DOCUMENTARY FILM

HEART OF SALSA

HEART OF SALSA, documentary film, explores the profound impact salsa has had on communities and individuals alike. Feel the heartbeat of salsa as the documentary delves into the mesmerizing world of salsa music. From iconic musicians to contemporary maestros, experience the evolution of the sounds that make your heart race and your feet move. Get ready to be enchanted by the melodies that have defined generations.

20000000
People dancing salsa in the world

HEART OF SALSA is not just a documentary; it’s a passionate celebration of the soul-stirring allure of salsa. From the bustling streets of Havana to the iconic dance floors of New York City, this film transcends borders to explore the global phenomenon that is salsa. Witness the evolution of salsa, its cultural significance, and its power to unite people across the globe.

ALBERT TORRES, the visionary behind countless iconic salsa events, lends his unique perspective and personal anecdotes to the narrative. Gain exclusive insights into the challenges, triumphs, and sheer dedication that fuel his passion for spreading the joy of salsa worldwide.

documentary film Heart of salsa Get ready to immerse yourself in the pulsating world of salsa like never before!

MA.degree in film directing on FAMU Academy in Prague. Made over 60 documentaries and reportages as a director and writer. Worked for Czech national film station, Slovenian national TV, Croatian national TV and Belgrade TV. Made a full length feature film called L...like love, as well as a lot of short films, that got world recognition at film festivals. Received an award for film F as the best European short film as well as for the best screenplay by the Czech literary found, an award for documentary TITO at IDFA Film Festival in Amsterdam. Film Festival that have shown her films: Cannes Film Festival, Valencia Film Festival, IDFA, Argentina Film Festival, Raindance London Film Festival, European meeting 27 countries, Creteil Film Festival, Cotbuss Film Festival, Berlin film Festival, Karlovy Vary film festival,.... Her last documentary film was Teslafy Me. More on: www.janjaglogovac.com
Magali had knowledge and expertise as a film maker far exceeds her resume as a Costume Designer. Her work on such films as: Armageddon, The Big Blue, The Professional, Alien Vs Predator, Jumper, Powder Blue, Zombieland, and The Losers has given her a cutting edge not only as a prolific Costume Designer, but also as a film maker. Working closely with such film directors as; Luc Besson, Paul W.S. An- derson, Doug Liman, and many others has allowed her to gain invaluable knowledge and insight on the many challenges and nuances of production.
Martin Matiasek, an award-winning Director of Photography, from Prague, Czech Republic, completed his MFA in Cinematography at The Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, Czech Republic (FAMU). Martin also graduated from the 6th International DOP Masterclass in Budapest in the class of Vilmos Zsigmond ASC, Laszlo Kovacs ASC. With a blossoming career in the film industry spanning over a decade, he has shot many notable and critically acclaimed narrative films, documentaries, music videos and commercials for a variety of prominent international productions. His recent projects include the Czech feature films "Zelary" camera operator/2nd unit DP (2004 Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Film), "The Experts", "The Catfish Summer", "The Labyrinth", the 1st US feature film "The Mulberry Tree"and the 2nd US feature film "From The Head". Matiasek's work was nominated and won several awards and accolades, such as: 2004 Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Film "Zelary"; 2004 Czech Lion Nomination for Best Cinematography "Zelary"; 2007 Tribeca Film Festival Special Jury Prize for "Super Powers"; 57th Cannes IFF 6th KODAK European Showcase for New Talents France (2004) for "Claire"; 2005 Austin Film Festival Won Short Film Award Jury Award for Best Narrative Short Film for "Goodnight Bill"; 2005 New Orleans Film Festival Won Narrative Short Award Best Short Film for "Goodnight Bill"; 2005 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival Won Audience Award Audience Favorite Live Action Short for "Goodnight Bill"; Best Cinematography Sapporo International Short Film Festival Japan (2006) for "Julia"; Best image UberCon Film Festival USA (2005) for "Le Tramway d'Andréa"; Best Short Film at the 2005 Fano International Film Festival, Italy for "Le Tramway d'Andréa"; Jaroslav Kučera Award (Best Short Film Cinematography Award The Assosiation of Czech Cinematographers 2004) for "Claire"; Best Cinematograthy Prizren Kosovo (2004) for "Village B"; Best Film and Best Cinematography Award and KODAK Award FAMU FES Prague (2003) for "Green Oaks"; Geneva Cinéma Tout Ecran Kodak Award Switzerland (2003) for "Green Oaks"; Jaroslav Kučera Award (Best Short Film Cinematography Award The Assosiation of Czech Cinematographers 2002) for "Home"; Best Short Film Cinematography Award Dahlonega 2002 for "Home"; Best Cinematography Award and KODAK Award on FAMU FEST Prague (2001) for "Home". More on: www.martinmatiasek.com
