Its seventh edition runs October 29-November 6
New York, NY – Maravilla, the New York-based organization dedicated to raising awareness of Latin America through films and the arts, announces its seventh edition of the Ecuadorian Film Festival in New York (EFFNY), with the support of media partner Telemundo and includes Queens Museum, Nuyorican Poets Café, the Barrymore Film Center, and fiscal sponsor New York Women in Film & TV.
EFFNY is the renowned international film festival outside of Ecuador, and the only one in the United States, bringing together Ecuadorian filmmakers in various genres, including feature-length narratives, documentaries and shorts. Its mission is to open a window into this diverse country and inspire people to have meaningful conversations while celebrating Ecuador and cinema.
With every edition, the festival’s audience of Ecuadorian and non-Ecuadorian cinephiles and Ecuador lovers from the NYC-Tristate area continues to expand.
“It’s a beautiful space full of good energy, where experiences are exchanged with the different authors of our cinema. EFFNY is a necessary window for Ecuadorian cinema to have an international projection and to be able to share our films with the Ecuadorian community from New York City. Projecting our culture to the world is the only way to keep it alive, awake, and, above all, to make it grow,” said cinematographer Simon Brauer, a former attendee.
EFFNY is a great platform connecting diverse audiences and filmmakers in attendance who are eager to share their stories and process. This year, EFFNY expects to host established filmmakers and other important guests, that include Javier Andrade, whose film Lo invisible will represent Ecuador at the 95th Academy Awards in the Foreign Film selection; Helena Gualinga, featured in the documentary Helena from Sarayacu; Sebastián “Zuko” Carrasco, a former professional mountain climber who lost the use of his legs, and is featured in Free and Beyond the Summit; producer and screenwriter Felipe Troya, from To Oriente; director Galo Semblantes from Legend of Tayos, director Alfredo León from Submersible; director Paúl Venegas from Emptiness; director Marcos Echeverría from the web-doc Where We Were Safe; and directors Gabriel Zhiminaicela and Christian Espinoza from the short film A Body Over the Sea.
EFFNY will present two awards: Best Feature-Length film and Best Short. And for the first time, the festival will cross the Hudson River to New Jersey for closing day, Sunday, November 6, at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee. “We are so very proud to be a part of such an exciting event. The Barrymore Film Center looks forward to partnering with the Ecuadorian Film Festival not only this year but in the many years to come,” said its president, Nelson Page.
Eleven feature films compete for Best Picture. Legend of Tayos, directed by Galo Semblantes; Submersible, directed by Alfredo León, To Oriente, directed by Jose´Mariá Aviles; Yellow Sunglasses, by Iván Mora Manzano; Emptiness, directed by Paúl Venegas; Samson, directed by Pável Quevedo Ullauri; The Preacher, directed by Tito Jara; Those Who Are Missing, directed by José María León; Helena from Sarayacu, directed by Eriberto Gualinga; Beyond the Summit, directed by Isabel Guayasamín; and Lo invisible, directed by Javier Andrade.
For the complete list of films with synopsis, corresponding dates, and screening times, visit facebook.com/EcuadorianFilmFest or effny.org.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Opening Day: Queens Museum, Saturday, October 29
Special Event: Where We Were Safe Project, Nuyorican Poet’s Café, November 5
An ongoing interactive oral history archive that focuses on collecting memories about the lost and destroyed Salsa music places in New York City, such as ballrooms, clubs, record stores and outdoor venues.
Closing Day: Barrymore Film Center, Fort Lee, NJ, Screenings & Awards, November 6
A representative of Shorts.TV will present the Best Short Film.
Special Presentation: Historias Por Contar program winner
“Un Cuerpo Sobre el Mar,” presented by the US Embassy in Ecuador in
partnership with America Film Showcase and Fundapi.
ABOUT EFFNY:
The Ecuadorian Film Festival in New York launched in June 2015. Since then, EFFNY has been held in person, except in 2020 when it was held virtually with the support of zine.ec (Ecuadorian VOD platform).
ABOUT OUR FISCAL SPONSOR NYWIFT:
The preeminent professional association for women in the New York entertainment industry, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers. NYWIFT is part of a network of more than 60 women in film organizations worldwide, representing more than 15,000 members.
Tickets go on sale Friday, October 7th. EFFNY will announce its Jury in early October.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Follow on all platforms @EcuaFilm
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Lindsey Lambert
Lindsey Lambert is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker originally from Austin, Texas. She works as a location scout for film and television in the NYC area, currently on Law & Order: Organized Crime. After receiving her Master’s Degree in Human Rights from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the spring of 2022, she began directing and producing her debut feature documentary Teaching Social Studies about public school education and the anti-critical race theory laws in Texas. It is currently in production and she hopes the film will be completed by the summer of 2025. In our interview, she discusses her decision to go back to school, her work on the new Amazon Prime series Étoile, how to educate young people about our challenging history, and the most memorable location she's scouted to date.
READ MORECracking the Code on Film Fundraising: Insights from NYWIFT’s Winter Film Festival Panel
On a brisk February afternoon, I found the perfect escape from the cold—diving into an eye-opening discussion at the 2025 Winter Film Festival. One of the standout moments? Navigating Film Fundraising with NYWIFT, a must-attend panel for any filmmaker tackling the most daunting part of filmmaking: raising money. Leading the conversation were Easmanie Michel, NYWIFT’s Director of Artists Programs and Finance, and NYWIFT Member Joanna Rudolph, executive producer of Burning Annie and The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller. Their wealth of knowledge made for a powerful session, packed with real-world success stories and actionable strategies. Marchelle Thurman summarized some key takeaways to help you fund your next film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Melody Gilbert
Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Melody Gilbert! Melody is an Emmy-nominated and Alfred I. duPont award-winning documentary filmmaker. Over the course of her career, Melody has directed and produced 20 documentaries that have been screened at several film festivals and distributed internationally. Melody is also an educator committed to teaching new and emerging filmmakers. She has been on the faculty at several universities (including the American University in Bulgaria), teaching documentary production, multimedia, and journalism. Currently, Melody is traveling the world and spreading her love for film by teaching pitch training workshops and conducting her “Documentary Boot Camp” while working on her new documentary about the scandalous topless monokini bathing suit in 1964. The most recent documentary she helped produce, Queendom, was shortlisted for an Oscar in the feature documentary category. In our interview, Melody discusses her move from chilly Minnesota to NYC, her unconventional documentary subjects, and key lessons she shares with film students.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Amanda Deering Jones
Welcome to NYWIFT, Amanda Deering Jones! Amanda Deering Jones is the director of the new short film Little Mother Lies. She is also the Producer of the Academy Award-nominated animated short film Borrowed Time. She has over 20 years of experience working with Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky Studios and is currently at Pixar. Her career began in Cooperstown, NY, as House Manager at Glimmerglass Opera before transitioning to film. Amanda is a zero-waste advocate and a published writer for the Producer’s Guild Magazine. She is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, Women in Film, Women in Animation, a Governor of the Emmy’s Northwest Chapter Board, and now a NYWIFT member. Amanda discusses her theatrical roots, getting into animation (without drawing!), and how she creates work that elevates our thinking and highlights the complexities of being human!
READ MORE
Comments are closed