Hispanic Film Festival Featured At Court Square Theater Sept. 25 - 29

HARRISONBURG, VA – Court Square Theater is delighted to announce the 2024 Hispanic Film Festival, Sept 25-29. This year’s films were selected by former Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) board member Karina Kline-Gabel, who has curated the festival for 19 years. The five-day film series focuses on celebrating Hispanic and Latinx cultures, and festival dates correlate with National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15). All films are presented or subtitled in English.

Films and showtimes:

• Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Wed (9/25) at 9:30 pm; Thurs (9/26) at 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm; Fri (9/27) at 5 pm. Mexican teenagers Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana explore their friendship while struggling with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships in 1987 El Paso, Texas. This film is presented by JMU Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies.

• The Long Game - Wed (9/25) at 4 pm; Thurs (9/26) at 9 pm; Fri (9/27) at 2 pm; Sat (9/28) at 8:30 pm. Five determined young Mexican-American caddies create their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert in the mid-1950s and embark upon a journey in which they learn that it takes more than just golf skills to make history.

• Chronicles of a Wandering Saint - Wed (9/25) at 1:30 pm; Thurs (9/26) at 4 pm; Fri (9/27) at 8 pm; Sat (9/28) at 3:30 pm; Sun (9/29) at 4:30 pm. In a tiny rural village in Argentina, Rita Lopez, a pious yet insatiably competitive woman, discovers that staging a miracle could be her ticket to sainthood. This film is presented by JMU Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies.

• Problemista - Sat (9/28) at 1 pm & 6 pm; Sun (9/29) at 2 pm & 7 pm. Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in NY. As time runs out on his work visa, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country.

Tickets - available online (courtsquaretheater.org/hispanic-film-festival/) and at the door - are $11.50 ($10 for seniors, $5 for students).

“We’re so grateful for Karina Kline-Gabel - JMU College of Arts and Letters Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion - who initiated this festival and continues to compile an impressive schedule of films for each year of celebration,” said ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden. “We are also appreciative of support from local universities in addition to enthusiastic attendance during this film festival from area schools, universities and community members,” she added.

“In addition, we are thankful for the cooperation of JMU College of Arts and Letters and JMU Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies to make this annual celebration of Hispanic films possible,” Burden said.

Located at 41-F Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia, Court Square Theater is operated by Arts Council of the Valley (ACV). Programs are supported by 2024 Cultivating the Arts Platinum Sponsors: Eugene Stoltzfus Architects, James McHone Jewelry, Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Matchbox Realty, and Riner Rentals.

Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $498,300 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

CST is supported in part by the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the City of Harrisonburg and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Martha Hemingway at Arts Council of the Valley.