From April 11th to 17th, for the second time in history, Panama is holding its very own International Film Festival. During one week, visitors will be able to enjoy 60 movies from several countries which have previously received international recognition in festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, and the Toronto Film Festival. While the majority of movies are produced in the Spanish speaking countries, there is also a broad selection of movies from around the world, including England, Germany, Kenya, Japan, Israel and Taiwan. Every film is being screened in its original language with subtitles in Spanish. The festival will, moreover, be hosting quite a few of the directors which will be attending Q&A-Sessions after the movies. So for anyone interested in independent world cinema, and especially in the rapidly emerging movie scene of Central-America, the festival provides an excellent opportunity for a close up glance into the Latin film culture. There are also a number of panels and talks on the schedule which present insight into current issues of the film-making industry. So for anyone that always had some curiosity about what is happening behind the scenes and is interested in connecting with professionals from the market, these talks hold a great chance to ask questions and find out more about the industry.

The locations of the festival are either in Casco Viejo, that being the National Theatre, the Anta Villalaz Theatre or the recently opened Plaza V Centenario.or on the other side of town, the Cinepolis at Multiplaza opens its doors to the audience and is hosting film screenings in most of its rooms.

Tickets can be purchased directly at the venues, yet it is recommended to buy them upfront if you want to avoid standing in line or even have to give it a miss for the movie might be sold out. Prices vary from $ 4.50/6.00 for most of the nights, to $ 50.00 on the opening and closing night

The International Film Festival also makes a great way to practice your Spanish. Even if the movie’s original language is a foreign language, the subtitles will still be in Spanish. So Casco Antiguo Spanish School will be attending some screenings with our students. If you want to join us, contact us for further information or just pop by the school to sign up for our groups.

For a full listing of events visit the official Panama International Film Festival website at http://iffpanama.org/