Cine Casual Takes the Stage at Knight Media Forum
Cine Casual’s Founder and Executive Director, Giovanna Torres, was invited to speak on the Mainstage at the Knight Media Forum, hosted by the Knight Foundation — a significant milestone for the Charlotte-based media arts organization.
Torres participated in the session “Storytellers: When Personal Stories Become Public Impact,” alongside Richard Young, Executive Director of CivicLex (Lexington, KY), and Orlando Bailey, Executive Director of Outlier Media (Detroit, MI).
They each explored how identity, lived experience, and creativity fuel local change across the arts, journalism, and civic engagement — and how personal narratives can shape public impact.
Appearing on the Forum’s Mainstage reflects the growing national relevance of work rooted deeply in local communities.
Watch the Full Mainstage Session
From Early Investment to National Platform
Six years ago, Cine Casual’s first film series in Charlotte was made possible through Knight’s support. That early investment helped plant the seed for what has since evolved into a year-round, bilingual media arts organization dedicated to celebrating Latin American cinema and building civic connection through storytelling. Returning to the Knight ecosystem, this time on the Mainstage, signals more than a full-circle moment.
Measurable Community Impact
In 2025 alone:
The Charlotte Latino Film Festival welcomed over 1,000 attendees, with guests traveling from multiple states.
Cine en los Barrios served more than 500 community members through free neighborhood screenings across Charlotte.
These numbers represent more than turnout. They demonstrate demand for culturally rooted spaces that center Latino voices in the South.
What began as curated screenings has grown into a multifaceted cultural platform that produces:
The Charlotte Latino Film Festival
Cine en los Barrios neighborhood screenings
Artist conversations and community dialogues
Educational initiatives
Each program strengthens representation, accessibility, and long-term cultural infrastructure for Charlotte’s growing Latino communities.
When Personal Stories Become Public Impact
During the session, Torres spoke about belonging — and about the role film plays in shaping how communities understand themselves.
In Charlotte, Cine Casual has witnessed how screenings transform into spaces for reflection, healing, and collaboration. Audiences gather not only to watch a story unfold, but to see themselves represented with dignity and complexity.
At a time when division often dominates public discourse, storytelling becomes a civic act. Film invites people to sit together, listen across difference, and imagine shared futures.
The conversation underscored a powerful truth: local cultural work is not small. It is foundational.
As Cine Casual prepares for the 3rd edition of the Charlotte Latino Film Festival (April 16–26), our mission remains clear: to build spaces where joy, resistance, memory, and imagination coexist.
