RI International Film Festival Presents Cine¡OLÉ! 2009 at PPL

...a Free Screening of Spanish Short Films (with subtitles)

The RI International Film Festival presents Cine¡OLÉ! 2009 at PPL Central Library, 150 Empire Street (Auditorium Theatre, 3rd floor) on Sunday, February 22 from 1:30—3:30 PM.

¡Hola cine de España! Cine¡OLÉ! is your passport to discover contemporary, independent Spanish film. RIIFF is pleased to present a series of special screenings that explore the cinema of one of the world’s great filmmaking countries. Think Pedro Almodóvar, Carlos Saura, or Luis Buñuel.

In addition to the film screening, audience members will have a chance to help review Spanish films for the 2009 RIIFF. Each member will receive a ballot form and their comments will be used to help select films for the festival in August. Last year, over 3,000 films were submitted to RIIFF and only 10% were selected for inclusion in the festival.

“Cine ¡OLÉ! will serve two purposes this year,” commented Adam Short, Producing Director of RIIFF. “It will explore the cinema of one of the world’s great filmmaking countries. And it will also allow us to gather community feedback about the films and to help us with our final selections for the 2009 film festival.”

Films in the series include:

“Equipajes (Baggage Claim)”

Toni Bestard, dir; 10 mins
In the baggage claim of an airport, two passengers are left waiting for their suitcases. They don’t know each other, but they make a bet. Which suitcase will appear first?

“Jazz Song”

Jorge Gonzalez Varela, dir; 8 mins
In a New York apartment bedroom, Charles Lewis, a jazz trumpeter, must decide between life with his partner or his love for music.

“Ludoterapia (Game Therapy)”

Leon Siminiani, dir; 14 mins
Couple. 30-something. No kids. Well-to-do. With nothing to say to one another. Seeking to revive a dying relationship. Contact first thing in the morning. Reference: Game.

“Victor y la maquina (Victor and the Machine)”

Carlos Talamanca, dir; 9 mins
A lonely young boy attempts to regenerate his father from discarded household objects. A sweet and fantastic tale about building dreams.

“Made in Japan”

Ciro Altabas, dir; 6 mins
A man’s paternal identity is painfully and hilariously revealed.

Spanish filmmakers are highly regarded and in demand, helming film projects across Europe, the United States, and Latin America. Join us as we tour the cinematic landscape of Spain through a selection of short films by up-and-coming directors. After, the audience will also get to judge some of the Spanish short film entries that have been submitted to the 2009 RIIFF in August.

“The Rhode Island International Film Festival is proud to support public libraries statewide. We share an important mission in serving Rhode Island’s diverse communities. RIIFF looks forward to working with the library to bring great cinema to our local audiences,” said George T. Marshall, Executive Director of RIIFF.