Latest news with #NewJerseyFilmFestival
Daily News Egypt
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily News Egypt
Spanish director Anna Petrus joins 9th Aswan International Women's Film Festival
The 9th edition of the prestigious Aswan International Women's Film Festival (AIWFF) is currently underway in the vibrant city of Aswan, southern Egypt, captivating audiences with a rich program that celebrates women in cinema. Running from May 2 to 7, the festival features a diverse lineup of screenings, workshops, and discussions. This year, Spain has a notable presence, including participation from acclaimed filmmaker and scholar Anna Petrus. Spain is represented in the official short film competition by Red Snow, an evocative animated short co-directed by Aurelia Gil Junco and Susana Olmedo. The film tells a haunting yet tender story of a young girl and a vampire who live in a forest village. When a forgotten memory resurfaces, their bond is tested, changing the course of their lives. With its atmospheric visuals and emotional depth, Red Snow has already won Best Animated Short Film at the New Jersey Film Festival in October 2023, and its selection for AIWFF further confirms its growing international acclaim. Adding to the Spanish contribution, renowned filmmaker, film critic, and cultural researcher Anna Petrus serves as a jury member for the Euro-Mediterranean Competition. Born in Menorca in 1978, Petrus has been based in Barcelona since 1996 and is known for her wide-ranging work across video art, experimental cinema, documentaries, and fiction. Her multifaceted approach to filmmaking blends visual innovation with sharp cultural commentary. Over the years, Petrus's films have been featured at leading international festivals including Cannes, Sitges, and Gijón. Her filmography includes critically praised titles such as Bohemia (2018), Anniversary (2013), Trumpet (2011), 345 Seconds of My Trip to New York (2010), and Oblivion in Oil (2009). Each work reflects her commitment to visual experimentation and storytelling that delves into both personal and collective experiences. Launched in 2017, the Aswan International Women's Film Festival is the first annual Egyptian festival dedicated to highlighting cinematic works about women and by female filmmakers. It has rapidly grown into a vital platform for showcasing women's contributions to cinema, not only in Egypt but across the Middle East and North Africa. Beyond the screen, AIWFF also invests in future generations through specialized workshops for young people in the region. These educational programs are designed to develop practical filmmaking skills and foster creative expression, guided by experienced professionals from the global film industry. The participation of Anna Petrus and the screening of Red Snow underscore the festival's commitment to embracing diverse and compelling stories from around the world. With a mission rooted in empowerment, education, and artistic excellence, AIWFF continues to build a vibrant, inclusive space for women in cinema—and for audiences eager to explore their stories.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Surfer who drowned at Jacob Riis beach in Queens was promising documentary filmmaker
A drowning surfer who died after being carried out of the ocean by good Samaritans at Queens' Jacob Riis Park was a rising documentary filmmaker whose first feature is about to have its US premiere. Sebastián Lasaosa Rogers, 35, was pulled out of the ocean about 12:40 p.m. Saturday and rushed by medics from the Rockaways to Coney Island Hospital, where he died. Rogers' debut feature-length documentary, 'Freeing Juanita', premiered at the DocsMX Film Festival in Mexico City in December and opens on June 4 as part of the New Jersey Film Festival. The film follows a couple from Guatemala who travel 1,000 miles to northern Mexico to try and free their niece Juanita, who has been detained for seven years after confessing to a crime she didn't commit in a language she doesn't speak. HIs drowning left friends reeling. His wife and family declined to speak to a reporter. 'It's incredibly sad news as Sebastian was such a kind soul and warm-hearted human,' one friend, Chris Westcott, said in a Facebook post, adding that Rogers had apparently gotten caught on a submerged wooden jetty. 'I've known Sebastian for the last 10 years, as he came out to visit and surf with me in Rockaway periodically,' Westcott wrote. 'Sebastian was a talented cinematographer, human rights activist, and total sweetheart who put everyone around him at ease with his presence.' The Spanish-American documentary filmmaker and cinematographer graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelors degree in anthropology and film in 2013 and lived in Crown Heights. Rogers got his professional start in Nashville, making videos to support workers' rights, including the Fight for $15 movement, according to his website. According to the website of arts organization Art21, where Rogers was a contributor, his work has been featured at SXSW and many other festivals and published by The New York Times and PBS. He also loved to surf. 'Sebastian had that deep love and appreciation of the ocean,' Westcott said on Facebook. 'I remember the way his eyes lit up in and around the water.' Rockaway is known as the surfing mecca of New York City, where wave-chasers brave the elements throughout the year in wetsuits to get their fix. The Queens beach is the only place in the city where surfing is legal, according to the city Parks Department, with the sport allowed in three sections of the water. Jacob Riis Park's beach is managed separately by the National Park Service. When Rogers disappeared underwater, two bystanders rushed to his aid after noticing his board in the water sticking up in the air, according to Rockaway resident Robert Conti, 58. Robert Conti's son, 18-year-old son Owen Conti , a city Parks Department summer lifeguard in the Rockaways, and his friend who is a former lifeguard were able to get Rogers out of the water and provided CPR. The elder Conti was alerted to the emergency by his son and raced to the beach. 'What they saw from the shoreline was the board sticking straight up in the air and the board wouldn't do that unless it was hung up,' Robert Conti said. 'I got there probably a few minutes after they started the CPR and they rolled him over a couple of times on his side and there was a lot of fluid coming out of his mouth. It was upsetting to see.' A city Medical Examiner autopsy determined Rogers died from drowning.
