Flamenco Arts Festival Returns with FLAMENCO ON FILM A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE April 23 – 24, 2022

8 original short films showcasing 16 world-renowned legends of flamenco, including the Makarines, Eduardo Guerrero, María Moreno, Luisa Palicio, and Pedro Ricardo Miño (in a tribute performance to Alan Kozlowski and an introduction by Jackson Browne)
and a special performance filmed in Santa Barbara

A year in the making, and nearly three years since its last event in 2019, the Flamenco Arts Festival will launch its first Flamenco on Film virtual festival in April showcasing 3 countries, 8 short films, and 16 world-renowned artists performing in beautiful spaces in and around Sevilla and Santa Barbara, California with highlights of flamenco festivals in Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) and Querétaro (Mexico).

“While facing daunting challenges, arts organizations, artists, and promoters have found innovative ways to adapt and survive during the pandemic,” said Vibiana, President and Co-founder of the Flamenco Arts Festival. “Returning to the arts scene with a virtual festival has given us a creative outlet and a renewed vision to continue presenting and supporting flamenco.”

All eight films, original productions for the Flamenco Arts Festival, were shot during 2021 at locations in Spain, Mexico, and Santa Barbara, overcoming the many challenges of constantly shifting pandemic precautions and restrictions. The films will be added to the Flamenco Arts Festival film library and serve as a historical look at creating art during this unprecedented time. Films run between 5 and 50 minutes.

Flamenco on Film also features a special film, Sevillanas, performed by Santa Barbara dancers and includes friends of Old Spanish Days Fiesta and the world premiere of Loco Por Ti (music for the film). The film is an enchanting interpretation of the popular music and dance tradition of Spain. Sevillanas showcases over 30 dancers of all ages and dance levels filmed at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and includes musicians and composers of Loco Por Ti, guitarist Andres Vadin and singer José Cortes

Flamenco Arts Festival worked closely with Seville-based filmmaker Felix Vazquez in the making of Flamenco on Film, and in the process created new ways to partner and collaborate with other flamenco organizations and individuals in Spain and in Mexico to showcase the shared flamenco traditions deeply rooted in these countries and the people who devote their lives to flamenco onstage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. It is a passport into the cinematic world of flamenco from the comfort of home!

“Through Flamenco on Film, we welcome an expanded global audience to spend a few hours in the diverse world of flamenco, with the many talented people, beautiful places, spaces, and events that warm our hearts and souls,” said Vibiana. “And when it is safe, we hope Flamenco on Film will inspire everyone to seek out live flamenco in their cities. It is the most important way for artists to present their work and for communities to experience and support this beautiful art form.”

The virtual festival premieres April 23 and April 24 but can be viewed through April 29th. Tickets are per household and are available for each day or a package price for all eight films.

FLAMENCO ON FILM AT A GLANCE:

Program 1 / Saturday, April 23, 2022 / 12 PM PST USA
•Makarines (contemporary flamenco vocal duo – 29 mins)
•Ibérica Contemporánea (highlights of a festival in México -13 mins)
•Volver (special documentary presentation -11 mins)
•María Moreno (experimental flamenco dance performance – 29 mins)

Program 2 / Sunday, April 24, 2022 / 12 PM PST USA
•Sevillanas (traditional folk dance and music performance with world premiere soundtrack – 5 mins)
•Luisa Palicio (classic flamenco dance performance – 33 mins)
•Festival de Jerez (highlights of a flamenco festival in Spain – 13 mins)
•Pedro Ricardo Miño (flamenco music performance – 50 mins)

Based in Santa Barbara, the Flamenco Arts Festival (FAF) is an international cultural arts organization devoted exclusively to the ancient art form of flamenco. In normal times, the FAF has produced its live in-person event presenting world-renowned flamenco artists from Spain and the U.S. in productions never-before-seen on the West Coast. Up to 2,000 local, national, and international attendees come to the beautiful city of Santa Barbara to participate in four days of live concerts, workshops, film events, and tributes.

Founded in 1999 by Vibiana and her father Alberto Pizano, the Festival was established with the goal of celebrating cultural diversity in the arts and introducing Santa Barbara and the South Coast to a caliber of flamenco artists and performances never before seen in the area and to increase the interest, knowledge and understanding of the art form.

“We are grateful for the extensive show of support from our local and international partners and sponsors for this year’s Flamenco on Film, who are strengthening local culture and education, while helping to build a global community around the Flamenco Arts Festival’s artistic and educational initiatives and celebrate cultural diversity in the arts,” said Vibiana.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:

In the early 1990s Vibiana, President of the Flamenco Arts Festival, saw a string of flamenco performances during her month-long stay in Sevilla. She was very impressed with the performances and afterwards wondered why a world-class flamenco festival couldn’t be a part of the cultural arts calendar in Santa Barbara. That trip inspired her and her father, Alberto Pizano, to found the Flamenco Arts Festival in 1999.

For over twenty-three years, the Flamenco Arts Festival and its current directors, Vibiana, Pablo Pizano, and Maria Cabrera, have helped Santa Barbara become a focal point for flamenco in the United States by bringing internationally renowned artists from Spain to an American city rich with Spanish heritage and respect for its traditions.

Many of the giants of flamenco have performed to near sell-out crowds during the annual Festival, such as Patricia Guerrero, María Juncal, Angel Rojas, Carlos Rodriguez, Eva la Yerbabuena, Cristina Hoyos, Israel Galvan and Pastora Galván, Javier Barón, Antonio Najarro, Rafael Amargo, Jesús Carmona, Manuel Liñan, Eduardo Guerrero, and Andres Vadin. Some of the up-and-coming artists who appeared at the Lobero Theatre alongside these masters, such as singer Arcángel, are now ‘giants’ in their own right.

The Flamenco Arts Festival has partnered with local community organizations and schools to help make the Festival accessible to children and families by providing them with opportunities to attend Festival events through the Access to the Arts (ATTA) Initiative. This year, ATTA will provide 60 free community access tickets to Flamenco on Film.

Classic flamenco movies have also been shown, as well as live interviews with the visiting performers. The dance and music workshops conducted by the visiting artists have given local flamenco artists and the general public the opportunity to work and interact with Spanish masters.
None of this would have been possible without the support of local individuals, businesses, public agencies, foundations, and the unfailing support of the audiences, which for over 23 years have given the Flamenco Arts Festival a warm and enthusiastic reception. The success of the Festival’s excellent artistic and educational programming have confirmed the founders’ belief that there can be no better location for the Flamenco Arts Festival than the city of Santa Barbara. www.flamencoarts.org.
“Since its inception… Santa Barbara’s Flamenco Arts Festival has evolved into what can only be described today as a coveted destination for the world’s finest flamenco artists”
Cami Barnwell / SB Independent

CALENDAR OF EVENTS DETAIL
PROGRAM 1: Saturday, April 23

MAKARINES
A contemporary flamenco vocal duo
Featured artists: José Ibañez and Maka Ibañez
Filmed at: Casa Montalván, Sevilla, Spain (2021)
Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Run time: approximately 29 minutes

The Makarines are a flamenco singing duo formed by brothers José and Maka Ibañez. Raised in the rich tradition of flamenco, their sound is at once classic and freshly modern, with beautifully layered vocals that give the music a celestial feel. Their hallmark flamenco fusion and easy listening style defies categorization yet is still rooted in the tradition of flamenco cante (singing). For Flamenco on Film, the Makarines were filmed from the beautiful Casa Montalván in Sevilla.

Festival Internacional de Danza
IBÉRICA CONTEMPORÁNEA
This short film showcases a very popular dance festival in México with a growing flamenco community.

Special appearances by: Manuel Segovia, Concha Jareño, Antonio Rey, Jesús Corbacho, Juan Paredes, David Sánchez “El Galli”, José Manuel Álvarez, and Mizuho Soto
Filmed at: Festival Internacional de Danza Ibérica Contemporánea, Querétaro, Mexico (2021)
Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Run time: approximately 13 mins

In just eight editions the Festival Internacional de Danza Ibérica Contemporánea has managed to cut out a place for itself among the great flamenco, Spanish, and contemporary dance festivals of the world and is certainly the most outstanding festival of its kind in Latin America. Held in the month of July this festival includes top stars in the field of dance, including flamenco, and is a unique opportunity to see experimental or avant-garde approaches, as well as fashion shows, gastronomy, and diverse visual arts, among other featured specialties.
—–

VOLVER

This film was produced and is being shown courtesy of filmmaker Felix Vazquez sponsored in part by Festival Internacional de Danza Ibérica Contemporánea.

Director and Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Featured dancers: Eduardo Guerrero, Maria Moreno,
Voice: Javier Latorre
Text: Manuel Segovia
Filmed at: Sevilla and Madrid, Spain
Run time: approximately 11 mins
Volver was a special project of filmmaker Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, and is one short piece of a larger work called Portrait Collection. The larger collection of short films was in cooperation with and features many prominent and influential flamenco artists and depicts the encounter or convergence of art and film. It is an inspirational endeavor by filmmaker Vazquez to reflect the significance of art during a very complex time in history.

Volver is urban and was filmed in the solitude of night and in slow motion to depict the paralysis and lethargy of art during the pandemic. This short piece highlights dance and was recorded in Sevilla and Madrid with the appearance of dancers Eduardo Guerrero and Maria Moreno, the voice of Javier Latorre, with text written by Manuel Segovia.

