Dominican Film Festival New York is an annual Summer showcase in Washington Heights of movies made in the Dominican Republic and by the Dominican diaspora. It is the biggest Dominican film festival outside the Dominican Republic. Most movies are in Spanish.
6th annual Dominican Film Festival New York 2017
The 6th annual Dominican Film Festival New York is at the United Palace in Washington Heights and venues around town, July 25-30, 2017.
@DFFNYC #DFFNYC
Opening Night
The opening night film is the New York premiere of Jose Maria Cabral’s 2017 drama Carpinteros (Woodpeckers). It’s the story of how prisoners at Najayo Prison in the Dominican Republic use sign language to talk with other prisoners and even fall in love.
United Palace in Washington Heights
Tuesday, July 25
Red Carpet 6:30pm, screening 8pm
Centerpiece
![VERDAD O RETO [2017 Dominican Film Festival]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iaEX5G5HVy0/hqdefault.jpg)
In the U.S. Premiere of Suzette Reyes’s Verdad O Reto (Truth or Dare), a young couple couple’s new love is overshadowed by illness.
AMC Empire 25 in Midtown
Friday, July 28, 2017 from 7-8:30pm
Director, Producer and Cast member will do Q&A after the film
$15
Closing Night
The New York premiere of Fernando Báez Mella’s 2016 drama Flor de Azucar (Sugar Fields). The Dominican Republic’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the last Oscars tells the story of two peasant couples working in the sugar fields in the 1940s, and how their lives are changed when one of them accidentally kills a soldier of Trujillo’s regime.
AMC Empire 25
234 West 42nd Street
Midtown
Sunday, June 30, 2017 at 8pm
For more movies, visit www.dominicanfilmfestival.com
Best of the Dominican Film Festival New York
The Best of the Dominican Film Festival in New York, Friday-Sunday, January 13-15, 2017, is a special presentation of the best films from the film festival’s first five years.
Screenings are at the Comisionado de Cultura Dominicano en USA and the Columbia University Medical Center.
A highlight is the U.S. premiere of Ernesto Alemany’s Loki 7 starring Isaac Panky Saviñon, who will be present for a Q&A, 8pm Sat, Jan 14 at Colombia University Medical Center.
Film Calendar
Fri, Jan 13 at the Comisionado de Cultura Dominicano en USA
4pm María Montez
6pm Biodegradable
8pm Codigo Paz (Peace Code
Sat, Jan 14 at Colombia University Medical Center
2pm La Familia Reyna (The Reyna Family)
4pm Yo Soy la Salsa (I am the Salsa)
6pm Todos Los Hombres son Iguales
8pm Loki 7
Sat, Jan 14 at the Comisionado de Cultura Dominicano en USA
3pm Detective Willy
5pm No hay más Remedio
7pm La Gunguna
9pm Dólares de Arena (Sand Dollars)
Sun, Jan 15 at the Comisionado de Cultura Dominicano en USA
3pm A Orillas del Mar (By the Sea)
5pm Dos Policias en Apuros
7pm Locas y Atrapadas
9pm Loki 7
5th annual Dominican Film Festival New York
The 5th Annual Dominican Film Festival in New York is June 22-26, 2016 at several venues in Washington Heights, New York City.
The opening night film is the U.S. premiere of Tito Rodríguez’ directoral debut La Familia Reyna (The Reyna Family) starring David Maler and Danilo Reynoso. It’s the story of a rebel eldest son whose homecoming triggers a lot of family drama that can only be healed with love and something even bigger, which is forgiveness. If you are part of an immigrant family, this film will hit home.
![LA FAMILIA REYNA [2016 Dominican Film Festival]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/06ozPjPBBtE/hqdefault.jpg)
![TODOS LOS HOMBRES SON IGUALES [2016 Dominican Film Festival]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sxnJvo53Uyg/hqdefault.jpg)
4th Annual Dominican Film Festival in New York
The 4th Annual Dominican Film Festival in New York is June 24-28, 2015 at multiple venues in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
The opening night film is Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas’ 2014 drama Dólares de Arena (Sand Dollars) starring legendary actress Geraldine Chaplin and newcomer Yanet Mojica. It’s the story of an aging European woman’s dependence on a young Dominican woman for companionship and love.
![Dolares De Arena / Sand Dollars [2015 Dominican Film Festival]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UMYz7Pq0p6s/hqdefault.jpg)
![Yo Soy La Salsa, La Vida de Johnny Pacheco [2015 Dominican Film Festival]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_6SRdRoqkS4/hqdefault.jpg)
Armando Guareno Interview
New York Latin Culture is a proud sponsor of the event. We spoke with Armando Guareno, the festival founder and executive director.
NYLC: Why is it important for New York City’s Dominican community to have its own film festival?
Guareno: The Dominican community in NYC is one of the biggest Dominican communities in the United States. The Dominican Republic is really making great films and those films deserve to be seen outside of the island. It’s time for people to see the Dominican Republic as more than Merengue and Bachata. We have a strong background in culture.
NYLC: How has the festival grown this year?
Guareno: It’s growing with a lot of films, not only in quantity, but also in quality. A good example is Dólares de Arena (Sand Dollars) that opens the festival. Another good example is the closing night film which is Yo Soy La Salsa (I am the Salsa) about the life of Johnny Pacheco. The quality of the work is growing tremendously. I was not expecting that, but every year Dominican films are getting bigger and better.