The International Low-Budget Film Festival Opens Today in Gibara

Text and photos: Amauris Betancourt.                                                                                                   Translation: Juan Carlos Dominguez. 

A press conference at the House of Culture in the Cuban eastern city of Gibara marked the opening to the 8th edition of the Humberto Solas International Gibara Low-Budget Film Festival. But the traditional official opening will start at 19:00 (Havana time) with a parade from the Culture Square to the Calixto Garcia park, right across from the Jiba movie-theater.This highly competitive event at the also nicknamed ‘White Village of the Crabs’ is the headquarters to the Movie Festival that spreads to all Eastern Cuban provinces.

This time some 160 works coming from the United States, Chile, Spain, China and other nations, will be competing in different categories such as short movies, feature films, experimental works, rough cut project and scripts, documentaries, animation and videoart.Theoretical sessions, exhibitions and concerts are included too as part of this edition devoted to children and adolescents.

A panel on drama and alternative movie, and the concerts by Kelvis Ochoa, David Blanco, Rochy and Diego Gutierrez stand out among the most expected events.

Reynaldo Gonzalez, National Prize of Literature, and Tomas Piard are among the personalities that make up the jury, along with other international figures who would make a decision on the best works presented in the competition.

The closing ceremony will close the current edition a day before the festival comes to an end next April 24 with the prize awarding gala.

Gibara's dwellers.