4th Annual Garifuna Film Festival Welcomes a Century of Change for Indigenous Cultures

By Adrienne Papp

There’s something about the critically acclaimed Garifuna Film Festival that’s capturing attention from filmmakers, musicians and artists from all over the world.  By now,  the 4^TH  Annual Garifuna Film Festival is  considered aninternational tower of strength and a major galvanizing force for unity amongst nations.   The festival’s focus has always been to give a message of hope and solidarity with conflicting countries and cultures proving  they could work together both productively and creatively. International creators  are crediting Garifuna as a multi-sensory, multi-modal, multi-literate experience to give new voice to native literacy, pride  and identity.

Together,cultures of the world .  The goal is to heal the divide between nations thereby transcending  petty politics and borders .

Garifuna’s child, Founder and Director Freda Sideroff, is to her heritage born and bred, She is well known for cracking the pavement, making new ground for her Garifuna International film festival.  Realizing what it it means to be stripped of her native culture, heritage, and language–because of the colonialist’s need to assimilate native Indigenous cultures and deny them their  priceless facets of heritage, she forged the Garifuna Foundation to help children   academically  as research shows that those who are immersed in their cultures perform better, have higher self-esteem, and lead more productive and happy lives.
Hostess  Helena Cardona is a citizen of the world, calling the United States, France and Spain home. Fluent in five languages she is a graduate of American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Actor’s Studio in New York. With over 55 films to her credit, Sydney Pollack  was so impressed with Helena, he based the Nicole Kidman character in The Interpreter (2005) in part on Cardona‘s life by making her a Sorbonne linguist and a musician. For Serendipity (2001), she  co-wrote with director Peter Chelsom and composer Alan Silvestri the song Lucienne, which she also sang.

Host Police Chief  Joseph Paulino San Bernardino City Schools and VectorUSA made SBC schools safer, more secure and saved money His strong ties in the San Bernardino community, his problem-solving skills, and his passion for making a positive difference in the lives of students  is making him a role model throughout California. As police chief ,he oversees a department of 26 sworn police officers, 55 campus security officers, and more than 10 support staff. The department is responsible for ensuring the safety of the district’s 53,000 students and protecting district property.

Danza Temachtia Quetzalcoatl is the resident Aztec dance group for Tia Chucha’s Centro, a cultural arts center located in the North East San Fernando Valley. Beginning in September 2006, Temachtia Quetzalcoatl has worked to learn, apply and share the indigenous Mexika teachings of their ancestors through dance, drum, song and community workshops.  We dance each Monday night at Tia Chucha’s Centro and every Sunday afternoon at our local community college, Los Angeles Mission College; all practices are free to the community and open to people of all ages. We host Equinox/ Solstice ceremonies every year and present a 4-day Dia de los Muertos workshop each November, all free to the community.

Danza Temachtia Quetzalcoatl has participated in annual local events such as the City of San Fernando Cesar Chavez March and the Pacoima Christmas Parade, has brought dances of blessing to local schools such as Head Start in San Fernando, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima and Canterbury Elementary in Arleta.  Temachtia Quetzalcoatl has had the honor of participating in annual Mexika ceremonies from San Jose, Ca., to Tijuana, Mex., and have been invited- to our great honor- to dance in American Indian pow- wows.

Danza Temachtia Quetzalcoatl is dedicated to the physical, social, emotional and cultural well- being of our dancers and community, viewing our dedication to the Red Road and its ceremonies as a way to bring peace and harmony into this world.

Head Dancer:  Monique MacGregor

Segunda Palarba:  Cristina Tacata

Head Fire Keeper:  Citlamina Tezcacoatl

Concha:  Luis Linares

FILMS:

We Still Live Here by Anne Make Peace  is about the Wampanoog People and how they recovered their language .

Revolutionary Medicine

about the 1st Garifuna Hospital built by the Garifuna Hospital  .

” Languages Matters by David Grudin  was filmed in Australia , Wales and Hawaii.

Voodoo the Church in Haiti By Andrea Leland

Arise narrated by Daryl Hannah

Persistence of Vision by Kevin Schreck is an award winning tale of art obssession ,dreams and the untold story of the greatest animated film never made.

Adrienne Papp, 2013

About the Author of This Article: Dame Adrienne Papp is a recognized journalist, economist and feature writer who has written for many publications including Savoir; The Westside Today Publications ; such as Beverly Hills 90210; Malibu Beach; Santa Monica Sun; The Beverly Hills Times; Brentwood News; Bel-Air View ; Celebrity Society ; Celeb Staff ; It Magazine;  Chic Today;  LA2DAY;  West Side Today among many others. She is the President and CEO of Los Angeles / New York-based publicity company, Atlantic Publicity and publishing house, Atlantic Publisher. Adrienne writes about world trends, Quantum Physics, entertainment and interviews celebrities, world leaders, inventors, philanthropists and entrepreneurs. She also owns Atlantic United Films that produces and finances true stories made for theatrical release or the silver screen. Spotlight News Magazine is owned by Atlantic United, Inc. Adrienne Papp is a member of the International Press Academy.

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