PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN COMPETITION FOR 2014 CINE LATINO AWARD

Palm Springs, CA (January 2, 2014) – The 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announces 21 films eligible for the Cine Latino Award, which will be presented to the best Ibero-American film screening at the Festival. Sponsored by the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) and the University of Guadalajara Foundation/USA, the winner will receive a $7,500 cash prize. PSIFF is scheduled to run January 3-13, 2014.

“2013 has been a stellar year for the Ibero-American films. The cinema from Latin America, Spain and Portugal has been abundant, diverse and proved again to be in the forefront for its innovative approach to subject matter and visual styles,” said Hebe Tabachnik, Ibero-American Programmer for PSIFF. “We have seen the emergence of new voices coming out not only from some countries in Latin America for the first time, but also from new regions within those countries. 2013 brought captivating stories and also revealed new pieces of these countries’ history. It is an exciting time in the region and the Palm Springs International Film Festival celebrates for the second year this cinema, recognizing the talent and creativity of its makers with the Cine Latino Award sponsored by two of the leading cultural, social and educational organizations in Mexico and the US, the Guadalajara International Film Festival and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA.”

“I thought last year’s official selection of the Cine Latino Award was of the highest level,” said Iván Trujillo Bolio, Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival. “This year, the selection proves to be a significant platform to showcase Ibero-American cinema, and I have no doubt that the competition will be fierce. The program is extraordinary in the quantity, and above all, in the quality of the selected films.”

“The Cine Latino Award that the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA presents at Palm Springs for the second time serves as the ideal opportunity to accomplish one of our primary objectives: stimulate the creativity and talent of the Latin community,” said Lic. Raúl Padilla López, President of the University of Guadalajara Foundation/USA. “This is how we launch our activities for 2014 and reinforce our commitment to the film industry.”

Jury members include Anna Marie de la Fuente (Chief Latin America writer – Variety) Emilio Kauderer (music composer of Oscar winning The Secret of their Eyes) and Iván Trujillo Bolio (Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival). They will review 21 films to select the Cine Latino Award winner. This year’s eligible films are:

· 15 Years and One Day (Spain), Director: Gracia Querejeta

· Anina (Uruguay/Colombia), Director: Alfredo Soderguit

· Coast of Death (Spain), Director: Lois Patiño

· Gloria (Chile/Spain), Director: Sebastián Lelio

· Grazing the Sky (Spain/Portugal/Mexico), Director: Horacio Alcalá

· Heli (Mexico/Germany/Netherlands/France), Director: Amat Escalante

· Ignasi M. (Spain), Director: Ventura Pons

· La jaula de oro (Mexico/Spain), Director: Diego Quemada-Diez

· Last Call (Mexico), Director: Francisco Franco

· Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed (Spain), Director: David Trueba

· Purgatorio (Mexico/USA), Director: Rodrigo Reyes

· Rabbit Woman (Argentina/Spain), Director: Verónica Chen

· Reaching for the Moon (Brazil), Director: Bruno Barreto

· Roa (Colombia/Argentina), Director: Andrés Baiz

· Root (Chile), Director: Matías Rojas Valencia

· Tattoo (Brazil), Director: Hilton Lacerda

· The German Doctor (Argentina), Director: Lucía Puenzo

· The Magnetic Tree (Spain/Chile), Director: Isabel Ayguavives

· The Mute (Peru/France, Mexico), Director: Daniel Vega & Diego Vega

· The Searches (Mexico), Director: José Luis Valle

· The Summer of Flying Fish (Chile/France), Director: Marcela Said

Mercedes-Benz is a sponsor of the Cine Latino program at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

About The Palm Springs International Film Festival The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees annually for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Danny Boyle, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Helen Mirren, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Kate Winslet.

The Awards Gala of the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival is presented by Cartier and sponsored by Mercedes Benz and Entertainment Tonight. The City of Palm Springs is the Title Sponsor of the Film Festival. Presenting Sponsors are Wells Fargo, The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major sponsors are AARP, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Wessman Development, Bank of America, Wintec, Regal Entertainment Group, Windermere Real Estate, Eisenhower Medical Center, Guthy-Renker, Integrated Wealth Management, VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com, Ocean Properties, Panavision, Chihuly and Telefilm Canada. Visit: http://www.psfilmfest.org

About The Guadalajara International Film Festival The Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is an important place of promotion of Latin American cinema. We get response from professionals through the region, offering the opportunity to participate in different activities. For 10 days, in March, the FICG offers a selection of feature films, documentaries and short films. The Film Market is an essential platform for work and business. Meetings for projects in development. Training and dialogues on the various transformations that the audiovisual industry lives each year.

FICG is presented by the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), with the support of the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE), National Council for Culture and Arts (CONACULTA), Jalisco State Government, Municipalities of Guadalajara, Zapopan, Tlaquepaque, different institutions and recognized Mexican sponsors interested to promote film in the Iberia Peninsula and Latin America.

About The University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America The University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America (UDG Foundation-USA) is an extension of Fundación Universidad de Guadalajara, A.C. and is made up of a number of prominent academic and social leaders. The Foundation works to attain private support from individuals, foundations and/or corporations in order to fulfill the mission and vision of the University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles.

The donations that the Foundation receives from one of the most important philanthropic regions in the United States go towards the relevant and high-quality academic and cultural activities of the University of Guadalajara at Los Angeles. The Foundation produces among other events LéaLA, the largest Spanish-language book fair in the U.S and FICG in LA, a showcase of the best of the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles.

-OFFICIAL PALM SPRINGS PRESS RELEASE-

Edited by Vanessa McMahon