The 7th Dominican Film Festival in New York City (DFFNYC) today announced its official program with a roster of 70 films in a celebration of Dominican filmmaking outside of the Dominican Republic.  The festival runs July 24 to 29 under the slogan “Cinema Unites Us!” (El Cine Nos Une) boasting a wide range of genres, and paying homage to the classics.

DFFNYC starts on Tuesday, July 24, 7:30pm, with a red-carpet event and opening ceremony featuring the U.S. premiere of the romantic comedy El fantasma de mi novia (My Girlfriend’s Ghost) by Francis ‘El Indio’ Disla followed by a Q&A with the film’s stars, Carmen Villalobos and Susana Dosamantes.

DFFNYC will screen in six venues across Manhattan with the AMC Empire 25 as its main venue, and will host more than 60 actors and filmmakers to participate in Q&As and panel discussions. The festival offers a platform for both new and established members of the Dominican film industry to promote their works to the public.

“The festival seeks to give film lovers the most emblematic showcase of the stories that are made in the Dominican Republic today,” said Armando Guareño, DFFNYC’s Founder and Executive Director. “We’ve gathered the most representative film experts and personalities from our island and its diaspora under a single roof.”

The festival line-up includes a tribute to much-admired actors Hector Anibal (Cómplices, Reinbou, El Hombre que Cuida), Kiki Melendez (Cattle Call, Hot Tamales Live, Journey of a Female Comic) and Celines Toribio (Colao, Maria Montez, Las 7 Muertes). Organizers will also pay homage to late director Fernando Baez (Flor de Azucar) and include a presentation of the Dominican classic Pasaje de Ida. DFFNYS will host more than 40 World, U.S., and N.Y. premieres, as well as award-winning features, documentaries, animations and shorts from festivals around the world.