Cannes winner will headline next month’s Orquidea Cinema Festival

Next month’s Fifth Orquídea Cinema Festival will be headlined by the Colombian film El Abrazo de la Serpiente (The Embrace of the Serpent), winner of the Cinema Art Award at this year’s Cannes festival.

Crowds outside of the Cueva Theater during last year’s film festival.

The film, directed by Ciro Guerra, tells the story of first contact between an Amazonian shaman and two scientists who travel the Amazon in search of a sacred plant with powerful medicinal powers.

El Abrazo de la Serpiente has also won awards at other film festivals, most recently at the Phoenix Festival. It is expected to receive several nominations for the 2016 Oscars in Los Angeles.

The week-long Orquídea Cinema Festival begins November 14 and features screenings at several Cuenca theaters. The festival includes 60 films from Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The Ecuadorian premiere of El Abrazo de la Serpiente will be at the Carlos Cueva Tamariz Theater on the campus of the University of Cuenca. The movie will be repeated several times during the week.

The Orquídea Cinema Festival is organized and funded by the Azuay Provincial Government.