Via Carolina Botero:

Ciudad Bolívar in the poor periphery of Bogota will be hosting during september 16 to the 23rd the IV Festival Internacional de Cine y Video Alternativo y Comunitario “Ojo al Sancocho” www.ojalsancocho.org. This festival is held annually with the main objective of democratizing the audiovisual culture among communities of this poor peripheries in Colombia.

The festival is a celebration of culture, where artists, musicians new Colombian movies, academics and also international audiovisual productions share their points of view with all the people that is called to participate during the festival in the communitary places of the neighborhood that includes streets and walls. Last years exhibits of movies in the streets (against the house walls) were probably one of the most interesting and strange experiences that the neighbors witnessed, experiences that allow important and communitary guests to mix and match with ordinary people to understand together realities that we all share from different geographical perspectives.

Ecuador is the special guest this year and the festival will cover not just Ciudad Bolivar but also Soacha another peripheral community with free and open to everyone activities. Productions from Ecuador, but also Mexico, Chile, Spain, Brazil, Venezuela and USA will share their experiences with locals in over 30 movies. Even though the emphasis is on audiovisual productions, the appropriation of the local landscape through guided tours, photo forums and communitary performance venues are also part of the invitation. The political and activist issues will also have a place with gender and children spaces, even HIV chats will take place and workshops will be held for specific populations.

This event takes place thanks to the work of “Sueños Films Colombia” that supports the project “Centro de Medios Ciudad Bolivar” http://centrodemedioscb.wordpress.com/ and with the finantial support of private and public sector and even some international organizations and embassies.