Editor's blog

21ST LONDON LATIN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 18-27 NOVEMBER 2011

Welcome to the 21st London Latin American Film Festival  2011 . At 21 years old this year, we are coming of age at last!

This year's LLAFF celebrates 25 years of Havana International TV and Film School , presenting the highlights from the past quarter century of one of the most influential of Cuban cultural institutions, alongside the best of this year's films, which reflect the changing priorities of Cuba's young filmmakers.

With 2011 being the United Nations International Year of People of African Descent, we are taking the opportunity to pay tribute to the massive influence of the African Diaspora on Latin American culture. Not to be missed is the classic BBC Arena documentary Bahia of All the Saints, a mesmerising audio-visual portrait of the north Brazilian city of Bahia, where African culture and the old religion form a vibrant backdrop to the simplest aspects of everyday life for the predominantly Black population.

We are overjoyed to present the European premiere of Strawberry Lips, the latest comedy feature from Jorge Zima (whose Night on the Terrace is a previous Festival winner). This assured and witty film plays on the eternal Argentinean theme of City vs. Countryside and the massive gap in understanding between them.

Venezuela is a very big hitter this year: LLAFF is featuring no fewer than four Venezuelan films including the magnificent Bolivar by Edmundo Aray and Raiza Andrade as well as, by way of contrast, a delicate drama of family relations and sexual identity in Cheila, a House for Maita . Films from the Dominican Republic rarely make centre stage: this year we have Hermaphrodite, the story of Maria, born with the physical characteristics of both a woman and a man. From Guatemala, Holy Cow, is a full on comedy about greed and sex.

It's not all sex, mind you. As always, we have hard-hitting films that don't pull their punches when it comes to political comment. Colombia's Panela Project, tells the ever more familiar story of ordinary people resisting the advance of the bio-fuel industry which is evicting whole populations. Absence, from Cuba, profiles a mother and son who fish Santiago de Cuba Bay, unravelling their extraordinary relationship.

Mexican feature Goodbye Cruel World is the funniest no-hoper heist flick since The Lavender Hill Mob. From Peru comes Postales a charming tale of young love growing between unlikely companions. Don't miss The Cigar: Out of the Humidor an excellent documentary that deals with women smokers and the high art of savouring Cuban cigars.

A veritable smorgasbord of Latin American cinematic delicacies, (to coin a hideously disfigured and culturally inappropriate phrase).

Don't like films? Well just come to our parties!

For the young-at-heart and weak-in-the-head there's the VIP Festival Launch Party on Thursday 17th at the King's College, Brazil Institute supported, this year, by the Anglo Brazilian Society.

If you've had enough time to recover you should also take in the VIP Opening Party for this year's Art Exhibition on Monday 21st November at VIBE BAR.

We'll keep you on the go all through the Festival with fascinating talks , ground-breaking Q&As , toothsome Latin American food , dangerous music , parties and more parties...

So, why don't you come along and have a look? Be honest, have you really got anything better to do?

Venues:

Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RL

Bolivar Hall, 54 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DL

Shortwave cinema, 10 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN

Roxy  bar and screen, Borough High Street, Borough, London SE1 1LB

The Lantern Arts Centre, Tolverne Road, Raynes Park, London SW20 8RA

For more information, please contact:

EVA TARR-KIRKHOPE

Director & Founder

(M) +44 (0) 778 532 8000

(Email) eva@latinamericanfilmfestival.com

(Website) http://www.latinamericanfilmfestival.com/

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