It’s that time of year again – the annual Latin American Film Festival (LAFF) is on! Presented by the Canadian Film Institute, in partnership with Group of Latin American Ambassadors (GRULA), the festival runs for over two weeks and shines light on the very best of Latin American cinema in all genres. Since its debut back in 1997, LAFF has screened over 300 films, hosted over 25 visiting filmmakers and has attracted approximately 65,000 spectators.
The last weekend of this year’s festival will be an exciting one with award-winning Chilean filmmaker Silvio Caiozzi making a special appearance. Caiozzi has been making films for over 40 years and is recognized as one of Latin America’s most celebrated directors and cinematographers, with audiences being drawn to his raw and artsy style, having won over 100 awards from film festivals around the world.
Caiozzi will be in town to present the Ottawa premiere of his award-winning film …And Suddenly the Dawn. The film tells the story of a Chilean tabloid writer named Pancho who returns to his hometown 40 years after moving away. While there, Pancho tries to write substantial stories about the sleepy town. This forces him to confront his own past, as well as reflect on the painful history of his country.
Caiozzi’s ability to intertwine the character’s personal history and trauma with the complex political history of Chile makes the film gripping and intriguing whichever way it’s interpreted. The film absolutely captured audiences and was Chile’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2017 Oscars. At its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2017, the film won the “Grand Prix des Amériques,” the top prize of the festival.
Ottawa audiences will finally get the chance to see …And Suddenly the Dawn on the big screen when it makes its Ottawa premiere this Friday, April 26th at LAFF. The screening takes place at the Ottawa Art Gallery’s Alma Duncan Salon at 6:15 PM. The film screening will be precluded by a special introduction by Caiozzi and then followed by a reception where you can chat and mingle with the legendary filmmaker.
