III Dominican Film Festival in New York to Present GFDD/FUNGLODE Shorts

On June 18, 2014, the Alumni Auditorium of the Columbia University Medical Center hosted the III Dominican Film Festival in New York (DFFNY) with a screening of the new Dominican film “To the South of the Innocence” (Al Sur de la Inocencia). The DFFNY will be held until June 22, 2014.

In this third edition, the Festival brings 30 films from the Dominican Republic and will present a selection of panel discussion comprising of participant
speakers from the industry, as well as a Film Retrospective celebrating the career of actor and producer Manny Perez and finally a Photo Exhibition of the photographer Juan Fernández.

As a partner of DFFNY, GFDD/FUNGLODE will showcase quality Dominican-focused films in an effort to present the Dominican Republic in a constructive and engaging light while at the same time introducing the work of young Dominican filmmakers to a new audience.

GFDD
is proud to present two of its short films Salga el mal y entre el bien – The Story of Liborio Mateo and Garbage or Resource: A Dominican Republic Experience, both directed by Natasha Despotovic, as part of the Festival agenda.

The Story of Liborio Mateo presents Liborio Mateo Ledesma who marked the social, political and religious history of San Juan de la
Maguana in the twentieth century. More than a leader, he was considered by many a religious figure, from which Liborismo emerged. Was he a healer or a fighter? A hundred years later this remains a controversial issue for sanjuaneros and Dominicans alike. The short was prepared as part of DominicanaOnline.org productions. This short will be presented at the Hall of Fame Theater, in The Armory Foundation on Friday, June 20, at 4:30 p.m.

The short film
Garbage or Resource: A Dominican Republic Experience, two time award winning film at the Green Lens Environmental Film Festival and the Reef Renaissance Film Festival, depicts how recycling has become an important economic opportunity for Dominicans. Through various corporate and educational projects, the viewer observes how– aside from the obvious environmental benefits– recycling enables economic development through the generation of new companies
and industries. It is a short film which inspires, moves and calls to action. The presentation will be on Sunday, June 22, at 1:00 p.m. at the Columbia University Medical Center.

As part of FUNGLODE’s film lineup, The Mountain (La Montaña) presents the story of the first Dominican mountain expedition which made history in May 2011 when Dominican mountaineers became the first to have placed the Dominican flag on the highest
mountain in the world – Mount Everest. Their amazing achievement inspired three young surfers, sons of fishermen in the coastal town of Nizao, who decided to scale the highest mountain in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean – Pico Duarte. This is the story that unites a naïve story with an epic one, both inspirational and motivating as both groups set their sights on achieving the extraordinary. This is an adventure story that carries us from the sea to the sky and shows us that we all
have a dream, a goal and a mountain to climb. The film will be presented on Saturday, June 21 at 3:00 p.m. at Columbia University Medical Center and on Sunday, June 22, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Theater, in The Armory Foundation.

About the DFFNY

This well recognize event was launched in 2011 by Cine Art Entertainment Productions, with the main objective of keeping New York City film lovers updated with the film industry that
has been growing in the Dominican Republic.

The DFFNY is organized by Cine Art Entertainment Productions, in collaboration with Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FGDD), The Global Film Festival of the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Film Commission. It has been sponsored by Columbia University Medical Center, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dominican Republic Tourism Board, The Armory Foundation, Emblem Health, Univision
New York, UniMas NewYork, Univision Radio, Delta Air Line, El Diario La Prensa, Latin Trends Magazine, Barcelo Rum, Dyckman Beers, among others.

www.dominicanfilmfestival.org
http://garbage.dreff.org