Introducing the ¡VivaFest! 2012 Film Series -- Plus: Important ¡VivaFest! Reminders

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Introducing the 2012 ¡VivaFest! Film Series

Plus: Important Reminders about Other ¡VivaFest! Events

Hola VivaFesters!

When I say ¡VivaFest!, what's the first thing you think of? For many people it's the stirring music, the colorful dancers, the mouth-watering food. But in recent years, lots of you have become big fans of the annual ¡VivaFest! Film Series, where we present a range of entertaining and educational films by Latin American artists -- films rarely screened in the U.S. -- and follow them up with fascinating in-person talks from the filmmakers themselves.

This year's Film Series will again be hosted at the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater at the Tech Museum (with the exception of Aurora Guerrero's Mosquita y Mari, which will be screened at Morris Daily Auditorium at SJSU), and we've got another terrific slate of movies lined up. Read below for a synopsis of the films and artists that we're presenting in this year's series, and be sure to mark your calendars for any that catch your eye. Remember, the start of the Film Series is just over a week away!

In the meantime, I have two other important reminders for you...

Register Now for the Festival Workshops!

This year, our music workshops will be taught by the trailblazing Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, and our ballet folklórico workshops will be taught by the legendary Dr. Susan Cashion and a young new team of artists, including Maestro Ignacio Sanchez from Colima, Mexico. With world-class instructors like this, it would be a shame to miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn from the best!

Online registration is open now, so don't delay. The cost of workshop registration will go up after September 6, so you can save money if you act fast!

Learn more about this year's ¡VivaFest! workshops in our previous newsletter.

Get Your Domingo Gigante Tickets Now!

You have only a few weeks left to get your tickets for our stupendous Domingo Gigante (Super Sunday) concert on September 16. For this one-night-only musical blow-out, we're bringing together the celebrated talents of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Lila Downs, Ozomatli, and Paquita la Del Barrio. There will also be special guest appearances by Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles and our own Los Lupeños de San José. It's the concert event that you don't want to miss, so get your tickets now!

What: ¡VivaFest! presents Domingo Gigante, Una Noche de Estrellas (Super Sunday, A Cavalcade of Stars)
Where: HP Pavilion Arena
When: Sunday September 16, 2012
Tickets: Available through Ticketmaster or the HP Pavilion box office

With the start of September upon us, you know that ¡VivaFest! can't be far away. I can't wait to kick off this year's festival on Saturday, September 8, with Rick Najera's Taco Shop, the first movie in our 2012 Film Series. Keep reading to learn more about this and all the other films and filmmakers we're presenting in our vibrant celebration of Latin American cinema.

And stay tuned for our next newsletter, where we'll have even more details about ¡VivaFest! 2012... We are going to have so much fun!

Marcela Davison Avilés
President and CEO
Mexican Heritage Corporation
mdaviles@mhcviva.org

Check Out This Terrific Line-Up of Movies!

With our usual mix of touching dramas, light-hearted comedies, and timely documentaries, this year's ¡VivaFest! Film Series offers something for everyone. All films will be screened at the Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater at The Tech Museum (Map), except for Mosquita y Mari, which will be shown in the Morris Daily Auditorium at SJSU (Map).

Take a look at the fantastic variety that's coming your way...

Taco Shop

Saturday, September 8, at 7pm

This comedy centers on a young man (played by Tyler Posey of Teen Wolf fame) who quits his job to open his own taco shop -- but finds himself in an all-out war when a gourmet taco truck parks across the street. Written by Rick Najera and Oskar Toruno, this film's mantra is "Make Tacos -- Not War."

