It is an honor for the Dominican Republic to host such an extraordinary gathering of renowned national and international film professionals, and present a most remarkable selection of the contemporary cinema to our audiences.
This year’s Dominican Republic Global Film Festival inaugurates what will become an annual event, a cultural
and artistic point of reference defined by bringing the best of international dramatic and documentary cinema
to the country. By exhibiting a wide variety of films to which audiences in the Dominican Republic would not
otherwise have access, the Festival aims to deepen understanding of global issues. It seeks to benefit Dominican
youth by raising awareness, proposing solutions to pressing social problems, and promoting concepts of individual
creativity and opportunity.
The power of film on personal stories is universal. By exhibiting films that both entertain and raise
the viewer’s awareness of issues that shape our lives in a global community, the Festival is a clear catalyst for social, cultural
and economic development. As we celebrate the excellence in filmmaking and promote cinema as a tool for social awareness, we also spotlight the Dominican
Republic, a country open to filmmakers from all around the world, and ready to host them in their future endeavors.
Although the Dominican Republic has been a location for film shooting for decades, its potential has hardly been tapped. Our
country is endowed with incredible natural beauty and diversity, exceptionally hospitable and hardworking people, and a very
attractive geographical position at the crossroads of the Americas. It is a stable democracy, boasting an impressive economic
growth, modernizing its infrastructure at an extraordinary speed, and fully committed to the capacity building of its labor force.
We believe the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival will add new impetus to our country’s irreversible march toward progress
and international recognition. We hope it will be an exciting and gratifying experience as much for our film professionals, youth
and people in general as for the international guests who honor us with their visit.
We’ll be looking forward to hosting our international friends and their colleagues from all around the world again at the Dominican
Republic Global Film Festival next year’s edition, or maybe on a set, shooting on one of our amazing locations. We can already assure
them that in the Dominican Republic they will receive the most hospitable, efficient and dedicated support.
Dr. Leonel Fernandez
President of the Dominican Republic
Honorary President of the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival
