Grito Productions Returns to Santiago Álvarez Festival

In 2020 Detroit 48202 won the Jury Award at the Festival Internacional de Documentales Santiago Álvarez in Memoriam in Santiago de Cuba.

Subsequently, the festival directors decided to dedicate the following festival to "The Independent Documentary of the United States," and asked me to curate a special showcase of US documentaries.

The process was delayed a couple of years by Covid, but it is happening this March 3 - 8, 2023! For the last year my colleague from the Literacy Project, Catherine Murphy, and I have been working to select 14 films that resonate with Santiago Álvarez's work and represent the history and breadth of artistic and political concerns of US documentarians.

Many of the filmmalers will be with us in Santiago de Cuba, which is super exciting.

This is all extra special because it is the 20th Anniversary of the Santiago Álvarez festival and it is the first time the festival has been dedicated to US filmmakers. What an honor.

If you are in the NYC area, I'd like to invite you to a kick-off event at The People's Forum for our delegation's trip to Cuba - On Friday, Feb. 3 we will show a new documentary about the life and work of Santiago Álvarez, directed by his son Osaín, and a sizzle reel of the US films to be featured at the festival. This event is also a fundraiser to help pay for printing costs associated with the festival.