Pedro Almodóvar’s much anticipated new film “Broken Embraces” will kick off the 13th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). Almodóvar also to receive festival’s 2009 GABI Lifetime Achievement Award at the Opening Night Gala on Sunday, October 11 at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Los Angeles, CA (September 24 2009).
Written and directed by Almodóvar, the announcement was made today by co-founder, executive director and programmer, Marlene Dermer. Starring Penélope Cruz, Lluís Homar, Blanca Portillo, José Luis Gómez, Rubén Ochandiano and Tamar Novas, the film will have its West Coast Premiere during the festival’s Opening Night and GABI Lifetime Achievement Award Gala to take place on Sunday, October 11 at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA).
Festival co-founder Edward James Olmos also announced Almodóvar as this year’s recipient of the GABI Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition to his incredible contributions to the world of cinema. Olmos says, “Almodóvar is truly one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. A true maverick in our industry, whose films have inspired many filmmakers in our culture, have ignited the careers of some of our brightest stars and has opened so many doors in the industry.”
This marks the first time that an Almodóvar film opens LALIFF. Dermer says, “this is a true dream come true. We are all pleased to be able to open this year’s fest with a Pedro Almodóvar film and share his latest work with our community who has always enjoyed and supported his films.” She adds, “LALIFF will open with a celebration to Pedro’s dedication to tell stories that resonate with a broad audience. We are proud of him not only as a filmmaker, but also as an incredible man, who continues to enrich Spanish cinema around the world.”
Two-time Academy Award® winner, Almodóvar is the one of today’s most recognized filmmakers in the world. With his early films, he introduced to the world the faces and talent of today’s most successful actors from his country including Penélope Cruz, who has been his muse and star of several of his films, Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, and Javier Bardem.
Born in Spain, his career started in the 70s during the explosion of democracy in his country during the late seventies, early eighties. Almodóvar started shooting in 16mm and in 1980; he opened "Pepi, Luci, Bom", a low‐budget film made as a cooperative effort with the rest of the crew and the cast, all beginners, except for Carmen Maura. In 1986, Almodóvar founded the production company El Deseo S.A. with his brother Agustín and their first project was the feature film "Law of Desire". Since then, their company has produced all the films that Pedro has written and directed, and have produced other young directors. In 1988, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" brought him international recognition and since then, his films have opened all around the world.
With "All About my Mother,” Almodóvar won his first Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and also the Golden Globe, the César, three European Film Awards, the David de Donatello, two BAFTAs, seven Goyas and 45 other awards. Three years later, "Talk to Her,” brought Almodóvar a second Academy Award, this time in the Best Script category, five European Film Awards, two BAFTAs, the Nastro de Argento, the César and many other awards throughout the world. In 2004, "Bad Education" opened the Cannes Festival to rave reviews. The film received numerous nominations including Independent Spirit, BAFTAs, César, and European Film Awards; it won the prestigious Best Foreign Film Award by the New York Critics’ Circle, as well as, the Astro de Argento award.
In 2006, Almodóvar received the Prince of Asturias Award to the Arts. That very same year he presented "Volver" in competition in the Cannes Film Festival, where it got the Best Screenplay Award as well as the Best Actress Award for the six actors of the film lead by Penélope Cruz. The film also received five EFA awards, five Goya awards, the Fipresci award, the National Board of Review, and other 72 awards. Penélope received a nomination in the Academy Award Best Actress category, being the first time a Spanish actor was nominated for a Spanish-speaking role in film. Up to now, "Volver" has been Almodóvar’s most successful film at the box office. Almodóvar has also produced "My Life Without Me", "The Holy Girl", "The Secret Life of Words" and "The Headless Woman.”
LALIFF established the GABI Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 during the first edition of the festival and since then it has been bestowed to top talent from the world of cinema that has contributed to film through their work. Past recepients include Gustavo Santoalalla (2008), Ignacio López Tarso (2007), Antonio Banderas (2006), Ricardo Montalbán (2005), Rita Moreno (2004), Federico Luppi (2003), Nelson Pereira dos Santos (2002), Anthony Quinn (2001), María Félix (2000), Carlos Sauza (1999), Raúl Julia (1998) and Gabriel Figueroa (1997). A Sony Pictures Classics Release, “Broken Embraces” will open in New York on November 20 and in Los Angeles on December 11.
