Charlotte’s Latin American film festival expands its offerings, and eyes bigger moves
Cine Casual Film Series, Charlotte’s very own Latin American film festival, is back for its third annual go-round. And this time, there will be even more films to sample.
Giovanna Torres founded the festival and produces it with her husband, Alex Piñeres, “a mighty team of two.” The series runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 16, and will feature six acclaimed, award-winning Latin American films and a block of short films made in North Carolina by Latinx talent.
Most screenings will be held at the Independent Picture House, while a special screening will be hosted at Mint Museum Uptown. The countries represented in the films are Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
Because most films coming out of the Latin America cinema scene rarely make it to a mainstream streaming platform, Torres said this is likely the only chance people around Charlotte will get to see such titles.
Torres has been promoting Latin American films since 2016, and established Cine Casual in 2020. She saw it as a way to connect the city’s booming Latino population and the larger community.
More than 500 people attended Cine Casual last year, and Torres is hopeful more will attend this year because of the additional programming.
In an email interview, Torres attributed the growing success of the event to “the intentionality behind the curation and the quality of the films.
“We’ve also had a good number of folks who have stuck with us from our first edition in 2020. Folks that understand the value of seeing films in a community setting and want to celebrate their culture through art and film. *happy tears*,” she said.
This year’s films
All films, except for one, will be screened at Independent Picture House (IPH), 4237 Raleigh St., Charlotte. The films in the series are:
▪ “Medida Provisória” (Executive Order), from Brazil, Aug. 25, IPH. The sci-fi drama is set in a dystopian near future in Brazil, where an authoritarian government orders all citizens of African descent to move to Africa, creating protests and an underground resistance movement. The show will be followed by an outdoor African drum circle next door at Charlotte Art League.
▪ “El castigo” (The Punishment), from Chile, Aug. 26, IPH. Two parents search for their missing boy in a Chilean forest and face uncomfortable truths.
▪ “La pecera” (The Fishbowl), from Puerto Rico, Aug. 30, Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, (free; presented in partnership with Levine Museum of the New South.) As her cancer spreads, a woman decides to return to her native Puerto Rico, and claim her freedom to decide her own fate.
▪ “Hecho Aquí: Local Shorts Showcase,” Sept. 8, IPH. A selection of four shorts made in North Carolina by or starring Latinx talent: “Un buen carnicero” (A Good Butcher); “El Aguante: Enduring Pain as a Badge of Honor;” “Making Waves: the Cocoa Cinnamon Story;” and “El soñador” (The Dreamer).
▪ “El viaje extraordinario de Celeste García” (The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste García), from Cuba, Sept. 9, IPH. A former teacher and current guide at the Havana Planetarium, is looking for a life change. When aliens land in Cuba offering earthlings a chance to visit their planet, the teacher signs up for the journey.
▪ “El silencio del topo” (The Silence of the Mole), from Guatemala, Sept. 15, IPH. The story of journalist Elías Barahona, “El topo,” who in the 1970s infiltrated Gen. Romeo García’s dictatorship posing as a press officer for the Ministry of the Interior.
▪ “Regreso a Escalona” (Back to Escalona), from Colombia, Sept. 16, IPH. Carlos and Egidio embark on a journey to find Rafael Escalona’s lost notebook containing unpublished songs as well as the composer’s greatest hits
For the first time, Cine Casual will have a special guest attending the series. Afro-Venezuelan filmmaker Beni Marquez is based in L.A. , and at the closing event, he will present an exclusive preview of his new salsa documentary, “Salsa, A Caribbean Flow!”
Cine Casual’s plans for more expansion
Torres said she hopes to expand the programming even further next year. She’s hopeful that will help position Cine Casual as the leading Latin American film festival in the Southeast, since other such festivals are more commonly held in cities like New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
And Torres said she is looking to launch year-round programming soon, including free community outdoor screenings.
Cine Casual
When: Aug. 25-Sept. 16
Ticket cost: $10 per film or $55 for an all-access pass
For more info and to order tickets: cinecasual.com/filmseries/
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