XicanIndie, New Book, Short Story Events

El Centro Su Teatro, in collaboration with the Consulado General de Mexico and the Denver Film Society, proudly presents XicanIndie FilmFest XI: Latino World Cinema, April 2 – 5, 2009 at the Starz FilmCenter, 900 Auraria Parkway in Denver.


What began as a small celebration of independent Chicano film making, has, in a decade’s time, become the foremost Latino film festival in the region. This year’s XicanIndie will feature the Denver premiere of an award-winning and riveting new film from director Alex Rivera, Sleep Dealer; a beloved classic from Mexico’s golden age of cinema; a handful of exciting independent shorts - the Chones; and a special tribute to legendary movie producer Moctesuma Esparza (The Milagro Beanfield War, Gettysburg, Walkout).

Su Teatro announces the XicanIndie FilmFest XI opening night film: Amexicano (a Denver premiere)

Join us at 6:00 p.m. as we celebrate the living legacy of Chicano film producer Moctesuma Esparza (Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, Milagro Beanfield War, Selena, Walkout) followed by the Denver premiere of Amexicano - the story of an unlikely friendship between a down and out Italian-American and a Mexicano day laborer.

“Pulses with the hum of city life”—New York Daily News
“Constantly unpredictable”—Variety

April 2, 6:00 p.m. -- Opening Night Reception (Moctesuma Esparza will be in attendance); City and County of Denver recognizes April 2, 2009 as Moctesuma Esparza Day; Su Teatro presents Esparza with the XicanIndie Lifetime Achievement Award

7:30 p.m. -- Amexicano (distributed by Moctesuma Esparza’s Maya Entertainment)

$15 Opening Night Reception & Film combo

Call El Centro Su Teatro for tickets: 303.296.0219. Check out complete festival details online at: http://xicanindie.suteatro.org or the Denver Film Society website.



NEW BOOK

A Not So Perfect Crime,
Teresa Solana
Bitter Lemon Press, March, 2009

Another day in Barcelona, another slimy politician’s wife is suspected of infidelity. Luis Font discovers a portrait of his wife in an exhibition that leads him to conclude he is being cuckolded by the artist. Concerned only about the potential political fallout, he hires twins Eduard and Pep, private detectives with a supposed knack for helping the wealthy with their “dirty laundry.” Their office is adorned with false doors leading to non-existent private rooms, a mysterious secretary who is always away and a broken laptop computer picked up on the street. The case turns ugly when Font’s wife is found poisoned by a marron glacé from a box of sweets delivered anonymously. This is a deftly plotted, bitingly funny mystery novel. A satire of Catalan politics and a fascinating insight into the life and habits of Barcelona’s inhabitants, diurnal and nocturnal. Winner of the 2007 Brigada 21 Prize for the Best Catalan Mystery Novel.


SHORT STORY EVENTS
Don't forget the group reading and Q&A for Latinos in Lotusland scheduled for March 28, 2009, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.at Librería Martínez, 1200 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92701. Phone: 714-973-7900. Scheduled contributors to the anthology include Lisa Alvarez, Conrad Romo, Victorio Barragan, Alejandro Morales, Sandra Ramos O'Briant, Manuel Ramos, and the esteemed editor, Daniel Olivas.

And, this just in ... a reading and signing for Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery has been set for the Tattered Cover, Colfax store (Denver) for May 21 at 7:30 p.m. Join Mario Acevedo and me at the Tattered as we read from our stories in the new anthology and celebrate this publishing milestone - the first short story collection devoted to Latino crime fiction writers. I will post a complete list of all scheduled Hit List events (from New York to Houston to San Antonio to Denver to L.A.) in the weeks to come. Watch for it.

And while you are at it, watch for another interview with one of the people responsible for putting together Hit List - coming soon.

Later.