"Although there are those who censure you, there exists -and it's even more serious- what how you censure yourself... The self-censorship that occurs within you."
Lester Hamlet is a renowned and award-winning Cuban filmmaker. At international film festivals, he has stood out as a director of films such as Tres veces dos (2003), for which he won the Silver Zenith for Best First Film at the Montreal World Film Festival.
His films Casa Vieja (2010) and Fábula (2011) have also won awards at festivals. His most recent feature film, Ya no es antes (2016), received accolades such as the Audience Coral Award at the International Latin American Film Festival and the Grand Prize for Best Fiction at the 8th International Poor Film Festival.
Hamlet was forged as a filmmaker in his native Cuba. He earned a degree in Film Directing from the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba and graduated from the International Film and Television School of Cuba as an editor, art director, and screenwriter.
As a director, he has overseen not only films, but also more than 300 music videos. In addition, he directed the 56 episodes that make up the Cuban telenovela Tú, broadcast by Cubavisión. He has also directed plays, galas, and festivals. Besides direction, his professional experience in the audiovisual field includes production, art direction, screenwriting, and editing.
Hamlet's professional background has allowed him not only to create, but also to evaluate films. He has served as a judge for film festivals, competitions, and events. He has also put his knowledge to the service of students, working as a professor of theater, acting, and film production. In 2024, he was selected as a scholar for the Mellon Fellowship for High Impact Scholars, Artists, and Journalists, a project of the University of Texas that makes this digital repository possible.
Listen to the Cafecito with Lester Hamlet
at the University of Puerto Rico
Photo Gallery
