UNIVERSITY HOSTS PAUL ESPINOSA FILM FESTIVAL IN SEPTEMBER

August 11, 2003

UNIVERSITY HOSTS PAUL ESPINOSA FILM FESTIVAL IN SEPTEMBER

The University of New Mexico's Southwest Hispanic Research Institute (SHRI), in collaboration with the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities and support from Comcast Cable Communications, hosts a three-day film festival showcasing the work of renowned independent documentary filmmaker Paul Espinosa, Friday, Sept. 5 through Sunday Sept. 7 at the South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway S.E.

Through the power of the camera, Espinosa, an Albuquerque native, has given audiences around the world a deeper and fuller understanding of the complexities of life in the Southwest. To recognize Espinosa's contributions to filmmaking, media arts, and his career's focus on Mexican-American history and culture, the festival will take place at the South Broadway Cultural Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Espinosa is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker whose documentary and dramatic work for PBS has focused on U.S. and Mexican issues along the southwestern border. The festival will be inaugurated with an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m. followed by a screening of The Hunt for Pancho Villa, a documentary profiling Pancho Villa's dramatic raid on Columbus, New Mexico and the American expedition led by General John Pershing sent to capture him. A discussion with Espinosa and UNM Professor of Spanish Enrique Lamadrid will follow the screening.

"I am very excited and pleased to be presenting my work in New Mexico," Espinosa said. "I grew up in Albuquerque and it's a tremendous privilege to be honored with a film festival presented by the Southwest Hispanic Research Institute at the University of New Mexico."

The schedule for Saturday, Sept. 6 includes The U.S.-Mexican War: 1846-1848, (Hour One at 6 p.m.) a documentary commemorating the 150th anniversary of this pivotal event in U.S.-Mexican history; and The Lemon Grove Incident (at 8 p.m.), a docudrama about one of America's earliest desegregation cases, involving Mexican-American children. On Sunday, Sept. 7 at 3 p.m., Uneasy Neighbors, a documentary portrait of tensions between migrant worker camps and affluent homeowners in Southern California, will be followed by ...and the earth did not swallow him, a feature adaptation for American Playhouse of Tomás Rivera's classic Chicano novel about a young Mexican-American boy at 4:30 p.m.. Espinosa will be present at all screenings with UNM humanities scholars Lamadrid, Judy Maloof , associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese; and Gabriel Melendez, chair of American Studies, who will lead discussions with the public after each film.

Professor of Sociology Felipe Gonzales, noted "Paul Espinosa has been producing films for over 20 years, specializing in dramatic stories about the region. We're really thrilled to be able to present his work to audiences in Albuquerque."

Espinosa's films have won eight Emmys; five CINE Golden Eagle awards; two Ohio State Awards; a Golden Mike Award; and Best of the Festival Awards at the Santa Barbara, Minneapolis and San Antonio CineFestival. Espinosa has worked with many well-known stars as narrators of his films including Martin Sheen, Luis Valdez, Linda Hunt, John Quiñones and Carmen Zapata.

The Paul Espinosa Film Festival is made possible by a major grant from the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities with additional support from the University of New Mexico's Southwest Hispanic Research Institute, Comcast Cable Communications, Office of the UNM Vice President for Student Affairs, the UNM College of Education, the School of Law, El Centro de la Raza, the College Enrichment Program, and many other UNM departments and programs. Seating is limited. The public is strongly encouraged to come early.

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