Melbourne Filmoteca
Who are we?
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Founded in 1999, Melbourne Filmoteca is a independent, non-profit, volunteer-run group which aims to provide a space for people with a broad range of interests and backgrounds to learn about, and appreciate, not only films from the region, but also the language, music and cultures of Latin America, Portugal and Spain. Melbourne Filmoteca holds monthly screenings of Latin American and Spanish film at Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, Australia on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm.
Video creative: Diana Paez
HISTORY
Melbourne Filmoteca was founded in 1999 by a passionate group of film enthusiasts. The mission was, and still is, to celebrate the vibrant world of Latin American cinema. Today, we're still a volunteer-run community, dedicated to bringing the best of Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese-spoken films to Melbourne's screens.
Each month, we offer a unique cinematic journey at the iconic Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, showcasing films that reflect the rich diversity of Latin American culture, as well as the dynamic worlds of Spain, Brazil, and Portugal. Our carefully curated programs celebrate the cultural diversity of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds, connecting local audiences to the stories, struggles, and joys of these vibrant regions.
Cross-cultural exchange flows both ways—Melbourne Filmoteca offers a vital platform for emerging filmmakers from Latin America and Spain, giving them the opportunity to reach new audiences, local festivals, and distributors.
Join us for a night of powerful storytelling, unforgettable films, and a celebration of culture that stretches from the heart of Latin America to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond!
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Photo: Diana Paez
FILM PROGRAM
Being the only organization in Melbourne exclusively dedicated to showcase Latin-American, Portuguese and Spanish films we have created an online record of the movies we have screened since 1999 until 2013. We are working to update this document to present times This gives our audience not only access to the past films for further amusement and academic purposes, but also we hope it reflects the richness and cultural diversity and talent of the Latin American and Ibero American region. Our databases feature the Title, Director, Year, Nationality and Month when each film was presented.
Aside from referencing past screenings, Melbourne Filmoteca aims to have an annual program which we launch for the audience convenience and excitement, and we try to make it into a special event. It's the perfect place to meet like-minded people interested in good movies and valuable stories, and why not, maybe dust off your Spanish or Portuguese!
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Please note we do not do screenings in January and August. As you may know, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is on in August and we help them spread the word among our subscribers and promote any Spanish and Latin-American films they may be presenting. This resource has been possible thanks to the contribution of the volunteers and web-masters that have joined the organisation since then.