Alyssa Morin

Celebrated musical ‘In the Heights’ comes to Austin

April 7, 2014 By Alyssa Morin

The Tony award winning musical In the Heights will be running from Apr. 9 through Apr. 19 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre. The University of Texas at Austin Theatre and Dance department along with director Jerry Ruiz present this celebrated and critically acclaimed musical.

In 2008, In the Heights won four Tony Awards out of its 13 nominations including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. Creators Lin- Manuel Miranda (music and lyrics) and Quiara Alegría Hudes (book). The celebrated musical chronicles the spirited Washington Heights community in New York. The score combines colorful Latin pop and hip-hop that brings energy and life to the story about exploration and identity.

Again, performance dates begin April 9 and end April 19 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre located at 300 E. 23 St. Ticket prices range from adults to UT students and staff. Prices begin at $15. Tickets can be purchased online at Texas Performing Arts or through JoinTheDrama.org, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Offices.

Below is a snippet of the play circa 2008.

[11/15] Preview: Cine Las Americas and ACC to screen ‘Granito: How to Nail a Dictator’

November 15, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

‘Granito’ will screen at the Austin Community College Eastview Campus on Nov. 15

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival along with the Peace and Conflicts Program at Austin Community College will present the social movement documentary Granito: How to Nail a Dictator on Friday, Nov. 15.

Filmmaker Pamela Yates unveils the story of former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Rios Montt whom was charged by the court for committing war brutality against the country’s Mayan people in the 1980s. His genocide crimes were documented by Yates in ’83 in her documentary When the Mountains Tremble, which provided and provoked evidence during his trial. Roughly 30 years later, Granito: How to Nail a Dictator captures the story of how a film, planting a new seed of human rights activists, became granito- a tiny grain of sand- that helped bring justice.

The Peace and Conflicts Program at the Austin Community College provides the community with knowledge and empowerment through films that relate to social justice, conflict and sustainable peace. As a part of their program they host a year-long screening series for the community.

The event will be held at the Austin Community College Multipurpose Room 8500 (Eastview campus) located at 3402 Webberville Rd.The event is free and open to the public. Screening at 8 p.m. followed by a talk about the Guatemala National Police Archive by guest speaker Kent Norsworthy, digital scholarship coordinator at LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections. For additional updates on upcoming screenings and information on the event visit the Peace and Conflicts Program’s website.

(11/6) Preview: Cine Las Americas screens PBS Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement Documentary

November 5, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival along with The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center present Chicano! History of the American Civil Rights Movement Part Three: Taking Back the Schools and Part Four: Fighting for Political Power. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the Civil Rights documentary will be screened at 8 p.m.

Both films capture the challenges and discriminations Mexican-Americans were faced with during a time of social change. Part three: Taking Back the Schools unravels Mexican-Americans struggling to reform an educational system that was failing to properly educated Mexican-American students, which leads to the 1968 walkout.

Part Four: Fighting for Political Power captivates the creation of La Raza Unida Party as a rising political party empowering Mexican-Americans on the importance of their rights. The episode focuses on the 1972 election and the Raza Unida convention that helped inform thousands.

The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Mexican-American Cultural Center located at 600 River St. For more information and updates no upcoming events visit Cine Las Americas’ website.

(11/3) Preview: Cine Las Americas presents dinner and a movie featuring ‘Cronos’

November 1, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival hosts a dinner and a movie in celebration of Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 6 pm. Join Cine Las Americas as they present the notable director Guillermo del Toro’s first feature film, Cronos.

Cronos, with its psychologically haunting style, has become a timeless thriller, and seemingly one of the best Latin American horror films. When a mysterious device, designed to provide its owner with eternal life, resurfaces after almost four hundred years, it causes a stir of destruction and chaos.

The event will be held at Cantina el Milamores at Takoba. Doors open at 5:30 p.m, following the dinner at 6 p.m. and the film at 7 p.m. General Admission prices are $25 and Cine Las Americas member prices are $15. All proceeds will help benefit the 17th annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. For more information and event details visit Cine Las Americas’ website.

Watch the unofficial movie trailer for Cronos below.

