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July 17, 2007 (New York, NY) — The 8th Annual New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) announces its complete line-up of films and events, featuring the latest and best in U.S. Latino and Latin American filmmaking. With both domestic and international feature films represented – from such countries as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, among others – NYILFF showcases more than 80 narrative films, documentaries, and shorts with some of the most acclaimed and sought-after Latino talent in the industry.

The festival runs from July 24 - 29, 2007, at the following venues: Directors Guild of America Theater (110 W. 57th Street), Florence Gould Hall (55 E. 59th Street), ImaginAsian Theater (239 E. 59th Street), and JCC in Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave.). Tickets are currently available through Ticketmaster, the Florence Gould Hall box office (55 E. 59th Street), and the festival's web site: www.NYLatinoFilm.com.

More than just a film festival, NYILFF highlights the full range of Latino culture with industry panels and special events, designed to target different segments of the community. Dominican Night, Cinema Under the Stars, NYILFF New Music Showcase, NYILFF Vanguard and NYILFF Family Day demonstrate the festival’s dedication to providing a wide milieu of culturally relevant programming.

Opening this year’s festival is the Roadside Attractions release TRADE, directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner and starring Kate Del Castillo, Kevin Kline, Cathleen Gati, Alicja Bachleda, Cesar Ramos and Paulina Gaitan. Spotlighting the increasing traffic of people across international borders, Trade focuses on a 13 year-old girl from Mexico City, Adriana (Gaitan) who is kidnapped by sex traffickers, setting into motion her 17 year-old brother Jorge’s desperate mission to save her.

The Picturehouse Release EL CANTANTE, directed by Leon Ichaso, starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, wraps up the festival as its Closing Night presentation, sponsored by mun2, the bilingual network for young Latinos. The highly anticipated film is the dramatic biography of Puerto Rican salsa pioneer Hector Lavoe. The film follows Lavoe’s (Anthony) passionate relationship with Puchi (Lopez) and his quick ascent to international fame. Lavoe’s fast rise is matched by his tragic fall, fueled by the salsa star’s struggle with drugs and his own personal demons.

NYILFF’s outstanding line-up of films also includes:

PREMIERES:
• BELLA (A Metanoia Films Production), directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and starring Eduardo Verástegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Jaime Tirelli, Ali Landry, and Ramon Rodriguez. Bella is presented by Banco Popular.
• EL MUERTO (An Echo Bridge Entertainment Release), directed by Brian Cox and starring Wilmer Valderrama, Angie Cepeda, Joel Moore, Maria Conchita Alonso, Tony Plana, Nathan Mussell and Alfonso Arau. El Muerto is presented by Suzuki Auto.
• ADRIFT IN MANHATTAN (A Hannibal Pictures Production), the third feature of writer/director Alfredo de Villa and starring Heather Graham, William Baldwin, Dominic Chianese, Marlene Forte, Victor Rasuk, and Erika Michels. Adrift in Manhattan is presented by Jose Cuervo.

DOMESTIC:
• 44 (World Premiere). Directed by Miguel Aviles.
• AMEXICANO. Directed by Matthew Bonifacio.
• AUGUST EVENING (New York Premiere). Directed by Chris Eska.
• DARK MIRROR (World Premiere). Directed by Pablo Proenza.
• EAST SIDE STORY. (New York Premiere). Directed by Carlos Portugal.
• EL EVANGELISTA (The Evangelist). (New York Premiere). Directed by Juan Daniel Zavaleta.
• I BELIEVE IN AMERICA. (World Premiere). Directed by Michael J. Narvaez.
• I LOVE MIAMI. (New York Premiere). Directed by Alejandro Gonzales-Padilla.
• LIBERTY KID. (New York Premiere). Directed by Ilya Chaiken.
• ONE LONG NIGHT. (New York Premiere). Directed by David Siqueiros.
SHUT UP AND DO IT! (New York Premiere). Directed by Bruno Irizarry. • TAKE THE BRIDGE. Directed by Sergio M. Castilla.
• THE START UP. (World Premiere). Directed by Nestor Miranda.
• TORTILLA HEAVEN. (New York Premiere). Directed by Judy Hecht Dumontet.

