Organized by the Solidarity Campaign with Cuba and the Music Fund for Cuba, with the support of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), the event is consolidating itself as an essential space for the dissemination of the island’s cultural identity in British territory, reported the diplomatic mission of the Caribbean island in the country.

Scheduled for March 15-28 under the theme “Resistance and Love,” the festival will feature actresses Mirtha Ibarra and Eslinda Nunez, both recipients of the National Film Award, who will present emblematic titles from their careers and participate in Q&A sessions with the public.

Among the films programmed are “Lucia” (Humberto Solas, 1968), a symbol of the struggle for emancipation, and “Hasta Cierto Punto” (To a Certain Point) (Tomas Gutierrez Alea, 1983), which will be the centerpiece of the gala on March 18.

The festival, which will extend to other cities in the United Kingdom, will also pay tribute to filmmaker Sara Gomez and celebrate Uruguayan music with the documentary “La Vida Es Bailar” (Life Is to Dance) and the biographical film “El Benny.”

The screenings will take place at London venues such as the Barbican Centre, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), The Garden Cinema, and Birkbeck University Cinema, and will also extend to Nottingham, Leeds, Oxford, and Manchester.

Beyond its artistic dimension, Screen Cuba is an act of solidarity in the face of the blockade, the statement adds. The proceeds will go toward the restoration of film archives at ICAIC, a project that has already led to the recovery of six classic animated films by Juan Padron. jdt/ro/vnl