The Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY) proudly honors two film schools whose influence has been fundamental in making Latin America one of the most vibrant and innovative regions in world cinema: the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV de San Antonio de los Baños (EICTV) in Cuba and the Fundación Universidad del Cine (FUC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
For decades, these institutions have nurtured generations of filmmakers—directors, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, and sound designers—whose work continues to shape contemporary cinema. Their alumni are responsible for many of the most memorable and groundbreaking films emerging from Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world.
Escuela internacional de Cine y Televisión de San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba EICTV
Fundación Universidad del Cine de Buenos Aires
This year marks two important milestones: the 40th anniversary of EICTV, widely recognized as the most influential film school in the Caribbean and one of the most important in Latin America, and the 35th anniversary of FUC, a leading institution that has played a crucial role in the evolution of Argentine and international cinema.
EICTV was founded in 1986 by visionary cultural figures including Gabriel García Márquez, Fernando Birri, and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, with the mission of creating a truly international school dedicated to storytelling from the Global South.
FUC was founded by the distinguished Argentine filmmaker and intellectual Manuel Antín, who envisioned a space where rigorous artistic training and creative experimentation could flourish.
As part of this tribute, HFFNY will present a selection of works connected to these institutions, celebrating their extraordinary legacy and expressing our gratitude for their profound contribution to Latin American and Spanish-language cinema.
Honoring Manuel Antín: The trailblazer of New Argentinean Cinema
HFFNY commemorates the centenary of Manuel Antín’s birth, one of the key figures of modern Argentina cinema. Antín developed a singular dialogue between literature and film through his celebrated adaptations of stories by Julio Cortázar. Their artistic connection extended beyond the films themselves: both Antín and Cortázar were deeply engaged in the cultural debates of Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s, including the intellectual and artistic exchanges that took place around the Cuban cultural sphere after the revolution. This broader conversation about cinema, literature, and the role of artists in society would later inform the spirit with which ANtín founded the Universidad del Cine.
The evening opens with a brief audiovisual introduction to the history and spirit of the university, followed by a screening of Circe (1964), one of Antín’s most celebrated films and a remarkable adaption of Cortázar’s writing.
