Mariana Da Silva Gives Voices to LatinX Community Through El Cine

I first met Mariana Da Silva at this year’s Screamfest. She was at the premiere of “Trick” with actress Kristina Reyes. I was interviewing Kristina and talking about surprise, surprise…”Come to Daddy.” It turns out Mariana works with SpectreVision, Elijah Wood’s production company. I soon found out Mariana has a company herself. Mariana Da Silva runs a non-profit called El Cine that she founded in 2017. She created El Cine when she realized as an actress and filmmaker, that the roles offered for Latinas were very marginalized and stereotypical. Mariana, an immigrant herself, saw the need to educate people about the diversity within Latin culture. As she puts it, “El Cine is an effort to celebrate who we are and create a new identity of what it means to be “LatinX” within America.”

El Cine is a Latin Film Organization that hosts diverse filmmakers and screenings. They just wrapped up “Jueves De Horror.” During thursday nights in October, El Cine screened Latin horror films from “El Santo Vs. Hombres Infernales” to “Cronos” at the Bob Barker Theater. El Cine also curates a program called “Sabados Animados,” where they screen English and Spanish cartoons Saturday mornings along with vintage commercial breaks and an all you can eat cereal bar. 

I love everything Mariana has created with El Cine. When I heard El Cine would be at Los Angeles Comic-Con, I made sure to run down there and snag an interview with Mariana Da Silva. During Comic-Con, Mariana moderated a panel with the cast of “Mr. Iglesias.” At the El Cine booth, she showed me amazing artwork by Roman Martinez and exclusive Loteria sets they collaborated with him on. The El Cine Loteria, of course, depicts different film characters. My favorite card represents one of my all-time favorite film roles, Sad Girl from “Mi Vida Loca.” To find out more about El Cine watch our interview and visit: https://www.somoselcine.org/

To purchase El Cine Loteria click here: https://www.somoselcine.org/donate/elcine (All proceeds benefit El Cine screenings)

Up-Coming El Cine Shows:

Saturday, November 2, 2019 10:00 AM 12:00 PM: Sabados Animados

Saturday Morning Cartoons: El Cine presents Sabados Animados. Come relive the golden age of waking up early on Saturday morning, overloading a bowl with milk and cereal, and inhaling it while watching wonderful parade of cartoons with El CINE as they bring back Saturday morning cartoons in English and Spanish. A curated visual mix tape of classic and current animated awesomeness, all with vintage commercial breaks and an all-you-can-eat cereal bar! For tickets click here 

Saturday, November 2, 2019, 8:00 PM 10:00 PM & Sunday, November 3, 2019, 5:30 PM 7:30 PM: Escape to Witch Mountain (with a live score & puppets!)

Join the Bob Baker Marionettes and El Cine as they present a one-of-a-kind screening of the Disney classic “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975). Two mysterious orphan children have extraordinary powers and are chased by a scheming millionaire. But where do these kids really call home?

Bob Baker created the iconic puppets that come to life in an unforgettable sequence, and for the first time ever you will see these puppets perform in real-time alongside this fantastic film, with a LIVE SCORE by HOTT MT! Expect a spacey psychedelic dream pop rendition of the film’s classic music, and experience “Escape to Witch Mountain” as never before.In collaboration with Supertight. For tickets click here

This program is part of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s grand opening month, celebrating the last 56 years of the Theater’s performances, contributions, and craft.