The 24th national festival of video and cinema, Cine Plaza 2007, takes place from October 3 to 6 in the Cuban capital. The annual event has become one of the most important for the islands audiovisual production.

The festival seeks to promote films on topics of community interest and encourage new generations of filmmakers. It is sponsored by the Culture House of the Municipality of Plaza, the provincial office of the Ministry of Culture, the Provincial Cinema Center and the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC).

Festival director Aries Morales told Granma that this year 140 works from seven provinces and different institutions including TV Serrana, the Higher Arts Institute, the San Antonio de los Banos Cinema and TV School and the ICAIC Animation Films Studio.

Cine Plaza awards prizes in the categories of fiction, documentary and experimental video (including video clips, promotional spots and animation) and for the specialties of direction, script, edition, photography, soundtrack and art direction.

Each year Cine Plaza pays tribute to important Cuban cinematographers; this year honoring filmmakers Jose Massip and Tomas Piard, whose films will be shown at the 23 y 12 movie theater, the same cinema where the competing works will be shown. The video hall of the Fresa and Chocolate Film Center will be another festival venue, where acclaimed director Enrique Pineda Barnet will lecture.

During the festival, the work of singer-songwriter Pablo Milanes will also receive recognition for his contribution to Cuban cinema as a founder of the ICAIC Experimental Sound Group.

Source: By Cecilia Crespo, Granma