Representatives from the Latin America film industry are meeting in the South American country to discuss the role of audiovisual.
The city of San Juan, Argentina is hosting the third annual Union of South American Nations (Unasur) Film Festival, which will be attended by more than 400 industry experts, nominating 220 films from across the region. The event will also include a variety of lectures, debates, exhibitions and seminars.
The general director of the festival Paula De Luque stated, "We have enormous confidence that that the festival is becoming one of the most important festivals in the country.”
In addition, one of the main objectives of the event is to show the importance of audiovisual communication in strengthening regional integration, cultural identity and social inclusion.
In efforts to achieve this goal, the festival will include the screening of six short films which seek to capture the reality of marginalized neighborhoods in Argentina from the perspective of the local residents.
The community members were provided with training and assistance from professional directors, which allowed them to tell their story through the lens of a camera.
“We strongly believe that integration is achieved through cultural means and social inclusion,” De Luque stated.
In addition, representatives from the Latin American film industry will meet to discuss strategies to promote Unasur Cine TV, which is a newly proposed initiative that aims to create an audiovisual communication platform for Latin American filmmakers.
The festival will also include a ceremony honoring U.S. director Oliver Stone by featuring his documentary ‘Mi Amigo Hugo’ which is a film comprised of a collection of testimonies of family, friends, intellectuals, and politicians who honor the legacy of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
