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| Welcome to the 2001 Latin
American Film Festival. For the fourth year in a row, this event will give filmgoers in
Washington a chance to see new productions that might not otherwise find their niche in
local theaters. The films are as diverse as Latin America itself. They range from spine-tingling (The Lake Triangle, Bolivia) to comic (Diastole and Systole, Colombia), from seedy (In the Tricky Life, Uruguay) to epic (Manuela Sáenz, Venezuela). Fifteen countries are represented, including two -- Honduras and Panama -- that we are featuring for the first time. The festival also offers the opportunity to interact with some of the people involved in the filmmaking process, including directors, producers, screenwriters and actors. The Latin American Film Festival is organized by the Cultural Foundation of the Americas, as well as the Association of Ibero-American Cultural Attachés and the American Film Institute. Our generous sponsors include the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, Riggs Bank and Delta Air Lines. The governments of the participating countries, through their embassies and missions here in Washington and their national film institutes, provide further support. This event owes a creative debt to an earlier series called the Americas Film Festival, which was founded in the 1980s by Gláucia Baena Soares. She inspired all of us who love the culture of the Americas, and this year we honor her memory. On behalf of all the organizers, I thank
you for continuing to support the 2001 Latin American Film Festival with your presence and
your enthusiasm. Have a wonderful time at the movies. |