Panama International Film Festival: A New Year, A New Festival

It seems hard to believe that it’s already been four months since our last film festival. PanaFest 2017 was exactly that- a celebration of Latino arts and culture, bringing together filmmakers and artists from the U.S., Latin America and Spain for a day of films, music, art and industry-related discussions. We were quite proud of the milestones we crossed with the third edition of our annual event, having exhibited 28 films from 12 different countries, raising over $1,400 in aid for Puerto Rico, hosting four excellent industry panels and closing the evening with a musical celebration featuring live music from bands MindMonogram and Venezuela OMG.

Festival Director Carlos Carrasco with Audience Awards winner.

In addition to partnering once again with our long-term co-producing organization, NewFilmmakersLA, we were joined by exciting new partners, Luis Andre Lorenzo Trujillos’s Material Extra from Panama and Yaniv Waisman’s Los cortos.com who curated individual blocks. Avenida Productions, led by Fanny Véliz and Nelson Grande were instrumental in assembling our panels, attracting new artists and adding new energy to the endeavor. And the prize cherry to top it all off was the addition of our new sponsor, HBO. Many thanks, of course, go out to all of our sponsors, including SAG-AFTRA, Insurenex, The Pie Hole, El Cerro Verde, Casa Jaguar and Amstel in Panamá and the Walton-Isaacson Agency. As we begin the work on this year’s event, we are greatly encouraged by the stong support and audience enthusiasm we experienced at PanFest 2017.

PIFFLA was proud to exhibit images by notable Panamanian artist Olga Sinclair as part of 2017’s PanaFest.

ONE, a short dramatic film directed by PIFFLA Director Carlos Carrasco, written by Manny Rey, produced by Annette Reidand edited by PIFFLA’s Maia De Zan Hatch will have its Premiere at the 12thManhattan Film Festival. The film explores the ongoing problem across many cities in the U.S. of routine traffic stops resulting in unexpected violence and often death, particularly when those stopped are members of an ethnic minority. The film has just begun to travel the festival circuit and the filmmakers and all of the members of the team are thrilled to be having their world premiere in New York City.

Convocatoria 2018 a Punto de Abrir- Submissions to Open Soon

Con miras a la cuarta edición del Festival Internacional de Cine Panameño en Los Angeles, estaremos aceptando proyectos para consideración a partir del mes de abril. Búsquenos en FilmFreeway.

We will be accepting submissions for our 2018 film festival starting in April. Look for us on FilmFreeway.

Nos vemos en el cine.