For this movie event, we'll start the evening by dining al fresco at Loteria Taco Bar in San Pedro Square Market (Map) with filmmaker Rick Najera. Then we'll join Rick at The Tech's IMAX theater for a special screening and a discussion of the behind-the-scene making of Taco Shop. (Tickets & more info)

Watch Tyler Posey discuss Taco Shop

Mexican Movie Night (in Spanish)

Monday, September 10, at 7pm

Join us for a screen of the classic Mexican film Doña Barbara, starring Maria Felix. The film, released in 1943 and based on a novel by Venezuelan author Rómulo Gallegos, tells the story of a female landowner in a struggle for economic survival. The most iconic leading lady of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, Maria Felix was known for the tough, larger-than-life characters that she portrayed on screen. In her later years, she was commonly known by the honorific "La Doña." (Tickets & more info)

Watch a clip of Maria Felix in Dona Barbara

Watch clips of Maria Felix in Doña Barbara

Tijuana Jews

Wednesday, September 12, at 8pm

Join us for this award-winning documentary about the "other" immigration story -- the Jewish diaspora on the Mexican-American border. Illuminating the experiences of the local pioneers who established the first Jewish temple in Tijuana, this authentic and living testimony is set against the conceptions and misconceptions of this near-mythic border city.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and a very special guest performance by Ronstadt Generations. Don't miss this fascinating documentary from Isaac Artenstein, perhaps best known for his 2004 satirical film, A Day Without a Mexican. (Tickets & more info)

The Weight of the Nation

Thursday, September 13, at 7pm

¡VivaFest! is proud to present a screening of the HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. The Weight of the Nation documentary and public health campaign present a unique opportunity to spotlight the obesity epidemic, the showcase strategies that work, and most importantly, to catalyze action to end obesity. (Tickets & more info)

Watch the trailer for The Weight of the Nation

20th anniversary of Like Water for Chocolate

Friday, September 14, at 7pm

Join us for a tempting array of chocolates by Casa de Chocolates, whose flavors and aromas will almost make you believe, as the Mayans did, that this is the "food of the gods." Then settle in to watch a 20th anniversary presentation of Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate), the award-winning film based on the novel by Laura Esquivel. This popular romantic fable from Mexico centers on a young woman who discovers that her cooking has magical effects. (Tickets & more info)

The following day, on Saturday, September 15, ¡VivaFest! will host a wonderful foodie event at Adobe Lodge of Santa Clara in conjuction with this film. We will feast on some of the indulgent dishes featured in Como Agua Para Chocolate. Stay tuned for more details about this unique event!

Watch the trailer for Como Agua Para Chocolate (Spanish)

The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz

Saturday, September 15, at 7pm

Directed by Scott Petersen, The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz offers a fascinating look at contemporary Mexican art and culture. A double treat -- the screening of an amazing cross-cultural story of how an American adventurer and a brilliant self-taught Mexican artist transformed a dying desert village into a home for world-class ceramics -- and a showing of Mata Ortiz ceramics by Victoria Martino, an expert in these fine ceramics. (Tickets & more info)

Watch a video clip from The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz

Mosquita y Mari

Wednesday, September 19, at 7pm

Mosquita y Mari tell the story of a "first crush" love between two Chicana girls in Huntington Park, California. The debut work from independent filmmaker Aurora Guerrero, it shows the distance between the high towers of L.A. and the immigrant community a few miles east of it, by focusing on the unlikely relationship between high-achieving Latina teenager Yolanda and recent immigrant Mari.

Join us for the screening of this acclaimed coming-of-age story, and meet the artistic and creative team behind Mosquita y Mari. (Tickets & more info)

Watch the trailer for Mosquita y Mari

About Mexican Heritage Corporation

The mission of the Mexican Heritage Corporation is to affirm, celebrate, and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Mexican Community and showcase multicultural arts within the region. Visit the art and soul of Silicon Valley -- the Mexican Heritage Plaza -- surrounded by the historic Mayfair and Alum Rock neighborhoods, two of the oldest Latino communities in San José.

Mexican Heritage Corporation

Marcela Davison Avilés

President and CEO

More Information:

http://www.mhcviva.org

877-MHC-VIVA