“The Realm” opens CCNY's sixth annual TAFFNY film festival

The sixth edition of The Americas Film Festival of New York presents seven feature films and more than 30 shorts, celebrating the rich diversity of the stories, languages and cultures of the Americas. The event, a cultural project of The City College of New York’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CWE), runs from June 13-21 and opens with “The Realm” by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, winner of seven Goya awards, at the Instituto Cervantes New York.

“With TAFFNY, in addition to highlighting the importance of presenting films from established filmmakers, we promote new talents with the Americas Award for short films in competition,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Mercado, dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. “We will also honor the students and professors of City College’s MFA Program in Film, one of the oldest film schools in the U.S. and the only public institution in New York City to offer a BFA in film.”

The Americas Short Film Competition is dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of short audiovisual works by emerging filmmakers that portray the contemporary concerns of filmmakers living in the region. This year, TAFFNY shows 33 short films competing for the Americas Award in the categories of animation, documentary, experimental and fiction.

On Thursday, June 20 at 7 p.m. the world premiere of Dave Davidson's "Cinema and Sanctuary" will take place, which is the culminating spring event of CCNY’s "The Year of Film." TAFFNY closes Friday, June 21 at 6 p.m. with its awards ceremony for short films in competition at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, followed by the NY premiere of “Falls Around Her” by indigenous filmmaker Darlene Naponse.

Over the course of nine days, 17 countries will reveal part of their identity, culture and diversity through the seventh art. The Americas Panorama is a dynamic program that brings the richness of the cultures of the Americas through seven award-winning fiction and documentary feature films. 

TAFFNY is coordinated by Carlos Aguasaco, associate professor of Latin American Cultural Studies and a specialist in Latin American popular culture. He is a winner of the India Catalina award at the 50^Th Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival.

TAFFNY is an initiative of City College’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education in collaboration with prestigious institutions such as the Cervantes Institute, the National Museum of the American Indian, King Juan Carlos I Center of NYU and the Argentine Consulate in New York, with the purpose of creating a cinematographic appreciation space focused on multiculturalism, diversity and new societies around Las Americas, as well as encouraging the work of new film directors.

For more information or interviews with any of the special guests, please contact América Stevens at 917-246-0948, or email taffny11@gmail.com and americastevens2@gmail.com . For the schedule, please visit www.taffny.com.

About the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education

City College Downtown is the home to City College's Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education.  Founded in 1981 by NYC unions and City College, this satellite campus of City College is located in the Cunard Building at 25 Broadway, Floor 7. It offers City College degrees: a BA in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences; a BS in Early Childhood Education (Ranked #1 in NY,  #13 in the USA); a BA/MA in the Study of the Americas and an MA in the Study of the Americas. All classes are conducted in the evenings and Saturdays to facilitate students who cannot attend traditional daytime classes. The programs and support are also specifically designed for students whose access to higher education has been limited or interrupted due to financial limitations, work responsibilities and family obligations.  To learn more, please visit http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/cwe.

About The City College of New York

Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its role at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by The Chronicle of Higher Education out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for world University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. More than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight professional schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.