Heroism, strength, and resilience form the conceptual and thematic core of OLA of Eastern Long Island’s annual Latino Film Festival of the Hamptons, which is expanding to the North Fork in late September in a new partnership with the North Fork Arts Center (NFAC) in Greenport.
Pictured Above: A still from Vivo, to be screened at the North Fork Arts Center Sept. 26.
Screenings of the films, which are in Spanish with English subtitles will be held at Guild Hall in East Hampton, the Sag Harbor Cinema and the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center from Sept. 20 to 22.
NFAC in Greenport will host a screening of “Vivo,” an animated story of a Cuban kinkajou and his beloved musician pal Andrés, with original songs from the award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, on Sept. 26. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased here.
“This event is a meaningful step in our ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive environment and to engage with the vibrant Latino community on the North Fork,” says North Fork Arts Center Executive Director Tony Spiridakis in the announcement of the series. “By opening our doors to these stories and voices, we hope to further strengthen our connection with the Latino community and celebrate its lasting contributions to the cultural fabric of the North Fork.”
NFAC is also collaborating with OLA on Latino Cinema Sundays, for six weeks beginning Sept. 28. Every Sunday at 2 p.m., NFAC will screen a curated selection of Spanish-language films with English subtitles that highlight the richness of Latino culture and aims to bring together audiences from all backgrounds. Tickets are $5 per film. More information will be available at northfork-artscenter.org.
“This year, we are honored to continue our celebration of culturally relevant, high-quality cinema, presenting three films, representing at least two countries and various cultures within the diaspora, including the Latinx identity that is core to the fabric of these United States we know and love,” says OLA Executive Director Minerva Perez. “These films illuminate daily acts of heroism that give us the courage to traverse uncharted terrain and transcend limitations of every variety with unprecedented strength.”
“We are especially thrilled to join forces with the newly opened North Fork Arts Center in Greenport to expand our offerings and to develop a collaboration that will continue throughout the year,” she added. “This film festival remains at the heart of OLA’s dedication to the arts and cultural programming, creating a shared experience through storytelling that connects us to our very own humanity at an ever-poignant time when all of our voices matter. These films will enlighten, inspire, and challenge audiences in resonant and lasting ways.”
This year’s festival opens with the DC Studios superhero hit, “Blue Beetle (Escarabajo Azul),” which will be screened Friday, Sept 20 at 7 p.m. at Guild Hall, 158 Main St. in East Hampton. An opening night cocktail reception will begin at 6 p.m.
In “Blue Beetle,” an alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle. Lead actor Xolo Maridueña won the 2024 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor and the film won the 2024 Saturn Award for Best Superhero Film.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and are available at guildhall.org/bluebeetle
On Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m., the festival moves to Sag Harbor Cinema at 90 Main St. in Sag Harbor with the screening of the Nicaraguan film “Daughter of Rage (La hija de todas las rabias),” directed by Laura Baumeister de Montis, the first feature length film directed by a Nicaraguan-born woman. A bilingual in-person conversation with the director will be held after the film.
In “Daughter of Rage,” 11-year-old María and her mother face impossible choices as they eke out a life in Nicaragua’s largest landfill, finding treasure in trash and resilience that transcends unimaginable loss. The film has been nominated for and won many awards, including at the San Francisco, Morelia, and San Sebastian International Film Festivals.
Tickets are $12 and are available at sagharborcinema.org/ola. This film is not recommended for children under 13.
The festival concludes the weekend with a family-friendly matinee screening of “Vivo” at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main Street in Westhampton Beach on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are free, but pre-registration is recommended at olaofeasternlongisland.org/events-1/the-21st-ola-latino-film-festival-of-the-hamptons
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