Carlos Sorín featured in annual international film festival
Jacqueline Bernatt
MCC’s seventh annual international film festival, “Historias Minimas: The Films of Carlos Sorín,” is scheduled for the first week of March at Harkins Theatre Arizona Mills Luxury 24.
Admission is free and the event starts Tuesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. and continues through Saturday, March 6. Films will be screened followed by a question and answer session with Sorín.
Born in 1944, Carlos Sorín has spent the bulk of his career in the Argentinan film industry, and became involved with MCC at the urging of Dan Harkins, owner of Harkins Theatres.
“Sorín is known and respected around the world. His films have been screened at such prestigious international film festivals as Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, San Sebastian and Venice. He and his films have won over 24 awards, including two Goyas, Spain’s equivalent of the Oscars,” said Don Castro, international film director for MCC for the last seven years.
Sorín’s directing technique has been compared to Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Walter Salles Jr. and others.
“Sorín’s ‘Intimate Stories,’ perhaps his most well-known film in this country, has been compared to David Lynch’s ‘Straight Story,’ and I would describe ‘Bombon: The Dog’, my personal favorite, as Chaplinesque,” expressed Castro.
“The festival is an integral part of Mesa Community College’s dedication fostering global and intercultural understanding,” said MCC President Shouan Pan, of the 2009 cinematic fest.
“The festival has always been free. It has always been seen as a community outreach program,” said Castro. “It is underwritten with funds from the International Education Program, but a large percentage of these funds are reimbursed each year through grants as well as other co-sponsorships. The college-wide International Film Festival committee also sells ads to the festival program.”
“I was invited to be a part of the IFF through Rosadell Sanchez. In conversation, I mentioned I was from Argentina, and she brought up the festival and asked if I would be interested in participating. It is always exciting to get back to my roots,” said business professor Diane Bullen. “I am very impressed with the caliber of events that are presented at MCC, and this festival is not excluded. Dr. Don Castro’s dedication and commitment to enhance global and cultural understanding on campus and the community through these events is exceptional!”
However, those responsible for this event always strive to improve.
“If there was an area we could improve it would always be to get more students to come out,” said Castro.
