Let Us Celebrate the 115th Anniversary of the Arrival of Cinema in the Dominican Republic

Let Us Celebrate the 115th Anniversary of the Arrival of Cinema in the Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo, August 19 2015

On August 27 of this year, the first edition of “Día del Cine Nacional” (National Day of Cinema) will be held in the central park of the city of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, at 7:00 pm. This event will include activities to commemorate the 115th anniversary of the arrival of cinema in our country.

The event will be organized by Caribbean Cinemas, the Ministry of Culture, the UASD School of Film, the Directorate General of Film (DGCINE), the Dominican Association of Film Professionals (ADOCINE), and various scientific, academic, social and cultural agencies that are working hard to preserve the diversity of our national culture. They use their activities to strengthen the identity of the province of Puerto Plata in order to celebrate the Restoration of the Republic and to showcase the contributions of artists to the cultural life of the province, by integrating most of the cultural organizations, managers and local institutions.

It all started on the evening of August 27, 1900, when Franchesco Grecco arrived in Puerto Plata bringing with him the innovation of the new century: the Lumière brothers’ movies, which would later become the most powerful art form and business of our time, filmmaking. The Curiel or Municipal Theater was selected as the venue for the screening of the first film that was shown in the country, thus sealing the history of cinema in the Dominican Republic.

This extraordinary event is worth celebrating at a moment when our country has embarked on a major effort to strengthen the Dominican film industry, thanks to the new Film Law of the Dominican Republic.

Celebrating this historic event is critical to creating a more favorable environment for the growth of cinema in our country. This celebration is also an exceptional event that raises the cultural and tourist assets of the Dominican Republic.

In addition, this activity coincides with two other important events: the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and of the founding of the United Nations.

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