Ken Schneider & Marcia Jarmel

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - Sponsored by Irving House of Harvard
80 min | 2020 | US/Cuba

Virtuoso Afro-Cuban-born brothers—violinist Ilmar and pianist Aldo—live on opposite sides of a geopolitical chasm a half-century wide. Tracking their parallel lives in New York and Havana, their poignant reunion, and their momentous first performances together, this film offers a nuanced, often startling view of estranged nations through the lens of music and family.

Featuring an electrifying, genre-bending score, composed by Cuban Aldo López-Gavilán, performed with his American brother, Ilmar, and with guest appearances by maestro Joshua Bell and the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet.

Awards: Woodstock FF-Best Doc; Official Selections: DOCNYC, Mill Valley, Bend Oregon, GlobeDocs, Cinematters, Omaha Int’l, Ashland, River Run, Mountain Film.

CARMEN AT THE PARLOR OPERA HOUSE

Gérome Barry

2 min | 2020 | France | US Premiere

A quarantined Parisian goes to the opera in his own living-room.

Awards: Fool’s Gold Award - Play the Fool Int’l Short FF Canada; Official Selection: Abby FF – London, Linea d'Ombra FF – Italy, Festival Int’l De Cortometrajes Cine Mundo Online – Argentina, PhotoBrussels Festival, Belgium, Int’l Coronavirus Short FF – India, New Generation FF – Serbia, Festival Int’l de Cine La Perla – Ecuador, Covid 19 FF – Italy, Suikerzoet FF – Netherlands, Quarantine Images Short FF – Argentina.