El Centro hosts 4th annual 'Puntos de Vista' documentary festival

By Kristina Kenney
University News Service
April 11, 2013

The Center for the Study of Latino Media and Markets (El Centro), within the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, will host the fourth annual international Spanish-language documentary festival, “Puntos de Vista,” on April 12 at the LBJ Student Center on campus.

The event is free and open to the public and will take place from 8:15 a.m.-10 p.m.

“Puntos de Vista” promotes the creativity and originality of documentaries written and produced by Hispanic university students studying communications and film studies. The topics explored in the 15-20-minute documentaries cover relevant social issues on a global scale and depict how different groups experience their own reality through their unique perspective.

“Our goal is to promote cultural and academic ties among students and develop their interests in significant social issues in their own countries, thus increasing awareness and education,” said Sindy Chapa, organizing committee president and associate director of El Centro.

Students from universities in Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru will display their work, with themes ranging from environmental pollution and military recruitment to violence toward women and preservation of musical and cultural traditions, and compete for a first place prize of $2,000, a second place prize of $1,000 and a third place prize of $500.

“This event provides an opportunity for our students to gain an understanding of the differences and uniqueness’s among Latino cultures, thus working as a platform to develop new ideas for storytelling and cultural interaction,” Chapa said.

The Center for the Study of Latino Media and Markets was developed as a response to the university’s recognition of the increase in the Latino population and the growth of Latino-oriented media in the U.S. The center also emerged from the recognition of the expansion in the number of media corporations venturing into Latin America, and in the linkages between Latin American and U.S. Latino-oriented communication industries. The center understands the importance and need to educate future professionals who can best comprehend, analyze and work in or with industries and markets that cater to Latinos and Latin Americans in the U.S. and abroad.

For additional information about “Puntos de Vista” and to download a program, visit www.masscomm.txstate.edu/cslmm/Puntos-de-Vista-.html, or contact Olga Wilson at (512) 245-6108.