Sag Harbor Cinema And Cinema Tropical To Welcome “Identifying Features” Director And Co-Writer For Virtual Chat

Sag Harbor Cinema (SHC) is partnering with Cinema Tropical to present a special virtual conversation with Identifying Features director Fernanda Valadez and producer/co-writer Astrid Rondero on Sunday, January 31. The drama will be available to screen via SHC’s virtual cinema starting Friday, January 29.

“Identifying Features is a special debut. Fernanda and Astrid, together with their cast and crew, bring compassion, poetry, visual beauty and an unexpected touch of thriller to a story that well exemplifies the ongoing tragedy at our Southern border,” SHC Artistic Director Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan said. “I am excited to have them in conversation and to present the film. I am also delighted to continue our collaboration with Cinema Tropical. Their support plays an important role in our continuous exploration of Latin American Cinema.”

Identifying Features is Valadez’s directorial debut. The film follows a mother’s journey to learn what happened to her son after he vanishes while crossing the U.S. border. “I found the story I wanted to tell in the travelers and immigrants vanishing by the day, and in the families that look for them in the mass graves where corpses appear by the hundreds,” Valadez said about the film.

The film was celebrated with Screenplay Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the 2021 Gotham Award for Best International Feature, and Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Audience.

The chat with Valadez and Rondero will take place on Sunday, January 31 on 4:30 p.m.

“Cinema Tropical celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. Since our debut in 2001, we have found that it truly takes a village to keep this art form vibrant – filmmakers, distributors, scholars, critics and most importantly our partnerships with cultural institutions. The Sag Harbor Cinema and the village it calls its home will be an exciting partner in screening the best new Latin American Cinema,” noted Mary Jane Marcasiano, Director of Strategic Partnerships Cinema Tropical.

Additional upcoming Cinema chats include a conversation with Pietro Marcello, director of Martin Eden, on Saturday, February 6 at 4:30 p.m. and a conversation with John Powers, critic at large for NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and WKW: The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai co-author, on Sunday, February 14th at 4:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.sagharborcinema.org.