WOLLONGONG ADVERTISER
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Illawarra’s Spanish-speaking communities will proudly show off their cultures in a vibrant display of film, music, food and dance next week.
The second annual Illawarra Spanish Latin American Festival will be held in Wollongong and Warrawong from September 22-27. Twelve free Latin American films will be shown at Wollongong Town Hall from September 22-24. An outdoor fiesta with music, dancing, art and food will also be held at Mowbray Lane, Warrawong, on September 27.
The festival is organised by the Warilla-based Spanish and Latin American Community Organisation (SALCO), with support from multicultural groups and the Wollongong council, the University of Wollongong and Open Hearth Hotel.
‘‘We wanted to promote the Spanish and Latin American cultures to the multicultural community of the Illawarra,’’ SALCO community development officer Bertha Quiros said.
‘‘The best way to do it is to promote the films, the art, the music. We wanted to show there is more to Spanish culture than just salsa dancing.’’
The festival featured five films in 2013 but has expanded to 12 films after receiving funding from 12 Latin American embassies in Canberra, which runs the film festival in the capital.
‘‘There is such variety – there’s action, drama, romance and comedy,’’ Mrs Quiros said
Highlights include Venezuelan heist film, Zero Hour and a documentary from El Salvador – The Tiger and The Deer – about 103-year-old indigenous flute player Don Chelino. About 250 people attended the outdoor fiesta in Mowbray Lane last year and Mrs Quiros is expecting a bigger crowd this year.
It will feature Sydney band Latin Power, Peruvian, Chilean and Spanish dancers, capoeira workshops and a soccer shootout from 1pm-5pm. Warilla’s Hernan Flores and Latin Power will also perform at the Open Hearth Hotel, from 5pm-8pm.
All events are free.
Information: islaf.org.au or call 0434 548 991