Las Parrandas de Remedios: Cuba’s Fiery Fireworks Festival

Bienvenidos a Remedios, La Cuna de las Parrandas.

I found out about the Las Parrandas Festival a few years ago when I had my first glimpse of Cayo Santa Maria in Villa Clara province. Despite wanting to see the festivities for the longest time, I could never find the time to visit as I usually spend my Christmas vacation outside of Cuba. Sensing that this might be my last opportunity to see the famed festival in person, I decided to check out the festivities this year. Read More ...

"Lola" joins Havana Filmfest

Lola, Brillante Mendoza's latest indie creation.

Sunday,10 p.m., 11 December 2011, Cubans begin lining up at the Riviera Theater to attend the first recorded participation by a Filipino film in the Havana International Film Festival (which by the way is headed by Che Guevara’s son Camilo). The film they were lining up to watch is an indie flick entitled “Abuela” or Lola in Filipino language. Directed by the up-and-coming Filipino auteur Brillante Mendoza, the film comes with a good reputation, having won the Best Film award in the Teheran International Film Festival in 2010. Read More ...