Panteleon Films to release ‘Pulling Strings’ in October

September 30, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

Jaime Camil (Saving Private Perez) and Laura Ramsey (She’s the Man) come together in the bilingual comedy, Pulling Strings, releasing nationwide Oct. 4.

The film follows an upcoming Mexican mariachi singer, Alejandro (Jaime Camil), who is trying to secure a visa for his daughter that way she can visit her grandparents in the United States. His request is denied by Rachel (Laura Ramsey), a young embassy worker. With the help of Alejandro’s friend, Canicas, the two try to convince Rachel to rethink her decision after they run into her while playing a gig.

Official Synopsis:

Pulling Strings is a bilingual comedy starring Jaime Camil. Alejandro (Jaime Camil) and his loyal best friend Canicas (Omar Chaparro) are hardworking mariachi singers looking for fame in Mexico City. More than just a mariachi, Alejandro has a second full time job – he’s a single dad. When Alejandro tries to secure a visa for his young daughter to visit her grandparents in the U.S. Alejandro’s request is flatly denied by a young embassy worker, Rachel (Laura Ramsey). Later that evening, Alejandro and Canicas run into Rachel while playing a gig – which turns out to be a celebration of her promotion to a post in London. Alejandro seizes the coincidental encounter as a chance to change her mind on his rejected visa, and with Canicas by his side; they whisk her into an unforgettable adventure. And, while he gets busy pulling strings for a visa, it turns out the strings of his heart are pulled too.

The film releases in theaters on Oct. 4. Below is the official trailer:

Preview: (10/1) ‘La Maleta Mexicana’ screens at UT Belo Center

September 30, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Cine Las Americas and The University of Texas at Austin have collaborated to present the award winning documentary film La Maleta Mexicana (The Mexican Suitcase). Director Trisha Ziff will be in attendance for the screening.

The documentary feature is centered around a suitcase containing original photos that documented the Civil War. Three photojournalists Robert Capa, David Seymour and Gerda Tara traveled to Spain to capture the war, but during the turmoil of World War II they were never able to develop their negatives. Seventy years later (2207), their unpublished, untouched photos were discovered in their original form in the back of a closet in Mexico City. The film captures the essence of memory and the power pictures hold, especially when they are capturing history.

The screening and conversation with director Trisha Ziff is free and open to the public. The event is from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the Belo Center for New Media at the University of Texas at Austin. The BMC is located at 2504 Whitis Ave., and the screening will be held in room BMC 5.102. For more information and updates visit Cine Las Americas website.

(9/26) Preview: The Austin Facial Hair Club brings Lotería to Mohawk

September 26, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

Tonight The Austin Facial Hair Club presents Lotería! at the Mohawk. The event is free and open to 21+.

The Austin Facial Hair Club is an organization dedicated to embracing facial hair. It is open to men and women. The organization is featured on the current season of Whisker Wars on IFC.

Lotería is the Mexican game of bingo. Instead of using placing the letter with the number, Lotería uses images and a deck of cards. The caller selects a card from the deck and the players mark off the image called if it is on their card(s).

The event begins at 8 p.m. at the Mohawk located on 912 Red River, but use the 10th Street entrance, not the front for the event. The first card will be $5 and any additional cards will be $1 each. Again, only 21 and up will be admitted. For more information visit The Austin Facial Hair Club’s website.

(8/27) Preview: Mexican American Cultural Center Screens ‘Pepe El Toro’

August 26, 2013 By Alyssa Morin

The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) presents its Cine De Oro film series the last Tuesday of each month. This Tuesday, Aug. 27, the ESB-MACC for the premiere of Pepe El Toro (Pepe the Bull) to the series.

The 1953 classic film tells the story about Pepe, a boxer, who struggles with the physical and mental strains of his profession as well as the difficulties his career is bringing to his everyday life. Director Ismael Rodriguez captures the affects boxing has on people who live humbly. The film stars Pedro Infante, a renowned Mexican star for his acting talents.

All films are open to the public and free of charge. The Cine De Oro film series is scheduled the last Tuesday of each month. The film begins at 9:30 a.m at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center located at 600 River Street. For additional updates on upcoming films or events visit the Cultural Center’s website.