2009 Miami Latin Gay Film Festival To Kick Off With "Quemar Las Naves"

A scene from Francisco Franco's "Quemar Las Naves," which will kick off the Miami Latin Gay Film Festival. Image courtesy of The Miami Latin Gay Film Festival.

The Miami Latin Gay Film Festival has unveiled its 2009 line up, showcasing Latin Gay and Lesbian films from around the world. The fest runs April 16-19, 2009. “I am truly grateful to all the filmmakers and distributors who have worked with me to enable us to present a truly fabulous line-up for our inaugural event. The Festival was created to fill a void in the Florida Latino Gay community and the enormous support we have received from around the world is overwhelming," said Executive Director Jim Dobson in a statement.

The Festival will kick off Thursday night with the U.S. premiere of Francisco Franco's family drama "Quemar Las Naves," and close Sunday night with a screening of Nacho Velilla's Spanish comedy "Fuera De Carta." Other highlights of the Fest include a Latino Filmmaker Spotlight Screening, showcasing the work of an up and coming Latino director, and screenings of Belén Macías' "El Patio De Mi Cárcel," a Spanish drama about the lives of female inmates, and "Spinnin’," directed by Eusebio Pastrana, an offbeat drama about the AIDS crisis. The Festival will also present a special, sing-a-long matinee screening of "Tómbola!," starring gay icon Marisol.

According to Festival Director Ellen Wedner, the Festival is "an opportunity to see a wide range of Latin works that otherwise might not be available to South Floridians. What is so great about this festival is you don’t have to be Latin or Gay to appreciate and enjoy these films. You only have to appreciate high quality cinema."

For more information, visit the festival's website.