IFB BANK presents Cuenteros & Company storytelling festival.

The IFB World of Dreamers presents Cuenteros & Company’s International Storytelling Festival of Miami, 2007. This festival will gather Spanish-language storytellers and artists from South Florida and around the world in a unique cultural exchange. The festival series started in 2004 and has presented storytelling and other events for youth and adults. There will also be a mini fair of storybooks for all ages. The festival is in Spanish. The event will take place from May 25 -May 27, 2007 at the Abanico Theater, 3138 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove.

Cuenteros & Company organizes the festival of storytellers, who include: María Elena Díaz de Villegas with her “Fotos que cuentan cuentos” Pictures that tell stories; and artists such as Neri Torres and el grupo Ilé-Ifé, who will present a tribute to Lydia Cabrera, the internationally renowned writer and expert on Afro-Cuban culture. During the first two days there will be a marathon of stories with local and international artists. On Sunday, as part of the festival, Gretchen Betancourt Vega, 15- year-old storyteller will open the mini marathon of children tales. Other artists such as Carlos y Marta, together with singer Marisela Verena y Leslie Cartaya, will also participate. Others such as Miami-based writers Rodrigo de la Luz and Gina Sacasa-Ross have written stories to be shared with the audience. The special guest this year is Germán Jaramillo Duque, Creator, Coordinator and Director of the National and International Conference of Narrators of Stories and Legends, held in Buga, Colombia. The festival will end with the tribute to internationally renowned Cuban comedian Guillermo Alvarez Guedes for his contribution as storyteller and humorist; Venezuelan actor Orlando Urdaneta will make this presentation.