Oscar Contender Highlights Opening Night of MSP Film Society’s 5th Annual Cine Latino
By the time the Academy announces its final nominees for Best Foreign Language Film early next year, the field will be down to five. But what many people don’t know is that those five will be selected from a record-number of submissions that were received this year.
A grand total of 92 submissions came in from such exotic destinations as Canada (no, seriously), Mongolia, Mozambique, and Tunisia. Some of those films, whether they make the final five or not, will go on to be shown for audiences around the world. Many, however, despite their quality, will struggle to find an audience outside of their home country.
One film that fits into the former category is Spain’s submission, “Summer 1993,” which will have two screenings during the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul’s 5th Annual Cine Latino before getting a wider theatrical release in 2018.
“Summer 1993” is the story of Frida, a 6-year-old orphan who is sent to live with her uncle and his family after the death of her parents. While her family is loving and welcoming, Frida struggles to adjust to her new home and surroundings. Likewise, the family struggles at times with having another headstrong child in the home.
The film will serve as the opening night film for Cine Latino, which kicks off today – Thursday, Nov. 16 – and will have an encore screening on Friday. The film’s director, Carla Simón, will also be on hand for opening night.
In addition to Simón, Cine Latino will play host to several other filmmakers – Mitzi Vanessa Arreola and Amir Galván Cervera co-directors of “The 4th Company”; Sofía Carrillo, director of animated shorts “Cerulia,” “Prita Noire,” and “The Sad House”; José Ramón Chávez, director of “Help me Make it Through the Night”; Andrés Crespo Arosemena, star and writer of “Such is Life in the Tropics”; Lucía Gajá, director of “Intimate Battles”; and Miguel Ángel Rosales, director of “Gurumbé. Afro-Andalusian Memories.”
Cine Latino will run Nov. 16-19 at the Film Society’s St. Anthony Main Theatre in Minneapolis. There will also be other events being held nearby to give attendees a full experience.
Over the course of its run, Cine Latino will showcase 16 productions and co-productions from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Portugal, Senegal, Spain and the United States. It includes five first- and second-time directors, nine female directors, as well as pedigreed filmmakers who have made their marks at such prestigious festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca, and San Sebastian.
“In our commitment to bringing you the finest in Latin- and Ibero-American cinema, Cine Latino 2017 is a home for reinvention and renewal, a place for the emergence of fresh new voices and perspectives alongside seasoned veterans and stars, all of whom add their own small yet indispensable mark on the grand tapestry that is Latin American cinema,” Artistic Director Hebe Tabachnik said in a statement.
You can view the entire schedule, ticketing information, special guests in attendance and other events on the Cine Latino website.