CLAIFF Lead Programmer Ernie Quiroz, added, “We are thrilled that this year’s 25th anniversary edition is all the more special due to it being such a thoroughly female filmmaker-dominated lineup. This year’s group of films also is incredibly exciting with a strong current of thrillers and illuminating documentaries running throughout it. Our audiences are in for several great nights at the movie theater!”
CLAIFF Lead Programmer Ernie Quiroz, said, “We love giving our Cine Las Americas audience and community here in Austin something special to add just that much more luster to the festival and what fits the bill better for that than a sneak preview screening here and a world and/or US premiere there? A vital part of our efforts are to do what we can to make our film festival available and accessible to everyone who wants to enjoy it. We are also excited about the scope, variety, and pure entertainment to be found in our shorts and music video competitions, as well as our Emergencia Youth films as we continue to look for and promote the next generation of filmmakers out there.”
Cine Las Americas Executive Director Gabriel Ornelas, said, “In format, this year will serve as a bridge from our virtual showcase during the pandemic last year to returning to the in-person screenings and events we have all been looking forward to enjoying once again. Our opening night screening under the stars is a wonderful first step in that direction, without losing the gains we have made through the virtual screenings broadening the reach of CLAIFF and bringing these great films into people’s living rooms so we can introduce them to our wonderful filmmakers.”
Cine Las Americas Lead Programmer Ernie Quiroz, said, “We are so thrilled to build on the success of last year’s Virtual Showcase to launch a hybrid edition of the 23rd Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. CLA is committed more than ever to supporting Latinx and Indigenous voices in film. We’re excited at both the prospect of returning to in-person screenings, in a safe and responsible manner but also at the idea of expanding our reach beyond the Austin city boundaries through virtual events. Both have their place and both help fulfill our mission in supporting Latinx and Indigenous filmmakers.”
CLA Executive Director Jean Anne Lauer said, “It was vitally important to all of us associated with Cine Las Americas that we find a way to give these films and the filmmakers who created them a dedicated platform, even in the midst of shut downs, stay-at-home orders, and of course, every adjustment we all needed to make concerning our health and those around us. What resulted was a special event and coming together of our filmmakers, audiences, staff, and community. Regardless of it being in a virtual space, we made those connections Cine Las Americas is famous for.”
Executive Director Jean Anne Lauer said, “This presentation of a virtual showcase of films is a testament to the dedication of our staff to find a way forward and continue to foster connections between our Latinx filmmakers as well as those of Indigenous heritage and Texas audiences – even if we can’t do so in person.
CLA Lead Program Associate Ernie Quiroz added, “During a time when a common refrain is ‘We’re All in This Together’, we are embracing that idea and looking to form and sustain alliances with organizations that share our desire to promote filmmakers’ work and of course, share our love of film with our communities. To that end, it is incredibly exciting to connect with LALIFF and start building what could become an important portal and support system between filmmakers in Austin and those based in Los Angeles.”
