UQ’s 2009 Latin American Film Festival proved a blockbuster success, with both opening and closing nights reaching capacity.
Festivities included Latin American culture, food, language, music and dance with 200 film fans joining the celebrations.
The third annual event ran for five nights and screened nine films, starting on October 8 and closing on October 16.
All screenings were free and included films such as The Bodyguard (Argentina) and A House with a View to the Sea (Venezuela).
Films covered a range of genres from a comedy about land ownership in Colombia, to a professional bodyguard’s life crisis and the magic and cinematographic brilliance of the award-winning 2006 movie Pan’s Labyrinth.
This year’s festival was opened by the Ambassador for Argentina, His Excellency Pedro Villagra-Delgado and closed by the Peruvian Consul in Brisbane, Stefano Marrama.
Head of the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies (SLCCS) Professor Alfredo Martínez-Expósito said a number of Latin American ambassadors, visiting Brisbane at the time, were able to attend the event and the festival was a success on many levels.
“The diplomatic and popular success of this festival echoes the strong interest that the school’s Spanish program generates,” Professor Martínez-Expósito said.
“With Spanish enrolments at an all-time high, courses on Spanish and Latin American cinema are now more popular than ever.
“The school is keen to further enhance offerings in Latin American languages and cultures, as well as courses in film studies, and will host a Catalan film festival on November 1.”
Performances included music by Latin American folk band Jumping Fences, Andean cultural group Walisuma and Argentinean music was performed by Tango Q. The Columbian Dance Group also entertained guests.
SLCCS hosted the event with the generous support of the Latinoamerican Embassies, the Programme for Cultural Co-operation (Ministry of Culture in Spain and Australian National University) and the International Education Directorate at UQ.
Media: Elizabeth Kerr (e.kerr@uq.edu.au>)
