MEDIA CONTACT
JOANNA SZU
858.822.3199
jszu@ucsd.edu
Foovie [Food + Movie]: Los Hámsters
Debut Feature Film by Gilberto González Penilla
La Jolla, C.A.—ArtPower at UC San Diego presents the first Foovie [Food + Movie] event of the season—Los Hámsters, directed by Gilberto González Penilla. A delightfully dark social satire about a riotously dysfunctional Tijuana family, Los Hámster reflects contemporary society rather than city itself, replete with references to the alienating effects of social media. Curated by Film Curator Rebecca Webb, the 2015–16 Foovie series explores cultural and gender identity in the context of three “national awareness months.” In partnership with the San Diego Latino Film Festival, this presentation of Los Hámsters pays homage to the National Hispanic Heritage month. The showing takes place on Friday, October 9 at The Loft at UC San Diego. Dinner is served at 7 p.m. Movie begins at 8 p.m., with a short pre-screening ArtTalk with Moises Esparza from the San Diego Latino Film Festival and ends with a short comedic film by Alejandro Becerril Elías, The Contreras Family. Tickets are $34 (Food + Movie) and $10 (Movie only) and are available online at boxoffice.ucsd.edu or by calling 858.534.TIXS (8497).
In collaboration with ArtPower’s partner restaurant Zanzibar at The Loft, the dinner menu is thoughtfully curated to match the film. Menu for this showing includes mini beef empanadas with spicy aioli, carnitas tacos with black beans and Spanish rice, and churros. Vegetarian options available.
About Los Hámsters
Los Hámsters is a movie about the little moments in a Tijuana family’s life—told through the lens of a dark social satire. Los Hámsters reflects contemporary society rather than city itself, replete with references to the alienating effects of social media. Family members go to such lengths to hide secrets from each other that they are completely oblivious to the drama in the others lives. Emerging Mexican filmmaker Gil Gonzalez has crafted a comedy about family dynamics that’s describes contemporary middle class society worldwide.
About Gilberto González Penilla
González Penilla was born in Tijuana, Mexico in 1983 and joined the Training Center of Cinematography (CCC) in 2007. His first short films—The Dinner, The Border of Jesus, and Smile—were screened at several international film festivals including Shorts Shorts México, Hamburg International Short Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival, and Young Cinema Art in Poland. In 2013, he finished his first documentary called Conversations of a Marriage, and Love in the Times of Fires, released at the Morelia International Film Festival. Los Hámsters is his feature film debut.
About ArtPower
ArtPower at UC San Diego builds creative experiences in music, dance, film, exhibition, and food for our collective pleasure and inspiration. We engage diverse audiences through vibrant, challenging, multi-disciplinary performances by emerging and renowned international artists. Through extensive partnerships, ArtPower provides exciting opportunities for research, participation, and creation of new work, igniting powerful dialogue between artists, students, scholars, and the community.
###