"Neurótica Anónima," by Jorge Perugorría and Mirtha Ibarra, Opens 20th Gibara Poor Film Festival

July 17, 2026

The film "Neurótica Anónima", directed by Jorge Perugorría and Mirtha Ibarra, opened the 20th edition of the International Festival of Poor Cinema of Gibara on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in the coastal city of Holguín. The film, competing in the fiction feature category, was chosen to open the festival as a tribute to Perugorría, who presided over the event for five years, Organizing Committee member Rafael Grillo told the Cuban News Agency (ACN).

Based on the play of the same name written by Mirtha Ibarra, "Neurótica Anónima" tells the story of Iluminada, a woman who, after studying to become a literature teacher, ends up working as an usher at a Havana movie theater threatened with demolition. Ibarra co-stars alongside actor Roberto Perdomo.

Sergio Benvenuto Solás, president of the Organizing Committee, said that although the festival was initially postponed due to the country's energy situation, organizers ultimately decided to hold it in summer to draw greater participation from university students and young people. The festival, which runs through July 18, maintains the diversity and quality of its film programming despite current difficulties, preserving the spirit of its founder, filmmaker Humberto Solás.

As in previous editions, the event includes theater, music, dance, forums and visual art exhibitions at various points around Gibara's Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos. The International Festival of Poor Cinema of Gibara, created in April 2003 by Humberto Solás, has become one of the most respected alternative film events in Latin America.