Biarritz, France, September 2009
Havana, Cuba is the venue for the International Festival of new Latin American cinema in the Caribbean since 1979. Biarritz, France is another superb venue in Europe. It lies on the bay of Biscay ,on the Atlantic coast ,in south- western. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers.

Beautiful sunshine, recession, nothing has diverted from the darkness of movie theaters the fans of Latino cinema. Superb organisation : the choice of movies and documentaries proposed by Jean-Christophe Berjon, the famous French Artistic Director was amazing.
70 Films were screened with 13 features films, 10 shorts and 14 documentaries in official competitions.
The Biarritz festival premiere Latin American films before they are distributed in France.
In the village set for the Festival facing the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, film makers, actors, members of the jury, writers, musicians, students were able to mix and relax between literary meetings, art exhibitions, screenings, seminars, and to sample delicious food or take dance classes : tango, salsa, and enjoy free  concerts every night.  

A superb invitation to travel, to dream ! The Festival was intense, rich in discoveries and emotions : a reminder about the State of the World. All together the Latin American era has shown an extreme vitality.  This year, Cuba was the guest of honor.  « Fifty years of Revolution » was the title for a forum organized with the « Institut des  Hautes Etudes d’Amérique Latine », France.  

There is a particular magic to Cuba and the Cuban Cinematography.   Unico Maestro Confirmado », Juan Carlos Tabio opened the Festival with his last comedy « El Cuerno de la Abundancia ».The humanism of his eyes, his benevolence and his soft craziness can only seduce, amuse and bring soft emotions. He won the Public Award. He was present during all the Festival and it was a pleasure to see again, or to discover a great  retrospective  of his work. 

Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff ; Guantanamera ; Lista de Espera ; and of course Fresa y Chocolate, the movie he co-directed in 1993 with the legendary Titon (Thomas Gutierrez), another great Cuban movie director.  Another « big pointure », Cuban Festival director, Ivan Giroud-Garate came to introduce « Hommage at International Festival de La Havane » who was celebrating 30 years in 2008. 

A  selection of ten exciting movies who have been prized the past fifteen years from the Caribbeans, Mexico, Central and South America.From Cuba : La Vida es silbar, Fernando Perez ; Personal Belongings, Alejandro  Brugues. A firework of Cuban talents, musicians like Kumar, Buena fe; poet and writer Pedro Perez Sardoy who has promoted his first novel : « Las Criados de la Habana », the first time family life in Cuba was was written upon by a contemporary Afro-Cuban. Were mingling with another fireworks of Mexican, Chilian, Argentinian winners such as Mariana Chenillo, who won the Albrazo feature film for « Cinco dias sin Nora » and the actress Catalina Saavedra, who won the prize of the feminine interpretation for the Chilian movie « La Nana ».  

Discovering, understanding, sharing, being moved and having a ball, it was like that every day during the  18th  Biarritz Festival. « Du Malecon à la Côte des Basques » - Habana Club o del Malecon a la gran playa –Biarritz in September, Cuba in DecemberRemenber to note the date of the 19th edition , from September 27 to October 5 2010 in your new calendars.