SINGER Omara Portuondo and pianist Chucho Valdés, two symbols of Cuban culture, were the stars of the inaugural gala (December 3) of the 31st International Festival of New Latin American Cinema.

Both Grammy winners this year, they united their art to perform two emblematic national songs: "Veinte años" by María Teresa Vera, and "Dos gardenias" by Isolina Carrillo.

On piano, Chucho Valdés first offered his version of "Bésame mucho". Following a standing ovation from a packed house at the Karl Marx Theater – with a capacity of 5,000 – the Festival’s welcome speech was given by its president, Alfredo Guevara.

"Young people are the spirit of the festival and it is they who lead me in this opening," said Guevara from the presidential box, where he was accompanied by, among others, Ricardo Alarcón, president of the Cuban parliament; Abel Prieto, minister of culture, and Roberto Fernández Retamar, president of the Casa de las Américas.

Alfredo Guevara also commented that the main task of the Festival is to "open doors and build bridges" and affirmed to invited guests that, in Cuba, "you will be received with open arms, also open to the world."

To conclude the event, there was a screening of one of the Argentine films in competition, El secreto de sus ojos, by Juan José Campanella, which received loud applause from the audience.

The audiovisual fiesta began on the morning of Thursday December 3 with the screening of several films in the cinemas on the Festival circuit, including Antichrist by Lars von Traer at the Chaplin.

Midday at the Hotel Nacional’s Salón 1930 – headquarters of the event – saw the introduction of the different juries who will decide who, among the 110 films included in the Official Section, will take home the Coral prizes.

The jury members are as follows:

Feature Films: Lucia Murat (Brazil), Arcelia Ramírez (Mexico), Juan José Jusid (Argentina), Derubín Jácome (Cuba) and Pedro Zaratiegui (Spain).

Debut Film: Tania Hermida (Ecuador), Gonzalo Justiniano (Chile) and Enrique Alvarez (Cuba).

Documentary: Jorge Denti (Argentina); David Moncasi (Spain) and
Víctor Fowler Calzada (Cuba.)
Unedited scripts: Luis Alberto Lamata (Venezuela), Daniel Díaz Torres (Cuba), Mario Real (Spain), Pablo Solarz (Argentina) and Samuel Chauvin (France).
Animation and posters: Dominique Jonard (France), Edwin Gómez (Chile) and Helmo Hernández (Cuba).