The Second Havana Glasgow Film Festival has launched its new programme online
this weekend. The festival has built on last years’ initial success extending
its run from seven to ten days in November and increasing the number of films.
This year it features a special day concentrating on Cuba’s low-budget
film festival (Cine Pobre). There is an extended piece on Cine Pobre and connections between it and Glasgow's festival on the Culture Matters blog, here. Festival
Director, Eirene Houston was asked to join the panel of judges earlier this
year, and has brought back a selection of the winners to show – including the
overall winner, an American film – Tangerine
- shot entirely on a smartphone!
Eirene says, “We’re looking
forward to an amazing ten days of Cuban and Scottish Film. In addition to a UK
premiere of Cuban film, Bailando con
Margot (Dancing with Margot) – a first feature-length film from
award-winning director Arturo Santana, we have a fascinating documentary about
Cuban director (and founder of Cine Pobre) Humberto Solas, and Oliver Hill’s La Rumba Me Llama (Rumba Calling).
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| Eirene Houston (pic Martin Shields) |
“From Scotland, Paul Fegan’s gem of a film about Aidan Moffat and his
encounter with folk icon, Sheila Stewart – Where
you’re meant to be, and a session with short documentaries from the Sierra
Maestra Community and from Scotland. The local cultures of our two countries will
be seen, side-by-side!”
Other films include a couple of hits from last year’s festival (La Pared de las Palabras and La Pelicula de Anna) and a Cuba/Scotland
History day where the Spanish Civil War story of Ethel MacDonald (An Anarchists Story) will be screened
along with Cuba Libre (the story of
two brothers in Cuba’s war of freedom from Spain).
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| Los Bolos en Cuba |
Other films will include El Tren
de la Linea Norte – a journey through forgotten Cuba, and Los Bolos en Cuba – Enrique Molina’s
warm and sometimes irreverent documentary rescuing the memory of the
relationship between the Soviet Union and Cuba.
Visiting film makers include, in addition to Arturo Santana from Cuba
(brought over thanks to sponsorship from Unite the union), Festival co-director
Hugo Rivalta from Cuba, Alejandro Valera from Cuba via Glasgow, and Paul Fegan
from Glasgow.
The Festival runs from the 11th-19th November
across a number of venues in the Glasgow School of Art, the Centre for
Contemporary Art and the Glasgow Film Theatre, finishing at Kelvingrove Art
Gallery.
In addition to sponsorship from Unite, and other TUs, the Festival is
supported by the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), and Glasgow City Council. The
Usheru Cinema app is also providing ticket sales support.
The programme is available on the Havana Glasgow Film Festival website - www.hgfilmfest.com/programme
