Cinelatino kicks off 2011 with a Latin Films Marathon.

Cinelatino, rings in the New Year with a marathon of the biggest and most successful Latino films, including the exclusive U.S. premiere of El Estudiante (The Student), the biggest Mexican box office hit of 2009.

Considered the most successful Mexican theatrical release of 2009, El Estudiante presents the moving story of Chano, a 70-year-old man who returns to the University to study literature but ends up learning, and sharing, lessons about life. The film broke records in Mexico during its 21-week box office run as one of the best-selling Mexican films of all time and was featured at international film festivals across the world.

In addition to El Estudiante, on Saturday, January 1, Cinelatino will present a mix of films that include critically-acclaimed international megahits like El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth), an extraordinary and imaginative fable that weaves reality and fantasy into a three-time Academy Award winning film directed by Guillermo del Toro; new releases like Recien Cazado (I Do… Knot), a romantic comedy starring Jaime Camil and Blanca Soto that was one of the top grossing Mexican films in 2010; and award-winning films like Amor sin Barreras (West Side Story), the classic tale of forbidden love between Puerto Rican and Irish gangs in New York City that won 10 Oscars in 1961.

“We are proud to start the New Year with an unbeatable lineup of some of the most important works in Latin film,” said James M. McNamara, Chairman of Cinelatino. “We have an unparalleled library of acquisitions for the new year, and El Estudiante offers viewers a taste of what’s to come. In 2011 Cinelatino will continue to be the exclusive destination for the best Latin films in the country, offering viewers U.S. premieres of award-winning films and box office masterpieces that have never been theatrically released in the U.S.”