Ottawa, October 10, 2017. The premiere of Cuban director Jonal Cosculluela, Esteban, took part this weekend at the Toronto Latin America Film Festival (Canada), where the funds raised will go to those affected by Hurricane Irma.
The film, co-produced by MEDIAPRO, has also had or will have a prominent presence at: Zurich Film Festival (Switzerland), Schlingel International Film Festival (Germany), Mill Valley Film Festival and Milwaukee Film Festival (USA); International Festival of the Droits de l'Homme (Guadeloupe Islands). Further, Switzerland, Germany, the United States and the Guadeloupe Islands are some of the last destinations of "Esteban". Among the most recent awards this film has received is the Audience Award from the Boston Latino International Film Festival earlier this month.
Produced by MEDIAPRO along with RTV Comercial, Producciones Colibrí and AHS, "Esteban" narrates how the music of a piano seduces a Cuban boy of 9 years old who, despite the difficulties, manages to achieve his dream of becoming a musician.
With a screenplay by Amílcar Salatti, the feature film stars Reynaldo Guanche (Esteban), who was chosen from a casting of 800 children and shares cast with renowned Cuban actors such as Yuliet Cruz (Miriam), Manuel Porto (piano teacher, Hugo), Mónica Alonso (Sofia) and Ismael Isaac (Agustín). The film has the special interventions of Raúl Pomares and Corina Mestre.
A Toronto-based Cuban group performed some traditional Cuban music themes as an introduction to the film, screened in the Jackman Hall of the Ontario Art Gallery, a prestigious cultural center located in the heart of Toronto.
The presentation was attended by Tania López Larroque, Cuban consul general in Toronto and Máriem Martínez, first secretary of the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa, who thanked Ricardo Archer, director of the Toronto Latin American Film Festival for the invitation to participate in this important event and all those present for their contribution to the recovery of the damages caused by Hurricane Irma in Cuba.
With information from Cubadebate and Embassy of Cuba in Canada