As a long-awaited dream finally come true and an opportunity for national cinema—whether state-run, cooperative, or independent—to meet the island's audience, the 1st National Film Exhibition and Competition will take place between November 20 and December 29 of this year.
Alexis Triana Hernández, president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), explained at a press conference that the institution, with 65 years of history and several international festivals, did not have one dedicated to national cinema. "This is the seed. We believe that Cuba deserves it," he said.
He added that the idea will be refined and that they hope, even amid the current difficult circumstances, that it will have a national dimension; that is why they also plan to reach the eastern provinces affected by Hurricane Melissa.
The event, dedicated to the centenary of Alfredo Guevara, will accept works of any length in the categories of documentary, animation, and fiction, and will include a competitive contest and collateral exhibitions. In the case of the contest, although in subsequent editions the call for entries will be annual, this time works produced and/or released between January 2024 and October 2025 will be eligible to enter.
There will be a student showcase and a showcase of national productions from 2019 to 2023, in order to give greater visibility to works completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were limited in their distribution and consumption due to lockdown.
The jury, made up of national film award winners and renowned filmmakers, will present the Titón Awards for best director, best production director, best cinematography, best sound design, best art direction, best editing, best screenplay, and best performance (male and female).
Although the registration period for filmmakers is still open, the screenings will begin on Saturday with Arturo Santana's film 5 historias de amor y un bolero desesperado (5 Love Stories and a Desperate Bolero) at the Yara cinema. The filmmaker said that this exhibition "is another daring venture; we hope that the public will go to the cinema and see it from our perspective, with our metaphors and vicissitudes."
