Count Basie Center To Host Inaugural NJ Hispanic Film Festival

RED BANK, NJ — The Count Basie Center for the Arts will host the inaugural NJ Hispanic Film Festival as part of Hispanic Heritage Month this October.

From Oct. 4 through Oct. 6, the event will bring filmmakers, community members and organizations together to showcase the richness and diversity of Hispanic experiences through film.

“I am deeply passionate about diverse storytelling, particularly stories that reflect the Hispanic and Latin American communities,” said Carlos Medina, the president & CEO of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. “These are stories of perseverance, courage, and resilience that resonate with both Hispanic and non-Hispanic audiences.”

The festival will showcase more than 15 films, including:

• I’ll Carry You With Me (Audience Choice Winner at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival)
• Totem (Academy Award for 2023’s Best Foreign Film)
• No (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Quinceañera (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Your Monsters (Midnight Horror)
• Nosotros Los Pobres (Golden Age Classic)
• Encanto (Walt Disney)

The festival will also showcase six international shorts, including two from last year’s Breakthrough Filmmaker Fest – “Con Mis Dedos” and “Subjective Worlds.”

"I'm so happy that the Count Basie Center is giving Hispanic cinema the attention it deserves and am so glad to participate in this wonderful celebration,” said Heidi Ewing, the director of “I’ll Carry You With Me."

Programming throughout the festival will showcase family programs, talkbacks and cultural workshops. Ewing will participate in an audience talkback after the screening of her film.

“A core foundation of the Basie Center’s mission is to make the arts an inclusive experience for all,” Adam Philipson, the president and CEO of the Count Basie Center for the Arts, said. “This festival puts the spotlight on Hispanic culture and celebrates the vibrant diversity that is a wonderful part of our community.”

In addition to the films being showcased, a panel discussion on “Undocu-Filmmaking,” led by the Undocumented Film Collective and industry experts, is scheduled for the festival.

There will also be a panel on “Women in Media,” led by Doris Martinez, the owner and founder of DFez Content Media Management and Latino Circuit TV.

On the festival’s closing night, there will be a concert with Xol Azul Band at the Vogel.

“I am very proud of the Count Basie Center for the Arts for supporting the Hispanic community and championing diverse storytelling,” Medina said.

The NJ Hispanic Film Festival will be presented by OceanFirst Bank and sponsored by the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

For more information, and to see a full program schedule, you can visit the Count Basie website.

The Count Basie Center for the Arts is located at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank.