The 11th annual The Americas Film Festival New York takes place from June 13-21, 2024.
The 11th edition of The Americas Film Festival New York opens on June 13 with the New York premiere of “The Extorsion” Martino Zaidelis at the Instituto Cervantes New York. TAFFNY closes on June 21 with its awards ceremony for short films in competition at the National Museum of the American Indian followed by a special presentation of “Frybread Face and Me” by Navajo/Hopi/Laguna Pueblo filmmaker, Billy Luther.
A cultural initiative of The City College of New York’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education, TAFFNY presents eight feature films and more than 25 shorts, celebrating the rich diversity of the stories, languages and cultures of the Americas. All events are free and open to the public, and all foreign-language films are subtitled in English. Click here for the full program and showtimes.
Juan Carlos Mercado, CCNY’s dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies and TAFFNY’s founder, says of this year’s festival: "As we mark our 11th year, we proudly affirm our status as a beacon of artistry amid the rich cultural tapestry of the city. By selecting these films, we aim to highlight stories often overlooked in mainstream media and to showcase countries rarely featured in major festival lineups, aligning with the mission of CUNY and City College."
The Americas Short Film Competition is dedicated to promoting and exhibiting short audiovisual works by emerging filmmakers that portray the contemporary concerns of filmmakers living in the region. This year, TAFFNY has over 25 short films competing for the Americas Award in Animation, Documentary, Experimental, and Fiction categories.
The jurors of the Documentary and Animation categories include director Catalina Santamaria, professor and radio host David Little, and Fairfield University Professor Sergio Adrada-Rafael. The jury consists of screenwriter and author Andres Lopera-Sanchez, filmmaker Marina Fernandez, and film critic Armando Russi in the Fiction and Experimental categories.
Diana Vargas, TAFFNY’s artistic director, said, “Every year, the filmmakers and their films reflect the endeavors and concerns of their societies. This time, we wanted to emphasize issues such as women's stories of resilience, the power of art as a catalyst for change, and the increasingly powerful voices of native communities demanding visibility. The Americas are home to fascinating and enlightening people and cultures, and TAFFNY’s mission is to bring these to the forefront for New Yorkers to experience—all for free and fun.”
Click here for a list of TAFFNY’s partners and supporters.
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 position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights 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. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi (now Lightcast) puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.