The first cinema festival of the Isthmus is just around the corner. From April 11 to the 18, the International Film Festival of Panama will present around 50 productions. During the last couple of days, the name “Panama” has been making its way through several international media regarding film making. The Canadian Henk Van der Kolk, architect and one of the founders of the Toronto International Film Festival, is the one to be blamed for making the Isthmus so popular, and all thanks to his new challenge: The International Film Festival Panama. Now that the TIFF has 36 years in its mother land, Van der Kolk has set himself to organize the IFF in Panama, from the 11th to the 18th of April of 2012. Thus, the Canadian has taken advantage of the TIFF version currently taking place in Toronto in order to advertise the Panamanian Festival. With this new son, Van der Kolk plans to present 50 film productions, and eventually the creation of a film school in the country, as informed to thestar.blogs.com site. “We will be there with 50 productions the first year, jewels all of them”, added to the Screendaily.com publication. In order to finance this project, Van der Kolk has been in touch with the Government of Panama and counts with the support of the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP). Ernesto Orillac, from the ATP, stated in the online publication that “the IFF that will take place in Panama, in 2012, is a unique opportunity to show the world the magnificent matters that are taking place in Panama. Our country has different regions and colors and projects these through films, that when seen throughout the globe, is a great way to advertise Panama’s beauties”. EXPORTING THE ISTHMUS The board of directors of the Panamanian festival is constituted by Panamanian filmmakers and local industry representatives of the entertainment industry, like Pituka Ortega Heilbron (who is currently at the Toronto festival), Abner Benaim, Luis Pacheco, as well as the musician and actor Ruben Blades, ex-administrator of the ATP. To Van der Kolk, this opportunity that Panama has in order to expose its filmmaking talent reminds him of Canada in the year of 1976, when the TIFF started in Canada. “In 1976, our media didn’t have any interest in us, as Canadian filmmakers. Therefore, we made a film festival for the world to recognize us”, was registered by Screendaily.com Panama has a world of advantages, in my opinion, because with the upcoming festival we expect to attract “the travelers’ culture” with a new offer to the film festival visitors who have the money to travel through the world and enjoy the seventh art. “Having it in April, the people from the north hemisphere will be coming from winter, reason why many of them will want to be at the beach, and that is something you can do in Panama (…) The Isthmus has ease of access with direct routes to Europe and North America”. Fuente: La Prensa.com Autor: Rella Rosenshain