Hot happenings in ‘da hood
Check this out this weekend, if you can:
Josefina Lopez, author of Real Women Have Curves, and Courage Productions invite you to celebrate the voices and visions of Latina filmmakers in the second annual Boyle Heights Latina Independent Film Extravaganza (BHLIFE).
BHLIFE will be a celebration of Latinas, their voices and their visions. The mission of the festival is to build a network of Latina filmmakers that will draw attention to the growing number of Latinas working behind the camera. The films of these Latinas constitute a body of work that will act as a powerful statement against the stereotypical portrayals of Latinas on screen. Films will be screened in the categories of youth media, feature length dramas, feature length documentaries, dramatic shorts, documentary shorts, experimental shorts, and erotica.
Over 50 films are featured in the festival. These come from local Boyle Heights artists as well as from filmmakers representing diverse Latino communities throughout the country. The cities represented include Boston, New York, Chicago, Tucson, Houston, Austin, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles.
The festival will begin with a screening of the feature length film, Buscando a Leti, a film that addresses the immigrant experience from the point of view of those that are left behind, in this case, children in Mexico. This opening night event will include a discussion of current immigration legislation. The film’s director will be present and USC Professor Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, whose research focuses on Mexican undocumented immigration and transnational families, will facilitate the discussion.
The film festival will take place at CASA 0101 Theatre, 2009 East First Street in Boyle Heights – December 8-10, 2006.
For more information regarding the program, please contact: Katynka Martinez, Festival Director, at bhlifefestival@yahoo.com, or visit bhlife.org and casa0101.org