The 13th Dominican Film Festival New York 2024 is a festival of films made in the Dominican Republic or by the Dominican Diaspora.
13th Dominican Film Festival New York 2024
The 13th Dominican Film Festival New York 2024 opens with a red carpet World Premiere of “La Grande” by Tito Rodríguez, the story of Dominican merengue legend Fefita La Grande (she’ll be there and so will Lumy Lizardo who plays her); at the United Palace in Washington Heights, Manhattan; on November 6, 2024, at 8pm. The festival continues at Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village, Symphony Space in the Upper West Side, Aaron Davis Hall in West Harlem, and Alianza Dominicana in Washington Heights; through November 13. From $34. 🇩🇴
The Closing Night film is “Freddy,” the life story of Dominican comedian and TV producer Freddy Beras-Goico; at Aaron Davis Hall at City College in Manhattanville, West Harlem, Manhattan; on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 8pm. From $18. 🇩🇴
The Dominican film industry is growing. This year there are 12 Dominican feature films and five documentaries, plus five stories of the Diaspora, and a number of shorts from the island and beyond.
Fefita La Grande
Like most Latin countries, the Dominican Republic is a machista (male-chauvinist) culture. The RD is not an easy place to be a woman. The music industry is male-dominated as well. So for a woman to succeed as a merenguera is an incredible story, especially in Fefita’s day (She’s 81 years young). She was a child prodigy who had to play better than the men, be tougher than the men, and still be feminine. That’s a real Dominicana, lo mejor mujeres en el mundo. Today the RD has many great merengueras, but Fefita was one of the first.
When you hear the güiro, tambora, accordion, and her voice, you won’t be able to stay in your seat, because you are Dominican. (Why do dancers call it Cuban motion. Nobody movies like a Dominican to merengue.) The whole United Palace will be rocking con el alma Dominicana!
Dominican Film Festival New York
The Dominican Film Festival New York promotes emerging Dominican filmmakers, on the island and in the Diaspora.
Every country’s cinema says a lot about that country. The Dominican Film Festival isn’t just about film, it’s a deep dive into the riches of Dominican culture. The RD is a unique place where rich and poor, old and new, fast and slow, are all mixed together. Perhaps more than any Caribbean country, Dominicans are a happy people who know how to have a good time. One of the places it shows is in Dominican comedy which is hilarious if you speak Spanish.
Social Media
X @dffnycofficial
Facebook @DFFNYCOFFICIAL
Instagram @dffnycofficial
YouTube @DFFNYC