The 13th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival will presents feature films, documentaries, shorts and special screenings. In addition, filmmakers and the public will be able to participate in workshops presented by the Writers Guild and Directors Guilds of America as well as musical and arts events.
For the third consecutive year, the festival will kick off with the Opening Night and GABI Award Presentation & Gala at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater, which will take place on Sunday, October 11. Festival screenings will take place Monday, October 12 through Thursday, October 15 at the Mann Chinese 6 Cinemas, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028. The Closing Night and the Award Ceremony & Gala will take place on Friday, October 16 at Paramount Theatre at the Paramount Studio Lot, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038.
For more information on LALIFF 2009 screenings, events and purchase tickets, please visit: www.latinofilm.org.
“Broken Embraces” Synopsis:
A man writes lives and loves in darkness. Fourteen years before, he was in a brutal car crash on the island of Lanzarote. In the accident, he didn’t lose only his sight, he also lost Lena (Penélope Cruz), the love of his life.
The man uses two names: Harry Caine (Lluís Homar), a playful pseudonym with which he signs his literary works, stories and scripts, and Mateo Blanco, his real name, with which he lives and signs the film he directs. After the accident, Mateo Blanco reduces himself to his pseudonym, Harry Caine. If he can’t direct films he can only survive with the idea that Mateo Blanco died on Lanzarote with his beloved Lena.
In the present day, Harry lives thanks to the scripts he writes and to the help he gets from his faithful former production manager, Judit García (Blanca Portillo), and from Diego (Tamar Novas), her son, his secretary, typist and guide. Since he decided to live and tell stories, Harry is an active, attractive blind man who has developed all his other senses in order to enjoy life, on a basis of irony and self-induced amnesia. He has erased from his biography any trace of his first identity, Mateo.
One night Diego has an accident and Harry takes care of him (his mother, Judit, is out of Madrid and they decide not to tell her anything so as not to alarm her). During the first nights of his convalescence, Diego asks him about the time when he answered to the name of Mateo Blanco, after a moment of astonishment Harry can’t refuse and he tells Diego what happened fourteen years before with the idea of entertaining him, just as a father tells his little child a story so that he’ll fall asleep.
The story of Mateo, Lena, Judit and Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez) is a story of “amour fou”, dominated by fatality, jealously, the abuse of power, treachery and a guilt complex. A moving and terrible story, the most expressive image of which is the photo of two lovers embracing, torn into a thousand pieces.
About LALIFF:
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) was founded in 1997 by producer, director, actor and activist Edward James Olmos; independent producer Marlene Dermer, and independent film and music producer George Hernández†. LALIFF is a non-profit 501c (3) organization with the mission to support the development and exhibition of diverse visions by Latino filmmakers and to promote awareness of the richness and diversity of Latin cultures, artistry and countries through film, the most powerful medium in the world. A competitive festival with prizes, LALIFF serves as a venue where Latino filmmakers come together with industry buyers and distributors. LALIFF also offers industry workshops, panels, labs, networking receptions, educational programs, and hosts some of the best Galas in tinseltown.
Since its inception in 1997, LALIFF has grown to become an internationally renowned festival that attracts and unites film enthusiasts from a culturally diverse audience from the Los Angeles community, as well as industry executives and Hollywood celebrities. Through the years, LALIFF has hosted the premieres of hundreds of Latino films, many of which have followed their world premieres at the prestigious Montreal, Toronto, Venice and San Sebastian film festivals.
The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Science validates the festival’s films excellence by recognizing LALIFF as a qualifying festival for the Academy’s Short Film Category for the Oscar® race. LALIFF and the Academy’s Film Archive have also established the LALIFF Collection where Latino films are preserved and available for free viewing to the public.
