Havana Film Festival New York
The Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY) is a film festival, based in New York City, that screens cinema from across Latin America with a special focus on Cuba and its film industry. It is a project of The American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with the mission of building cultural bridges between the United States and Cuba through arts projects. Since 2000, HFFNY has presented films featured at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana. The Festival includes lectures, panel discussions, networking receptions and film industry workshops. History Overview The Festival was founded in 2000 by Ivan Giroud, President of the Havana Film Festival in Havana; Carole Rosenberg, President of The American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba; film producer Kenneth Halsband; and Marcia Donalds, who was a film professor at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. In 2001, film producer and programmer Diana Vargas joined the festival, and since 2003 she has served as HFFNY's Artistic Director. 2000 - Inaugural festival The inaugural Havana Film Festival NY was held at the Anthology Film Archives from March 17–26, 2000. It featured an entirely Cuban program, and screened