NYU Latino Student Wins HBO & New York International Latino Film Festival Grant.

HBO and the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) announced the recipient of the 1st Annual Latino Filmmaker Competition. The winner is Carlos V. Gutierrez who will receive a $15,000 grant from HBO to produce and direct a short film based on his original script “Lechon,” the story of a boy who befriends a lonely old hog butcher and learns a life-changing lesson. Gutierrez will complete the 5-minute film in time for it to premiere during the NYILFF’s 2004 festivities, July 27 to August 1.

“From the moment the creation of the Latino Filmmaker Competition was announced, the response was overwhelming,” said Bernadette Aulestia, Vice President, Subscriber Marketing & Brand Development at HBO. “With over 160 entries in its first year alone, this competition has shown us the caliber of new talent that exists and has reinforced our commitment to support Latino filmmakers through festivals like the NYILFF.”

A New York University student, Gutierrez is slated to graduate this year with an MFA in Film Directing. A Miami native of Cuban descent, he holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University where he majored in Spanish Literature. He is the receiver of several grants and awards including a Graduate Fellowship to NYU, a Walter Meade Scholarship and a Cuban Artist Fund Scholarship, a National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts Award and a 2004 Student DGA Award nomination for his short film “Sleight of Hand.” Upon graduation, Gutierrez plans to write and direct his own feature films.

“In our 5th year, we are excited to expand our offering with the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition,” said Calixto Chinchilla, Executive Director, NYILFF. “We continue to look for ways to provide opportunities that further foster and support emerging directors and writers such as Carlos Gutierrez.”

The New York International Latino Film Festival is the first festival in New York City to showcase the works of national Latino filmmakers alongside international Latin American films, while offering expansive images of the Latino experience. The festival presents works in the categories of Feature Film (in Spanish and English) and Vanguard Cinema, which includes experimental works, documentaries, student works and short films. The 6-day festival also includes panel discussions, educational forums and special events. A full roster of festival films, special activities and tickets can be obtained on the festival’s website, www.nylatinofilm.com, or by calling the festival hotline at 212-726-2358.
The festival is supported by The New York City Latin Media and Entertainment Commission and presented by HBO.