Havana, August 6 (RHC)-- Music, films, awards and tributes distinguish the XVIII Gibara International Film Festival, which will be held from Tuesday until Satruday, August 10th, in that city in the Cuban province of Holguín.

Under the call Film the East!, the first day reserved a discussion on post-production services with representatives of Estudios Churubusco Azteca SA., at the Jibá Cinema, according to the event program.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Museum will host the documentary contest in the morning and afternoon.

The Hotel Plaza Colón will host a meeting with the press to introduce the juries and share with artists and film professionals such as Eslinda Núñez, Lola Amores, Mario Hernández and La Dany.

The presentation of the collateral program and guests will be at Casa Gitana, and later, at the Plaza de la Cultura, the opening parade of the XVIII Gibara International Film Festival will take place.

As usual, the Jibá Cinema will host the opening gala, along with the presentation of the 2024 Lucía de Honor Award to the filmmaker Manuel Herrera, who will receive it from his life partner, the leading actress Eslinda Núñez.

In addition, the film Sin papeles, by the Chilean-Canadian director Christian de la Cortina, will be screened.

In exclusive statements to Prensa Latina, its director, Sergio Benvenuto, announced that the festival is resuming Cine en Construcción this year and inviting the Factoría del Cine Pobre, focused on supporting audiovisual production in the east of the country and Camagüey.

Similar to previous editions, he said, there will be a high level of works in competition that aspire to the Lucía Prize: 83, of which 11 feature-length fiction films, 24 short fiction films, 11 feature documentaries, 22 short documentaries and 15 animation pieces.

Cuba leads the list with 29 selected proposals, then Brazil (14), Spain (9), Argentina (6), Colombia, Chile, Hungary and the United States (2).

Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Iran, Italy, Morocco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Peru, the Czech Republic, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela each have one work.

The opening day will conclude at a good pace, along with the La Original Orchestra of Manzanillo and other guest artists, defenders of trova, jazz and electronic music.  (Source: Prensa Latina)