Pablo Cruz, star of Chespirito, heads the opening of SMARTFILMS®️ Festival in DR

With his international career, the actor kicked off two days of panels, screenings, and talks at the world’s most inclusive film festival Santo Domingo.– Following a successful Film Route that toured the country with workshops and training sessions, SMARTFILMS®️ Dominicana culminates with the realization of its festival, in which actor Pablo Cruz presented a master conference entitled “The smart path of the actor”. Cruz shared reflections on the importance of discipline, versatility, and constant preparation to excel in the film industry. With anecdotes from her career, she inspired young talents to build a solid career in an increasingly competitive market. Recognized for his starring role in “Chespirito, without meaning to,” a production that has become the most watched and commented series in all of Latin America in 2025, Pablo Cruz has consolidated his name in acting, receiving recognition from the public and critics, which have catapulted him as one of the most outstanding Mexican figures of the moment. In addition, other panels are held that enrich the programming of SMARTFILMS®️ Dominicana. The festival opened on September 19th with the discussion “Dominicans on stage: what nobody told you about acting”, which featured the participation of the outstanding actors Fausto Mata, Yasser Michelen, Lidia Ariza, Pepe Sierra and Vicente Santos, moderated by Marta González.

You can also read: Pablo Cruz, protagonist of Chespirito, arrives at SMARTFILMS

The September 20th day included training talks and practical experiences, such as “Film direction with a cell phone by Samsung”, led by actor and director Frank Perozo, and “Your role, your moment: Master the casting process and project your talent”, with Margaret Tapia, Katherine Montes and Joel Polanco. The panel “From the idea to the big screen” also stood out, with directors Yoel Morales and Hans García; as well as “The DOs and DON’Ts of filmmaking” with Archie López, Kendy Yanoreth and Katyuska Licairac as moderator. Other high-level meetings included “Cinema financed by Cibao”, with producers Fernando Santos, Tanya Valette and Desiree Reyes; and the closing panel “Cinema without limits: Visual effects and artificial intelligence in the Latin American industry”, led by Andrés Valencia of Stargate Studios Colombia. SMARTFILMS®️ Festival, the world’s most inclusive film event, thus celebrated its first edition in the country at the Caribbean Cinemas, Galería 360 facilities, consolidating itself as a platform for training, networking, and showcasing emerging and established talents of the seventh art. SMARTFILMS®️ arrived in the Dominican Republic with the support of the Cibao Association, Caribbean Cinemas, M Studio, the Economic and Social Development Council of Santo Domingo, Expo Sostenibilidad, DGCINE and Cinemateca Dominicana. Grupo de Medios Telemicro, Listín Diario, De Último Minuto, FrontStage and Cine Dominicano join as allies. For more information about SMARTFILMS®️ Dominicana, categories, and participation requirements, visit www.smartfilms.do and follow their social media at @smartfilmDominicana.