Arianna Carias, the 7th grade aspiring creative and winner of the Tú Cuentas CineYouth Fest 1st “Cortitos” Middle School Film Contest, visited the Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network (HITN) studios in Brooklyn Navy Yard Wednesday, December 27, along with Jelissa Carias, mother and Carmen Cosme, grandmother. The subject of Arianna’s “Cortito” was Billy Ocasio, President and & CEO of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.
Arianna, who is Puerto Rican, attends the Esperanza Charter Academy in Philadelphia, although her family is originally from Bushwick, Brooklyn and has roots in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. The family, visiting the community for the holidays, met with Mike Nieves, President and CEO of HITN, who is also from Bushwick, and Luis Alejandro Molina, Executive Assistant and Co-director of the Tú Cuentas Cine Youth Fest.
The brief conversation was a wonderful exchange of contemporary historical and neighborhood markers. From elementary and high schools attended to churches that are still there, to teachers, principals, and acquaintances that each knew across the generations. Afterward, they received a tour of HITN and were invited to next year’s Puerto Rican Heritage event at El Centro.
Click to view Arianna’s Cortito’s production on Billy Ocasio.