AFTER YEARS OF ENDURING PHYSICAL ABUSE AS A CHILD HE GREW UP TO FACE AN EVEN BIGGER DEMON, AN ALL CONSUMING ADDICTION TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL...YET, HIS STORY OF LIFE IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY STORY AND ENDS INTO CREATING THE BIGGEST SALSA COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD..INSPIRING STORY FULL OF CHALLENGES IN LIFE BUT WITH ONE BIG HEART AND AIM TO CONNECT PEOPLE IN THE DANCE AND OFFERING WITH HIS OWN EXAMPLE A TRANSFORMATIONAL ROAD OF THEIR LIVES. His battle with addiction almost cost him everything. On the brink of losing his career, his sanity and his life he made a conscience decision to turn it all around and start all over. Once he finally achieved sobriety he made a life altering commitment to help other people suffering with addiction by becoming an addiction counsellor. Since then he has helped guide countless people and even many world famous celebrities onto the road of recovery. His sobriety has allowed him to focus all of his energy on his lifelong passion; Salsa. His unrelenting drive to keep both the music and the dance of Salsa alive has inspired countless people. Albert has been especially focused on troubled inner city youths. By sparking their interest in Salsa he has in some cases saved their lives by taking them off the streets and getting them off drugs. 3 This was his mission and Salsa provided a platform to release some of the demons we all carry within us. In Los Angeles he has helped rehabilitate countless people through 12 step drug and alcohol programs. He!s been a beacon of light for so many people by helping them get through rough times and by being there for them 24/7 as others were there for him unconditionally when he needed help. Albert!s passion for Salsa eventually lead him to Hollywood, where he was a featured dancer in the film Mambo Kings. He also worked closely with Antonio Banderas and Armando Assantes on how to dance the Mambo. He actually auditioned and was selected to dance on the 1993 Academy Awards to the music of "My Beautiful Maria” of the movie, "Mambo Kings” which was nominated for an Oscar. He also worked as a dancer with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in their last feature film "Out to Sea” and choreographed the salsa scenes in the feature film, "Dance With Me”, featuring Vanessa Williams and Cheyenne. In this documentary, we!ll use interviews to guide us through the journey of his story, as well as numerous other interviews from many important and world known musicians and dancers.
Choreographer, Music Producer, Dj and Producer of salsa festivals worldwide. Edwin Rivera is one of the most influential artist in today's Latin dance & music scene. With a career spanning over two decades, He has made quite the impact as a dancer, dj and music producer throughout the world. Born & raised in the Bronx NY of Puerto Rican decent, Rivera has geared his dance & music career in a way that has allowed him to perform at some of the biggest festivals throughout the world. Edwin, who played the role of salsa legend Roberto Roena in the 2006 film El Cantante, is also a revered producer and artistic director who has organized some of the most important Latin dance events in the world, including the Los Angeles Salsa Festival, the New York International Salsa Congress, Puerto Rico’s Children Teen Salsa Congress, and the World Latin Dance Cup in Colombia, among many others. “Musicality has always been my strongest attribute in dance. Moving to the breaks and lyrics of songs fills my soul, and makes me feel like I’m part of the band—using my feet as the instruments,” says Rivera, who grew up regularly attending Fania All-Star concerts in his native New York. "I like to describe my dj sets as a unique experience that delivers pure authenticity to my roots” as described by Rivera himself. “Uniqueness”, “experience” and “authenticity” are the three things he's revolved his career around. Which is why Rivera's career continues to thrive in today's music & dance industry. Rivera specializes in Salsa/Mambo, Deep House, Latin, Salsa electronic dance fusion, Moombahton, Trap, Progressive house and Twerk music. When Edwin Rivera arrives the place comes alive. Recently Music producer Edwin Rivera had a vision to bridge the age gap in the world of Latin music, bringing 3 generations together as one collective. The result is the magnetic "Quitate" produced by Rivera and performed by Adalberto Santiago, Jon Z and Ñengo Flow. Initially released 51 years ago by the Fania All Stars, of who Adalberto Santiago was an original member, this remix of ‘Quitate Tu’ is an acknowledgement of today’s contemporary sounds united with traditional Latin flavors. ‘Quitate’ was released on the 26th of August, the exact date it was performed & recorded live in 1971. “For many years there has been a disconnect in taste of music between children, teenagers, grown-ups and the elderly,” explains Edwin, “I decided to produce a song that would bring together 3 generational artists and help all generations of Latin music lovers unite.”
Sebastijan Duh, studied jazz piano and composition at Bruckner Universität für Musik, Schauspiel und Tanz. He is active as a composer on various artistic fields. His music can be heard every day at: Netflix, HBO, Discovery channel, CBS, NBC, History channel,... He has composed music for many films, documentaries, plays, music groups and advertisements. As a composer, he also collaborates with the renowned international agency Cezame Music Agency, where he has so far created music for 24 albums. He is also the author of Sound Image of Radio Slovenia, where his music is heard weekly at least to a million listeners. He has worked as a composer on Janja Glogovac's films from I was Elvis, L…like love to Mystique of hotel Palace as well as a sound designer and supervisor of sound mix.