UCSB Arts & Lectures and the UCSB Department of Film Studies announce the Inaugural Santa Barbara Latino CineMedia Festival, a five-day celebration of the creativity and vision of Latin American, U.S. Latino and Native American filmmakers from Wednesday, April 14 through Sunday, April 18. Fifteen film screenings will take place throughout Santa Barbara, uniting the university and the community, increasing the visibility of Latino culture and media works, and cultivating future filmmakers prepared to tell powerful personal stories unique to their communities. “The Latino CineMedia Festival creates a space for the expression, inclusion and exploration of Latin American and Latino media arts,” states the festival’s Artistic Director, Cristina Venegas, Assistant Professor in the UCSB Department of Film Studies. “To do this we present the work of talented filmmakers that represent the plurality of Latin culture.”

The festival's opening night film El Fondo del Mar / The Bottom of the Sea (Damián Szifrón, 2003, 91 minutes) will screen on Wednesday, April 14 at 8 pm at the Paseo Nuevo Cinema. “Jealousy leads a young architecture student into dangerous waters in [this] well-made psychological thriller from Argentine newcomer Damián Szifrón,” Variety claims. “More than its Buenos Aires setting, which remains in the background, pic is distinguished by a strong pace and pumped-up tension, as the youth’s worst fears come true.” A free reception open to the public will follow the screening at the Casa de la Guerra Adobe.


THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT (1994, Mexico/France/USA, 117 min.)
Dir: Arturo Ripstein & writer Paz Alicia Garciadiego (in person)

THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (2003, Argentina, 91 min.)
Director: Damián Szifrón

DEEP CRIMSON
(1994, Mexico/Spain/France, 110 min.)
Dir: Arturo Ripstein & writer Paz Alicia Garciadiego (in person)

THE GREY AUTOMOBILE (Performance / Film)

WAR TAKES (2003, Colombia, 78 min.)
Dir: Patricia Castaño & Adelaida Trujillo

BAJO CALIFORNIA: THE LIMIT OF TIME
(1998, Mexico, 96 min.) Dir: Carlos Bolado
THE SHIRT (2004, 6 min)
Dir: Shelley Niro

THE TRESPASSER (2001, Brazil, 97 min.) Dir: Beto Brant
PRAYER FOR A GOOD DAY (2004, 15 min.)
Dir: Zoe Hopkins
A SILENT LOVE (2003, Canada/Mexico, 100 min.) Dir: Federico
Hidalgo

ALEX LORA, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SLAVE
(2002, Mexico, 105 min.) Dir: Luis Kelly (in person)

CLAY BEINGS
ENTRE SUEÑOS
PRAYER FOR A GOOD DAY
THE SHIRT
PEPPER'S POW WOW
THE BEGINNING OF THE CHUMASH
MEMORY and 49?
PIÑERO
(2001, USA, 103 min.) Dir: Leon Ichaso (in person)

MANITO (2002, USA, 79 min.) Dir: Eric Eason
MEMORY (2004, 15 min.) Dir: Cedar Sherbert (in person)

VALLEY OF TEARS (2003, USA, 81 min.) Dir: Hart Perry
WITHIN DREAMS (2003, 6 min.)
Dir: Yolanda Cruz. Audrey Costadina and Marcial Silva. (in person)

SPEEDER KILLS
(2003, USA, 83 min.) Dir: Jim Mendiola (in person)
49? (2003, 6 min. video) director/editor Eric Frith

YOUTH CINEMEDIA PROJECT
SB60: MARCHING TOWARDS EQUALITY
CHICANO/A MURALS DE CALIFAS
FILIPINOS Y NOSOTROS: THE STORY OF OUR PEOPLE
ISLA VISTA LOOKING WITHIN
CARPINTERIA: SOMOS NOSOTROS
THE MOUNTAIN HAWK
(2002, Mexico, 100 min.) Dir: Juan Antonio de la Riva