The Death of Culture by Manuel Segovia
(The entire text can be viewed at https://flamencoarts.org/event-details-volver/)
“I’m going to tell you about the moment I was about to die one cold night in the month of January. I don’t know how I got into that situation…… “
—–

MARÍA MORENO
This film showcases Maria Moreno’s dance experimental work with the rhythm of Solea.
Featured artists: María Moreno (Dancer), Juan Requena (Guitarist), Roberto Jaén (Percussionist)
Filmed at: Museo del Baile Flamenco Cristina Hoyos, Sevilla (2021)
Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Run time: approximately 29 mins
María Moreno’s highly stylized performances unfold with a passionate cadence like a captivating story. Featuring everything from the subtlest nuances to the most exacting movements, she makes the dance look as natural as breathing. Her career began when she was just 8 years old when she enrolled in the Professional Dance Conservatory of Cádiz. After joining the Eva Yerbabuena’s prestigious flamenco company in 2004, María Moreno launched her solo career in 2006 and has since collaborated with some of flamenco’s greatest artists. Moreno has been lauded with recognitions including ‘Best New Artist Award’ at the 2017 Festival de Jerez, Best New Artist Giraldillo award for her 2018 debut show De la Concepción at Seville’s Teatro Central as part of the city’s Flamenco Biennial, and The Magic Moment Giraldillo Award in 2020.

End of Program 1

Program 2: Sunday, April 24
—–

SEVILLANAS
A traditional folk dance and music performance
In association with Old Spanish Days Fiesta and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Sponsored in part by Carol Garten in memory of her husband Homer Garten

Dancers: Paloma Aguilar, Ariyanna Alcantar, Violette Alcantar, Anaia Barrios, Marisol Cabrera, Faith Garcia, Tink Gerthoffer, Emilio Gonzales, Evelyn Gudino, Jade Gudino, Brooke Harris, Jack Harwood, Skylar Harwood, Elise Hernandez-Alvarado, Savannah Hoover, Gisele Goena, Giselle Lomeli, Zara Long, Cristina Nubia Love, Tara Mata, Sienna Mora, Natalie Mowers, Lei’ana Navarro, Alexandra Nocker, Lila Overton, Shyla Itzel Payan, Michelle Restivo, Remy Rosales, Gilda Sahagun, Jessica Sahagun, Olivia Saldana, Natalia Trevino, Selena Valencia, Anissa Ward, Ysabella Yturralde.

Directed by: Vibiana
Musicians: Andres Vadin (guitarist), José Cortés (singer)
Filmed at: Santa Barbara Historical Museum (2021)
Filmed by: David Bazemore
Edited by: Michael Hess, Alacranmedia, Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films
Music: World Premiere of Loco Por Ti, composed by Andres Vadin and José Cortes
Run time: approximately 5 mins

One of the most popular events in Sevilla, the Feria de Abril (April Fair), is a joyous celebration held in the spring. Thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds gather for seven days dressed in traditional costumes to dance Sevillanas, view horseback parades, and enjoy delicious food and drink. On a beautiful spring night, Santa Barbara dancers of all ages and dance levels, musicians, and friends came together to perform Sevillanas, in a scene reminiscent of the days following the inaugural event in Sevilla, “noche del alumbrado” (night of the lighting). Filmed in the Santa Barbara Historical Museum courtyard, it is an enchanting celebration of dance and music and highlights decades of the rich history of Spanish dance and artistic expression in the culture and everyday life of residents, not only in Spain, but in Santa Barbara.
——

LUISA PALICIO
A classic flamenco dance performance
Special introduction: Cristina Heeren, Founder Fundación Cristina Heeren
Featured artists: Luisa Palicio (Dancer), Jesús Rodríguez (Guitarist), Ana Gómez (Singer), David “El Chupete” Rodríguez (Percussionist)
Filmed at: Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Sevilla (2021)
Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Run time: approximately 33 mins

Combining ethereal grace and earthy sensuality, Luisa Palicio is lauded for her adventurous expression that grows from her classical roots in flamenco. Described as simultaneously seductive and angelic in movement — and larger-than-life in every aspect of her performances — Palicio’s range knows no bounds. Born in Málaga in 1984, Luisa Palicio began her dance career at four, studying flamenco, classical ballet, and contemporary dance.

