Virtual Edition, which is free and open to the public (click the link to register in order to receive links to the films). All films are subtitled in English; most have exhibited at international film festivals and have won accolades or nominations.
“Our festival is a chance to see award-winning international films and get to know Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spanish-speaking regions of the U.S., Europe, and Africa beyond stereotypical Hollywood roles,” says Dr. Iliana Pagán-Teitelbaum, festival co-director and an associate professor of languages and cultures, who has co-organized the festival for six years. “After a pause due to the pandemic, this year we will be piloting an accessible, virtual edition of the festival.”
Five films will address globalization, postcolonialism, social inequality, migration, indigenous cultures, racism, sexual diversity, and religious diversity. Each film will be available virtually for a full week (Mondays through Sundays) between September 16 and October 20.
WCU’s Latino American Student Organization (LASO) is a co-host of this year’s film festival. “This is a unique opportunity to engage, learn, and reflect on the experiences and stories that shape our communities,” notes LASO President Jaylin Moncada-Rosa, a third-year student. She says the organization is excited to invite WCU students, the campus community, and the public to experience films that “celebrate Hispanic culture, deepen our understanding, and spark meaningful conversations.”
LASO, the Spanish Club, and the WCU Immigrants & Allies Association will host several in-person screenings for students.
The Global Hispanic Film Festival is organized by Dr. Pagán-Teitelbaum and Dr. Jason Bartles, assistant professor of languages and cultures, in collaboration with the Latino American Student Organization (LASO), the College of Arts and Humanities, and the Department of Languages and Cultures. It is made possible with the support of Pragda, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports of Spain, and SPAIN arts & culture.
Global Hispanic Film Festival Schedule
Registration is free but required in order to access the virtual screening room.
Week of 9/16 – 9/22
Embrace of the Serpent – The epic story of the first contact, approach, betrayal and, eventually, friendship between an Amazonian shaman, last survivor of his people, and two scientists who, over the course of 40 years, become the first men to travel the Northwest Amazon in search of a sacred and elusive plant. Director: Ciro Guerra (Colombia). Academy Award Nominee Best Foreign Language Film. Fenix Awards: Best Director, Original Score, Cinematography, Sound Design.
Week of 9/23 – 9/29
Cassandro – Actor Gael García Bernal and reggaeton megastar Bad Bunny, directed by Academy Award-winner Roger Ross Williams (America), bring to life the real story behind the legendary Mexican American wrestler Cassandro. Astra Film Awards: Best International Actor.
Week of 9/30 – 10/6
Miriam Lies – The stories behind a quinceañera celebration in the Dominican Republic show how racial prejudices and class conflicts affect a teenage girl’s choices. Directors Natalia Cabral (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and Oriol Estrada (Capellades, Catalonia, Spain) are award-winning filmmakers whose work live on the borderlines of fiction and nonfiction. Sydney Latin American Film Festival: Best Film.
Week of 10/7 – 10/13
Alegría – A story of reconciliation and a heartfelt family drama about women breaking free from patriarchal tradition in a contemporary Jewish diasporic community, told by a Jewish woman, a Muslim, and a Christian living in Morocco. Director Violeta Salama (Spain). Fical - Almeria Int'l Film Festival: Best Director.
Week of 10/14 – 10/20
Home Is Somewhere Else – Narrator and spoken word poet José Eduardo Aguilar weaves together the stories of three real immigrant youth and their families in a film that uses the children’s actual voices and animation. Directors and producers Carlos Hagerman and Jorge Villalobos. Since co-founding Brinca Animation Studio in 2012, the duo has co-produced and co-directed animation projects for children as well as communication tools for human rights organizations like UNICEF and the Mexican Human Rights Commission. IDFA International Documentary Film Festival: Best film for young people 14+ and San Diego Latino Film Festival: Audience Award.