Film Screening Brings Visitors From Out of Town-and Out of State

MORENO VALLEY >> The California Museum of Photography, part of the University of California Riverside (UCR) ARTS block, partnered with the UCR LGBT Resource Center to screen the independent film, "Mosquita y Mari”, directed by Aurora Guerrero. The film is a coming of age story that focuses on two young women who grow up in Huntington Park and develop a close relationship. The film was shown at the California Museum of Photography which is part of the UCR ARTSblock which consists of the Jack and Marilyn Sweeney Art Gallery and the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts. The UCR ARTSblock serves the University of Riverside and the community. The associate director of the UCR Art Block, Emily Papavero, stated that the UCR ARTS block brings, “performances, exhibitions and artists from all over the world.” Patrons from the community and University students are invited to attend film screenings offered throughout the year. For this film, The University of California Riverside LGBT Resource Center held a film screening each quarter and, “Mosquito Y Mari” was the film shown for Spring. Javier Hurtado is a graduate student studying Creative Writing at UCR and teaches, "Latinos on Stage and Screen.” Hurtado stepped in for the Director of the LGBT Center, Nancy Jean Tubbs, who was out sick, and introduced the film to audience members. Alex Tapia is a museum assistant and assisted guests and patrons visiting the museum and attending the film screening. He ushers once a week for films and says, “It’s rare people don’t like the films.” Many UCR students and community members came out to see, “Mosquito Y Mari.” Diaz Casner and husband Jack Casner have attended previous films at UCR ARTS block and came out again to see this film. Brenda Saldana, a student at UCR, saw the film before and decided to bring her friend Danielle Vargas to see it with her this time around. As the theatre filled up with audience members, Javier Hurtado introduced the film and gave some background information about “Mosquito Y Mari.” The film was produced with the assistance of the Sundance Film Institute and the director raised $80,000 on a Kickstarter campaign to finance the film. At the end of the screening, audience member Marisa Mora-Zapata said the film reminded her of a similar film called, “Blue is The Warmest Color.” Mora-Zapata was visiting her grandmother, Gloria Zapata, from Washington with her husband, Jonathan Mora-Zapata. Gloria Zapata has seen films before at the UCR ARTSblock and took her granddaughter and husband to see it. Tommy Noble came from Redlands and said he “liked the film and thought the cinematography and the storyline flowed well and it had a good build up and solid conclusion.”