The Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Dec. 17 that the 18th edition of Nuevas Miradas concluded with eight Caribbean film projects receiving awards and support, thanks to UNESCO and the European Union (EU).
UNESCO said the festival was a “great success for the Caribbean filmmakers of the ‘Incubando’ section, who participated in this film production and networking event thanks to the support of the UNESCO program Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union.”
Twelve young directors and producers from Cuba, Guyana, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and St. Kitts and Nevis, representing eight fiction and documentary film projects, received awards and incentives to develop their work, UNESCO said.
It said this edition has introduced non-Hispanic Caribbean projects thanks to the Transcultura program.
“The awards received reflect not only their artistic quality but also the potential of Caribbean cinema on the international stage,” UNESCO said.
Yamila Marrero, general coordinator of Nuevas Miradas, said the six days of masterclasses, workshops and mentorship sessions, with over 20 film industry professionals from Latin America and Europe, “culminated in a pitching session.”
“Following this, producers, sales agents, distributors and representatives of labs, festivals, markets and funding bodies decided who to award and support,” she said.
UNESCO said spaces like Nuevas Miradas are “vital for showcasing and internationalizing projects from their early development stages.
“A program like Transcultura, which allows emerging filmmakers to participate in major labs and events like Nuevas Miradas, is essential for developing our local cinema, but also for connecting with other Caribbean countries, as we share similar stories and contexts,” it added.
Wendy Desert, a producer from Haiti, said “the event not only advances the featured projects but also serves as a platform to boost the film careers of its participants, aligning with the goals of the Transcultura program.”
Organized by the Production Chair of the International Film and Television School of San Antonio de los Baños, UNESCO said Nuevas Miradas is one of the oldest and most prestigious film labs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“It leverages the presence of film industry representatives at the Havana International Film Festival to connect them with emerging filmmakers from the region, thus supporting the diversity of voices and stories in cinema,” it said.
