IFF Panama Kicks off in Panama!

The eighth edition of the International Film Festival of Panama (IFF Panama) kicked off today (April 4th) and will continue venues around Panama City until April 10th.

"Of the 13  films in this program, five are directed by women and one international ’premier’," says a press release.

One film that has been getting a lot of attention is Rome A multi-award winning film by Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón, that will premiere in Panama during IFF. 

A couple interesting things about the film include that it is for one a black and white film and secondly that it’s a Netflix original. 

However, the Panamanian film director and director of the IFF Panama, Pituka Ortega, expressed her pleasure is presenting Roma ’as it should be seen, on the big screen’. 

Another element of this year’s festival, is the accreditation. This year will be the first time the International Federation of Cinematographic Press (Fipresci) will award a prize for the best film of the Central America and the Caribbean Stories program, within the framework of this festival.

"For IFF Panama, it is a great achievement to have such an important prize, especially since it will make the region’s cinema more visible. Obtaining the Fipresci award from the critics in Panama, gives the winning movie a lot more possibilities in its journey around the world, "says the executive director of IFF Panama.

Films being screened at the 2019 Panama International Film Festival include: 

Apego (2019, Costa Rica Chile), by director Patricia Velásquez; Here and Now (2018, Costa Rica Chile), by Paz León and Casques Indomábles (2018, Costa Rica Chile), by Ernesto Villalobos.

They will also be The Awakening of the Ants (2019, Costa Rica Spain), by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss; The extraordinary journey of Celeste García (2018, Cuba Germany), Arturo Infante and José (2018, Guatemala), by Li Cheng.

To these add them Asphyxia (2018, Guatemala), by Ana Isabel Bustamante; Miriam lies (2018, Dominican Republic Spain), Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada, and Panama Radio (2019, Panama), Edgar Soberón Torchia.

More titles showing include Sprinter (2018, Jamaica United States), of Storm Saulter; Temblores (2018, Guatemala France), by Jayro Bustamante; Inland (2018, Panama), by Mauro Colombo, and Un traductor (2018, Cuba Canada), by Rodrigo Barriuso and Sebastian Barriuso.