INTERNATIONAL:
• AMERICAN VISA. (New York Premiere). Directed by Juan Carlos Valdivia. Bolivia/Mexico.
• B-HAPPY. Directed by Gonzalo Justiniano. Chile/Spain/Venezuela.
• EL BENNY. Directed by Jorge Luis Sanchez. Cuba.
• MASALA (Mixed). (New York Premiere). Directed by Salvador Calvo. Spain.
• MAS QUE A NADA EN EL MUNDO (More Than Anything in the World). (New York Premiere). Directed by Andrés León Becker and Javier Solar. Mexico.
• NORDESTE (Northeast). (New York Premiere). Directed by Juan Solanas. Argentina/France/Spain.
• OS 12 TRABALHOS (The 12 Labors). (New York Premiere). Directed by Ricardo Elias. Brazil.
• PRETENDIENDO (Pretending). (New York Premiere). Directed by Claudio Dabed. Chile/Argentina.

DOCUMENTARIES:
• 638 WAYS TO KILL CASTRO. (New York Premiere). Directed by Kari Lia.
• A WORKING MOM. (New York Premiere). Directed by Yaron Kaftori.
• BRAGGING RIGHTS. (New York Premiere). Directed by Sonia Gonzalez.
• DOS PATRIAS CUBA Y LA NOCHE (Two Homelands Cuba and the Night). Directed by Christian Liffers.
• HARD ROAD HOME. (New York Premiere). Directed by Macky Alston.
• HIJOS DE LA GUERRA (Children of the War). (New York Premiere). Directed by Alexandre Fuchs.
• LA SANTA MUERTE (Saint Death). (New York Premiere). Directed by Eva Aridjis.
• MADE IN L.A. (New York Premiere). Directed by Almudena Carracedo.
• MISSISIPPI CHICKEN. (New York Premiere). Directed by John Fiege.
• RUMBO A LAS GRANDES LIGAS (Road to the Big Leagues). (New York Premiere). Directed by Jared Goodman.
• SUPER AMIGOS. (New York Premiere). Directed by Arturo Perez Torres.
• THOSE I LEFT BEHIND. (New York Premiere). Directed by Lisandro Perez-Ray.

NYILFF REWIND
• CARLITO’S WAY. Directed by Brian De Palma. Q & A with writer Edwin Torres and special guests.
• CROSSOVER DREAMS. Directed by Leon Ichaso. Q & A with producer Manuel Arce and special guests.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Dominican Night A popular night and a homegrown tradition at NYILFF, Dominican Night this year will be presented by Heineken and the Dominican American Professional Alliance. This night will display cinematography from today’s emerging filmmakers giving insight into Dominican culture and displaying the contributions that Dominicans have made to New York and American society. Juan "Yuniol" Perez (Shalim Ortiz) and Alberto "Junior" Rios (Frank Perozo) come from opposite sides of the tracks in the Dominican Republic. Aloof and detached, Alberto comes from a wealthy family. Driven and focused, Juan is reared by a devoted mother whose affection makes up for the absence of his father. Juan and his mother survive in a tough and impoverished Barrio on the outskirts of the capital city. Behind every happy moment lies an ominous sense of despair. Yet the joyful Dominican way of life for those surviving on the margins serves as a testament to people anywhere confronted with poverty and injustice.

TNT Screenings (Free Events) This year TNT is hosting a free advance screening of “The Company”, showing night two of the three-week television event of the summer. TNT is also hosting a special free screening of a critically acclaimed episode of the popular drama, “The Closer”, including a special guest appearance from featured actress Gina Ravera.

