FUERZAfest 2018 Opening Night

In 2016, Hispanic Federation launched FUERZAfest, the first LGBTQ+ Latino Arts Festival in the Northeast which not only celebrated a vibrant community, but addressed critical issues impacting it. Since then, events have been held in New York City, Connecticut and Orlando to create a space for dialogue and awareness of the systemic barriers and threats faced by the Latinx communities. This year, highlighting the theme “ART on the FRONTLINE,” the third installment of FUERZAfest NY will connect with LGBTQ members, straight allies, community leaders, and artists for a 13-day celebration of Latinx LGBTQ culture with panel discussions, networking events, art exhibit, theater showcase and film screening. The arts play a critical role in telling stories that are often hidden. At a time when Latinx and LGBTQ communities are under massive attack, FUERZAfest creates a safe space where brown queer and trans people can come together to celebrate one another, enjoy each other's brilliance in art, dance and cinema and engage in much-needed political and social discussion. Our hope is that by bringing these issues to light we spark a necessary conversation about what our communities value, who we are, and how we need to stand with one another to fight injustice. In the name of... Curated by: Richard Morales This exhibit grows out of the belief that art dismantles stereotypes and builds connections. Each artist in this exhibit helps shed light on different stories from the frontlines of their lives and those close to them. Intimacy, social criticism, civic empowerment, and cultural celebration are just a few of the threads running through the works. These queer artists from New York, Latin America, and the Caribbean thus use their art to spur thought, encourage self-expression, and catalyze social transformation. EXHIBITING ARTISTS Daphne Arthur Juan Jose Barboza-Gubo and Andrew Mroczek Lionel Cruet Chris Korber Alvaro Luna Brittany Maldonado Rodrigo Moreira Carlos Motta Antonio Pulgarin David Rios Catalina Schliebener Joana Toro. UNA MUJER FANTASTICA ​ Director: Sebastián Lelio│ 2017 │ Chile Feature Film │ 90 minutes │Spanish with English Subtitle​s Headlining the opening night of FUERZAfest - NY Latinx LGBTQ Arts Festival is the Chilean film: A Fantastic Woman (Una mujer fantástica) – winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in the recent celebration of the Oscars. ​ La noche de apertura de FUERZAfest - se engalana con la presentación de la película chilena: Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) – ganadora del Premio de la Academia a la mejor película de lengua extranjera en la reciente celebración de los Premios Óscar. ​ Starring: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Kuppenheim, Nicolás Saavedra, Amparo Noguero, Néstor Cantillana, Alejandro Goic, Antonia Zegers, Sergio Hernández