Home CaribeNet CaribeNet Cartagena CaribeNet Cartagena 50th Cartagena Film Festival 2010 starts on February 25th An exciting time to visit Cartagena is during the Cartagena Film Festival or Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena . This year marks its 50th anniversary and it promises to be the best. The festival is considered to be the oldest Latin American film festival. The dates this year are February 25th through March 5th, 2010. The festival showcases films from all over the world, highlighting Colombian television and Latin American films. Some of the categories included are: Short Films Competition, Documentary Competition, Women's Film Section, International Video Screening and New Talent. Some notable directors include Michael Haneke, Juan Jose Campanella, Jacques Audiard and Sam Mendes. Actress Maribel Abello Banfi, Mario Sabato, who is a notable director of film and television and animator Thomas Wells will all be judging some of the film competitions. Over the course of the festival several workshops will be offered. Video Art Creation, Film Criticism and Rewrtitng and Pitch of Documentaries are three that promise to be interesting and informative. Well known editors, professors and film makers have signed on to teach these workshops. Every year the Cartagena Film Festival invites a Guest of Honor. This year Spain takes that rank with many of its well known film directors taking part. Films are shown throughout Cartagena, both inside theaters and under the sky at open air screenings. Screening sights include Theatre Heredia, CineColombia, Multiplex Castellana as well as public places like Plaza Trinidad or Plaza Aduana. The Grand Gala of the Cartagena Film Festival takes place February 25th at the Plaza de la Aduana, an historic outdoor area. Reggaeton artist, J Balvin will be participating as well vallenato artist Jorge Oñate. The Gala will be a treat for the ears of all music lovers. If you are a lover of movies plan to visit during late February for the most important Latin film festival, the Cartagena Film Festival. You will not be disappointed! More information you will find on the festivals official homepage at www.festicinecartagena.org Music to the Traveler's Ear - Cartagena International Music Festival 2010 South America offers a rich experience for any traveler. This region’s variety of countries provides the tourist with a great selection of things to do and places to see. The picturesque city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia is home to a number of exciting opportunities for every traveler. A new event that is capturing the eyes of travelers is La Cartagena Festival Internacional De Musica, or the Cartagena International Music Festival, which is held from January 9 until the 16th. Begun in 2007 by Charles Wadsworth, Victor Salvi, and his wife Julia Salvi this festival has been held annually for four years. For the Salvis this music festival is a tool their organization, Fundación Salvi, uses to combat poverty and violence in Colombia. This festival started off simply using chamber music. The festival now, though, has added many new concerts and musical styles, including many performances by Colombian musicians. It seeks to raise the musical level in the country and raise a generation that makes music an important part of everyday life. The tourist who takes part in this festival will surely be enriched by its program. Many activities are offered each day of the festival. Each day there is at least one concert. On some days, like Monday, January 11, there are many concerts. Featured in all of the concerts are a variety of artists and musicians. Some of the featured acts are Natalia Forero, the talented teenagers Lyon and Healy, and the Fundación Salvi. Other prominent features of the program are the exhibitions and special lectures. One notable lecture is “The Life of Mozart-The Years of Maturity”. All these events make for a memorable program. In addition to the abundant daily features of the Festival’s program, the tourist can join in some of the highlights of the festival. The festival will include several lectures and other musical performances, such as the City of London Symphony, the Shanghai String Quartet, and pianist Stephen Prutsman. Indeed, this festival is one that promises entertainment, excitement, and memories for a lifetime. With this festival you can make your Colombian vacation complete. Hay Festival Cartagena 2010 The Hay Festival of Literature and Arts originated in the small town of Hay-on-Wye in Wales, which is lovingly known as The Town of Books. After starting small, the Hay Festival grew rapidly and later festivals included live performances and film previews. The latest development is that the festival is now international with sister festivals taking place in various locations around the world, including Nairobi, Segovia and Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. The 2010 Cartagena Hay Festival will run from the 28th to the 31st of January 2010. The festival will be the fifth of the series held in Cartagena and promises to feature an outstanding mix of local and international authors and artists, including Ian McEwan and Manu Dibango. Festival events will be held in various locales like the Plaza Aduana, the Theater Adolfo Mejia and the Plaza Santa Domingo and tickets can be purchased online at the festival's own website. An associated event is the online National Short Story Competition that is organized especially for young adults of secondary, higher and further education levels across Colombia and the prizes for the best stories will be handed out during the festival. The festival is not only aimed at students, however, and adults and, where appropriate, children are also encouraged to attend. Manu Dibango Photo by Espace Michel Simon Placido Domingo in Cartagena Placido Domingo Photo by Russell Hirshon Spanish tenor Placido Domingo will perform an open air concert on 5th of December 2009. The maestro will present his show with Grammy winning soprano singer Ana María Martínez as well as Cartagena's "Orquesta Sinfonica", conducted by Eugene Kohn. Location for this cultural highlight will be the "Camellón de los Mártires", in front of the clock tower (Torre del Reloj). The Cartagena event will be one of only 3 concerts of Domingos Latin American tour, covering as well Caracas and Lima. Tickets will be available at prices between 45 and 600 USD. New direct air connections Lima - Cartagena From April 29th LAN Peru will start a non stop flight from Lima to Cartagena. The new route will be operated two times per week using an Airbus A319 with a capacity of 144 passengers . The new route is focused to cover the high demand from South American tourists visiting Cartagena de Indias. Since end of March national budget airline Easyfly offers direct connections between Cartagena and Bucaramanga with connections to Cúcuta. These flights operate three times a week offer an interesting alternative for travelers between Cartagena and Venezuela: Actual prices are around 40USD one-way.