Postcards from IFF Panama 2019

Text and Photos: Winnie T. Sittón

Major movie stars 

Many shining stars of the Seventh Art participated in the festival: Argentine actor Ricardo Darín; “Roma” star and Oscar-nominee Yalitza Aparicio, seen here with production designer, Eugenio Caballero; and seasoned performer Edward James Olmos, among others.

Premiere of Panamanian films

The documentaries Tierra adentro and Panamá Radio, by Mauro Colombo and Edgar Soberón Torchia respectively, were the Panamanian films to attract the most attention. La estación seca (fiction feature film) had an emotional premiere after twelve years in production.

Major Latin American Filmmakers in Attendance

Cuban screenwriter Eliseo Altunaga, a veteran of more than twenty films, was among IFF Panama 2019’s most important guests. Also in attendance were Peruvian sound engineer Jorge Muñiz, Argentine producer Rodrigo Hernán Vila, and Cuban director Margarita Hernández.

Industry Activities 

The festival offered workshops, lectures, and master classes for accredited industry members, as well as cocktail parties to promote networking among regional filmmakers.

Full House for the Q&A 

In one of the Festival’s most beloved traditions, guest artists attended over seventy screenings, participating in Q&A sessions after the films.

IFF Panama 2019 Winners

The Audience Award for Best Documentary went to Mauro Colombo’s Tierra adentro. Fiction feature Un traductor won the Audience Award for Best Film from Central America and the Caribbean. Benzinho won the Copa Airlines Audience Award for Best Ibero-American Fiction Film. And, finally, Panamanian Ana Elena Tejera’s film Panquiaco took first place in the First Look Industry category.

More information: www.iffpanama.org