She has earned top recognitions throughout her career, including the Giraldillo Artista Revelación of the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla in 2006, best dancer and the Miguel Acal Critics Award in 2008, the Premio Artista Revelación prize at the 2014 Festival de Jerez. Palicio’s solo shows and performances in legendary theaters and festivals have garnered acclaim and awards. In 2020, Palicio presented her new solo show “TEMPUS” at the Festival de Jerez to critical acclaim. The world tour of “TEMPUS” was put on hold due to the pandemic, so it is with added excitement that we welcome Luisa Palacio to our virtual stage with her most recent work.
—–

FESTIVAL DE JEREZ
This film highlights a popular and important flamenco festival in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Featured artists: Special appearances by Arcángel (singer), Isamay Benavente (Director Festival de Jerez), Tania Goh (Spanish Dance Singapore ), José Manuel Gamboa (flamenco producer)
Filmed at: Festival de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain (2021)
Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Run time: approximately 13 mins

Jerez de la Frontera is one of the most important flamenco zones of Spain. The Festival de Jerez attracts thousands of flamenco aficionados and practitioners from all over the world. In 2021, with COVID restrictions still in place, the organizers decided to produce their live annual event and move from its regular time slot in February-March to May. The smaller attendance was marked by a strong commitment of the artists and enthusiasm of those who were able to attend. Festival programs has always included world premieres and major stars as well as emerging or experimental artists at venues like the historic Teatro Villamarta, and the so-called “Off” program with a tradition of free shows and small recitals throughout the city. The photo is by Felix Vazquez and is a statute of Lola Flores, a famous singer, actress, and dancer. This statute is in Jerez de la Frontera where she was born and revered. She passed away in 1995.
—–

PEDRO RICARDO MIÑO: A tribute to Alan Kozlowski
Introduction by Jackson Browne
Sponsored in part by Jackson Browne

Featured artists: Pedro Ricardo Miño (Piano), Manuel Valencia (Compas/palmas), Manuel de Cantarote (Compas/palmas), Paco Vega ( Cajón)
Filmed at: Mr. Miño’s home studio in Triana, Spain (2021)
Filmmaker: Felix Vazquez, BuenaSombra Films, Spain
Run time: approximately 50 mins

While Grammy ® Nominee and platinum record artist Pedro Ricardo Miño’s music is rooted in the rich tradition of flamenco, it expands outward to encompass an exuberant global sound developed through years of musical exploration. The son of famous flamenco artists, dancer Pepa Montes and guitarist Ricardo Miño, Miño was immersed in the sounds of flamenco music as a child. Since his first appearances in the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla, Miño has performed in national and international theaters, accompanying top stars of flamenco cantaores such as Enrique Morente, Manuel Molina, El Pele, Arcángel, Pansequito, Pepe de Lucía, Lole Montoya, Luisa Ortega, Fernando Terremoto, and Estrella Morente. In 1999, he made his debut in the United States with a series of concerts, which was followed by collaborations with prestigious musicians such as Ravi Shankar, Jackson Browne, and others who were profoundly inspired by his interpretation of flamenco music.
End of Program 2

—–

MEDIA:

Interview Request
Reporters are invited to arrange preview interviews with the artists and/or with Festival president and co-founder, Vibiana Pizano through the Flamenco Arts Festival office; and to attend Flamenco on Film for review articles.

Photos and Video
High-resolution images are available to the media for the purpose of preview/review articles, community calendars, and associated media coverage.

 
Press Tickets
Members of recognized media outlets may receive a complimentary access for review purposes only. To request tickets, send an email to the address listed below and include the following information:
Write “Press Access Request” in the subject line of the email. Include your name, the publication, or media outlet you are reviewing for, and when you anticipate your review to run.

Please request tickets at least two weeks in advance of the April 23 premiere. We are unable to honor same day requests.

Festival Contact
For access to a photo gallery link, to schedule an interview or request tickets, send email to info@flamencoarts.org.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS:
Tickets to the Flamenco on Film festival may be purchased online at https://flamencoarts.ticketsauce.com/e/flamenco-arts-festival-2022/tickets. The virtual festival premieres April 23 and 24 but can be viewed through April 29th at 11:59 pm. Events and performances have been filmed in advance and are not live. Complete program details plus a FAQ page are on the website at flamencoarts.org

•Program 1 (4 films): $25 plus fees
•Program 2 (4 films): $25 plus fees
•Program 1 and 2 (all 8 films): $40 plus fees
Tickets are per household

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS 2022:

Flamenco Arts Festival thanks the following organizations and businesses for their generous support of the 2022 Flamenco on Film, A Virtual Experience.

Featured Sponsors: California Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Tourist Office of Spain in Los Angeles, City of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, Santa Barbara Bowl Outreach Foundation, Jackson Browne, Schlinger Family Foundation, Léni Fé Bland Performing Arts Partnership, Mosher Foundation, La Rubia Productions-Carol and Homer Garten,
Montecito Bank and Trust, Anne & Hale Milgrim.
This project is funded in part by the Events and Festivals Grant Program using funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.

Partners: Old Spanish Days Fiesta, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Festival Internacional de Danza Ibérica Contemporánea, Fundación Cristina Heeren de Arte Flamenco, Fundación Proart, Latin Percussion, Lobero Theatre, Museo del Baile Flamenco Cristina Hoyos, Santa Barbara Airport, Festival de Jerez.