From Hemingway to Gael: 10 Must-See Movies at the Havana Film Festival New York

For its 17th edition, the Havana Film Festival New York is reaching to all corners of Latin America to bring you fascinating mix of critical and box office hits to enjoy this April. Movies from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and the United States will be shown in competition and will be vying for the Havana Star Prize for Best Film.

Gael García Bernal fans should be particularly thrilled to see the Mexican actor in two movies at the festival. You can catch the Golden Globe-winning actor try on an Argentinian accent in the Eva Perón flick, Eva no duerme, and see what he looks like as an animated version of himself in the meta-film Zoom. Of course, this being the Havana Film Festival, you’ll also find plenty of Cuban fare to enjoy, including the aptly titled Cuba Libre about the historic 1898 events which saw the start of U.S. intervention in the Caribbean island, and the contemporary documentary El tren de la línea which offers a snapshot of Cuba today.

With screenings all over the city (including the Bronx!), many with filmmakers in attendance for lively Q&As, HFFNY is a must for any Latino cinephiles in the New York City area. We’ve picked out 10 films you shouldn’t miss, from Ireland’s Cuba-set Oscar entry Viva, which screens as a special presentation, to the box office hit that took the DR by storm last year La Gunguna.

The Havana Film Festival New York runs April 7 – 15, 2016.