NYILFF Family Day (Free Event) This year’s NYILFF Day will be presented by Cartoon Network and will offer a variety of activities for kids of all ages to enjoy. Cartoon Network is proud to premiere three programs, including the original made-for-TV movie, “Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix” based on the popular Ben 10 television series, an episode of Camp Lazlo and an episode of My Gym Partner’s a Monkey. This free event has activities that include additional family-friendly screenings courtesy of Cartoon Network, a mini-outdoor theater courtesy of the Suzuki Flix concept vehicle, costumed character appearances from Scooby Doo and Ben 10, music courtesy of La Kalle, various arts and crafts workshops presented by Casa Duarte, the POWERade rock climbing wall and free beverages courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company and more! NYILFF Family Day is free to the public and will take place at the Mirabal Sisters School Campus (21 Jumel Place, New York, NY) formally IS 90 on Saturday, July 28 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

Cinema Under the Stars (Free Event) At this year’s Cinema Under the Stars, Verizon presents the universal favorite, WEST SIDE STORY, taking audiences back to a time when the Sharks and Jets ruled the New York streets. This year’s event will include a live performance by Ray Martinez, a state-of-the-art Verizon Village featuring games, prizes, and a screenin of the NYILFF On the Edge short films, where consumers text their vote for favorite short; and a Suzuki vehicle display. Cinema Under the Stars is free to the public and will take place on Saturday, July 28 at Riverbank State Park (145th Street and Riverside Drive). The Verizon Village and live music will begin at 5:30 PM; the screening will begin at sundown/8:30 PM.

2007 NYILFF Showcase PUERTO RICO: A REBIRTH IN CINEMA Over the course of the past two years, Puerto Rico has emerged as a powerful force in international cinema. By providing attractive tax incentives and a strong film commission, Puerto Rico has demonstrated its dedication to supporting quality filmmaking. It should come as no surprise, then, that there's a new wave of filmmakers from P.R. ready to show the world what it’s got. This year, we're proud to present three New York Premieres from La Isla de Boriquen: Puerto Rico. • EL CLOWN directed by Pedro Adorno Irizarry, Emilio Rodríguez Vázquez • ENTREMEDIO (A Place Within) directed by Andres Ramirez • METEORO (Meteor) directed by Diego de la Texera

NYILFF Music Showcase This year’s music showcase will be presented by Mun2 and feature Hector "La llave" Leguillow and MPG All Stars Orchestra featuring Van Lester (band members featured in movie "El Cantante"). This year will be a special performance in conjunction with the widely anticipated premiere of EL CANTANTE, NYILFF’s Closing Night event.

For a full roster of festival films and special activities and to purchase tickets, please visit the festival’s website at www.NYLatinoFilm.com, or call the NYILFF hotline at (212)726 2358. For press accredidation, download form at the Press & Industry page of the festival’s website.

The 2007 NYILFF is presented by HBO, sponsored by Banco Popular, and made possible with the additional support of Official Sponsors SuzukiAuto.com, HBO Latino, Heineken, Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc., American Airlines, Amsterdam Hospitality, Big Mama Productions, Daily News/Viva New York, Latinvox, Telemundo, Time Warner Cable of NY & NJ, Univision Radio/La Kalle and WNBC. The NYILFF is also proud to have The Coca-Cola Company, El Especial/El Especialito, Getty Images, Jose Cuervo, Mun2, nocheLatina.com, Quepasa.com and Verizon as Benefactor Sponsors. Special Thanks to the Eastman Kodak Company, Avid Technology Inc. and BMI. NYILFF Family Day is presented by Cartoon Network. NYILFF is endorsed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s NYC Latin Media & Entertainment Commission.

About NYILFF Launched in 1999, the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) is now the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. The NYILFF's mission is to showcase the works of the hottest emerging Latino filmmaking talent in the U.S. and Latin America, offer expansive images of the Latino experience, and celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community. Programming includes the flagship film festival in NYC, new music and art showcases, family and community events, scholarships for aspiring filmmakers, and a nationally recognized short film competition in partnership with HBO. The NYILFF is the only film event to have had the endorsement of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's NYC Latin Media and Entertainment Commission since its formation in 2003.

HBO® is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

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