Javier Fuentes León, left, with Undertow's Christian Mercado. Click for trailer.
NewFest is proud to announce a special guest for our Opening Night narrative feature, Undertow.
Director Javier Fuentes-León will be on hand live to introduce the film (known as Contracorriente in his native Peru) and to take questions from the festival audience immediately following the Thursday, June 3 screening.
Undertow recently received the prestigious Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
Although Fuentes-León has had an interest in cinema all of his life, he actually began his career as a family physician in Lima. It wasn’t until 1994 that the then-29-year-old chose a 180-degree career switch, according to published reports: Following med school graduation and a requisite three-year internship, Fuentes-León then enrolled in the master’s program in directing for theater, video and cinema at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He’s been a full-time filmmaker ever since.
In Spanish with English subtitles, Undertow is Fuentes-León’s third full-length feature.
From our film guide: Undertow: An exceptional film balancing strong performances and gorgeous imagery with a powerful story. Young married fisherman Miguel develops unexpected feelings for Santiago, an artist new to the village, amidst growing community suspicions, increasing pressure from Santiago, and an unexpected supernatural occurrence. Thursday June 3, 8PM.
