The 14th edition of the Puerto Rico Film Festival (Festival de Cine de Puerto Rico -PRFF), to be held from Wednesday the 16th to Sunday the 20th at the Mayagüez Town Center on the island, will present 75 films and short films. The event includes two days – on the 18th and 19th – dedicated to the industry (Industry Day) with talks of different Puerto Rican film organizations.
According to Lester Rivé Padilla, director of the PRFF, in the last six years, they have developed a close relationship with Gustavo Aparicio of Spanglish Movies. “We have had a growing relationship, they as a distributor and content creator, and we have been able to intertwine very well so that our filmmakers can distribute their films and create events that benefit both sectors.”
“I am proud of working tirelessly for the past six years with the Puerto Rico Film Festival, taking it to a higher level each year. The festival brings new content to Puerto Rico and elevates the exposure of Puerto Rican content creators worldwide. This year, the festival is top-notch, and the team led by Lester Rivé and Professor Pablo Impelluso bring many novelties for 2024”, said Aparicio, managing director of Spanglish Movies.
Rivé mentioned that they expect about 150 filmmakers from the island and abroad to attend the Day sessions for the industry, where topics such as artificial intelligence, how to collaborate with the industry in Puerto Rico, and color grading, among others, will be discussed.
Aparicio added that they are organizing for September an event in San Juan, Puerto Rico together with the PRFF and Caribbean Cinemas to celebrate the creative talents of the island’s cinema.
Rivé indicated that the island’s filmmakers have come to produce up to 1,200 projects a year and said that after the pandemic the number dropped a bit, but it has been improving every year.
The festival will present the premiere for Puerto Rico of Blue Beetle by Warner Bros., the Puerto Rican film La Pecera by Glorimar Marrero Sánchez, and the Mexican film Martínez by director Lorena Padilla, among other titles.
