NEW YORK CITY, MARCH 3, 2018 – Las Nubes, a new documentary by Juan Pablo González, will premiere at this year’s Neighboring Scenes, a film festival sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. González’s film tells the story of a man, who, affected by violence and broken family relationships, embarks on a journey through memory and time. Extending González’s interest in short form documentary, the film consists of a single, 20-minute take. Las Nubes will screen on Saturday, March 3 at 1:30 pm at the Lincoln Center. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
“I think it’s very important for Las Nubes to be shown to a US audience,” says González. “It sheds light on a kind of Mexican immigration that is not usually addressed, one that implicates both US and Mexican societies. To be recognized at Lincoln Center alongside so many fascinating Latin American filmmakers is a tremendous milestone for me and my collaborators. We are very happy and honored to be selected.”
González is widely regarded as a top filmmaker in the short documentary genre. Noting the sensitivity and tragic beauty of his previous film, ¿Por qué el recuerdo? (The Solitude of Memory), Filmmaker magazine listed him among its “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2015.
González has written, produced, directed, and worked on the technical elements of numerous films. His film ¿Por qué el recuerdo? (The Solitude of Memory) screened at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam in 2014 and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Slamdance Festival. His slow-burning short La Espera was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival in 2017 after showing at festivals globally in 2016. In addition to his burgeoning career as a filmmaker, González currently teaches in the School of Film/Video at California Institute of the Arts.
“CalArts is very fortunate to have a filmmaker of Juan Pablo González’s sensitivity and talents teaching in our program,” said Leighton Pierce, the Dean of the School of Film/ Video at CalArts. “His expertise, passion, and insight into how film can shine a light on topical issues - both personal and political - illuminates his creative work and is reflected in the quality of his instruction and mentorship to students. His work is probing, personal and global. It’s wonderful to see him continue to garner the international recognition he deserves.”
Las Nubes was previously screened at the Havana Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam, in Cuba and the Netherlands, respectively. Neighboring Scenes will mark its premiere in both New York and the United States. Later in the year, the film will screen at AMBULANTE in Mexico and True/False in Columbia, Missouri.
Organized by Carlos Gutiérrez and Cecilia Barrionuevo and sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Neighboring Scenes’ goal is to highlight notable recent productions across a breadth of styles within the world of Latin American Cinema. Currently in its third year, the program showcases works by established auteurs and emerging talent from a wide geographic range. This year’s offerings include documentaries about Mexican fishermen, showgirls of the ’70s and ’80s, and the colonialist history of Easter Island, as well as adaptations of Dostoevsky and Hans Christian Andersen, among others. Neighboring Scenes features 17 films in all, and runs from February 28 to March 4.
California Institute of the Arts has set the pace for educating professional artists since 1970. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts has championed creative excellence, critical reflection, and the development of new forms and expressions. As successive generations of faculty and alumni have helped shape the landscape of contemporary arts, the Institute first envisioned by Walt Disney encompasses a vibrant, eclectic community with global reach, inviting experimentation, independent inquiry, and active collaboration and exchange among artists, artistic disciplines
and cultural traditions.