National Hispanic Cultural Center

First Annual National Hispanic Cultural Center Film Symposium shines spotlight on powerhouse Latina filmmakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 05, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT
Stephen Hamway
505-412-3758
stephen.hamway@state.nm.us

Albuquerque, NM – Head to the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) from April 13 through April 15 for the 1st Annual NHCC Film Symposium, featuring films from a trio of acclaimed Latina directors. 

“With three theatres on campus and program directors with experience in the film industry, cinema has always been a crucial part of our work at the National Hispanic Cultural Center,” said NHCC Interim Executive Director Zack Quintero. “We’re thrilled to begin our Film Symposium series with a collection of movies from powerhouse Latina filmmakers who exemplify the best of our art and culture.” 

The Film Symposium, titled The Power of Our Stories, begins on Thursday, April 13 in the Albuquerque Journal Theatre with a screening of the documentary Backstreet to the American Dream (2021), directed by Patricia Nazario. Nazario’s film focuses on the quintessential 21st Century entrepreneurial endeavor – food trucks! By juxtaposing the experiences of two very different Los Angeles food trucks – one run by American entrepreneurs, the other by Mexican immigrants – Backstreet to the American Dream tells a gripping but compassionate story about pop culture and family traditions, formal and informal economies, and the unifying quest for the American Dream. 

On Friday, April 14, the NHCC will be showing What We Leave Behind (2022), directed by Iliana Sosa. This documentary is a portrait of Sosa’s grandfather, Julián Moreno, as he starts building a house in the Mexican state of Durango while traveling back and forth between Mexico and the United States to visit his daughter and granddaughter. In the film, Julián revisits this past with his granddaughter as the two forge a tighter bond together, punctuated by voiceovers from the director. 

Both evening events begin with pre-film receptions and cash bars at 6:00 p.m., and the screenings begin at 7:00 p.m. Stick around after the screening concludes for a question-and-answer session from each of the directors. 

Finally, join us on Saturday, April 15 for a series of Director’s Talks featuring Nazario, Sosa, and Aracely Chapa, whose film Acequias: The Legacy Lives On was screened at the NHCC earlier this year to a sold-out auditorium. These talks will be an hour each, running from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Salón Ortega. 

Each of these three events are free and open to the public, with generous support from Bank of America. Learn more and register at nhccnm.org/events. 

More about the National Hispanic Cultural Center The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities. The NHCC presents mission-related events throughout the year, some produced by its history, literary, performing, and visual arts programs, and others by partnering with external organizations. Events take place at its 20-plus-acre campus, which includes a plaza, an art museum, a historically designated building, a library, and a genealogy center. The NHCC is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is further supported by the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation. 


Related Photos

1st Annual NHCC Film Symposium Graphic

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