North Fork Arts Center in Greenport (Photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)
Right in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month, Organización Latino Americana (OLA) of Eastern Long Island is bringing the Latino Film Festival to the North Fork for the very first time.
The non-profit organization’s 21st annual Latino Film Festival will be celebrated at Greenport’s North Fork Arts Center (211 Front St., Greenport) on Sept. 26 from 7:30–9:30 p.m. with a special screening of the animated musical feature “Vivo.”
The family film follows the adventures of the titular Vivo, a Cuban rainforest animal known as a “kinkajou” or honey bear. Vivo and his owner, Andrés, a musician, play music to the crowds in a lively square. The elderly Andrés plans to reconnect with his lost love, Marta, in Miami, and proclaim his feelings for her through a special song, but when Andrés dies unexpectedly, Vivo goes on a journey from Cuba to Miami to deliver Andrés’ final message.
“Vivo” features music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who voices the title character. The all-star cast also includes Gloria Estefan, Zoë Saldaña and Brian Tyree Henry.
OLA of Eastern Long Island, founded in 2002, is a Latino-focused advocacy organization working for the East End whose mission is to “create a more equitable East End for Latino immigrants through advocating for just and inclusive government and school policies protecting families; nurturing power and unity among Latinos through leadership workshops and other programs; and building bridges among different sectors of the East End community through celebrating arts and culture,” according to the group’s website.
Tony Spiridakis, the founder and executive director of the North Fork Arts Center, says working with OLA has helped him achieve his vision of having consistent offerings of first-run and independent films for the growing Latino community in the area. According to OLA, 23% of eastern Long Island’s current population have origins in Mexico as well as Central and South America, and those numbers continue to grow, clearly demonstrating the need for consistent advocacy.
After “Vivo,” the center will host a six-week run of Latino Cinema Sundays. The screenings will be Sundays from September 29 through November 3 at 2 p.m.
“El Jeremías, un genio en la familia” — which translates to Jeremiah, a genius in the family — is the first film to kick off the series, followed by “Radical,” “La Bamba,” “Guardiana de Dragones” or “Dragonkeeper,” “Ana y Bruno,” and “Vengo Volviendo” or “Here and There.”
With help from OLA, they made an educated selection of “really good films,” Spiridakis says. “These are the kinds of programs that we want to put on on a regular basis and this is just a great way [to do it].”
Spiridakis is very happy to collaborate with OLA. The partnership started when the group’s executive director, Minerva Perez, reached out to Spiridakis about bringing the Latino Film Festival to the North Fork Arts Center.
“You’re talking about an organization who is dedicated to building bridges [with] this community that’s such an important part of our day-to-day life but then oftentimes is left to themselves to figure out the efficacy of government, what to do with schools,” he says, adding that creating regular programming at the North Fork Arts Center is an important way the not-for-profit can help the latino community to only engage on an arts and cultural level, but to feel seen and represented.
“This isn’t only for the latino community,” Spiridakis says. “I want this to be about bringing the whole community together to celebrate. What I really hope to build here from this example of Latino Cinema Sundays is that we start having world cinema, we start showing foreign films … we’re a world made up of many different cultures and languages and how great to celebrate that in Greenport!”
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