Representatives of the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival (DRGFF), an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), attended the annual Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival in Columbia, which this year celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Semiramis de Miranda, DRGFF Digital Media Director, and Taina Rodriguez, DRGFF Promotion Coordinator, networked with other seasoned industry professionals at Latin America’s oldest Film Fest, which specializes in the best of Ibero-American cinema, film shorts, and videos.

The Festival, which aims to strengthen the national and Ibero-American film industry as well as encourage the presentation of cultural expressions of Latin American identity, showcased dozens of films and documentaries from all over the Americas. There was over a week of premiere film and open-air screenings, talks by producers, and awards ceremonies - the most recognized being the competition category for Ibero-American cinema, featuring fourteen films from across Latin America and Spain.

A highlight of the Festival is the India Catalina award ceremony, which is endorsed by the Academy of Cinematographic Sciences and Arts -- the same organization that is responsible for the Academy Awards. The winners of the India Catalina are immediately allowed competition for the next year's Oscars in their categories.

This year's Festival was -- like many-- smaller and more compact, however, its Director/Coordinator, Lina Paola Rodriguez noted that they were more focused on the quality of the films.

The Festival provided a perfect backdrop for the DRGFF team to liaise with potential new partners, whilst also identifying possible movies for the upcoming IV Edition of the DRGFF, scheduled to take place November 16-22, 2010 in the Dominican Republic.

Links:
www.festicinecartagena.org.