Giovanna Torres
• – • Independent Picture House
About the speaker
Giovanna Torres is a cultural producer and arts leader based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Cine Casual, a media-arts organization advancing Latin American cinema as a tool for cultural connection, civic dialogue, and community building. Since founding the organization in 2020, Giovanna has developed year-round, bilingual programming that includes curated screenings, public conversations, educational initiatives, professional development for artists, and the Charlotte Latino Film Festival, now entering its third edition.
Her practice centers on expanding access to the arts by bringing film beyond traditional venues and into neighborhoods through initiatives such as Cine en los Barrios, a free, family-friendly outdoor screening series. Through her leadership and prior work with the Arts & Science Council’s Culture Blocks program, Giovanna has played a key role in advancing Hispanic inclusion in Charlotte’s arts ecosystem—supporting Latinx artists, expanding culturally responsive programming, and strengthening pathways for community participation.
Recognized for its impact, intentionality, and commitment to building sustainable cultural infrastructure, her work continues to shape inclusive, community-rooted models for arts engagement across the U.S. South.
Local partners
UNC Charlotte is the Charlotte region’s only R1 university, empowering more than 32,000 students in the state’s largest city. The University drives discovery, fuels industry and strengthens the region’s workforce. With more than 300 degree programs and unmatched access to research, internships and real-world learning, UNC Charlotte delivers the talent, ideas and innovation that move Charlotte and North Carolina forward — the Difference is Charlotte.
With studios in Charlotte & Miami, Star Room is a full-service video production & digital marketing agency dedicated to the highest quality short-form content production services, and serving select partners with our comprehensive strategy-driven retainer solution: WideShot Social Media Management. We specialize in human-centric brand storytelling, corporate, promotional, and ad content. Our WideShot package integrates in-house creative, brand strategy, a full mix of original content (video, stills, newsletters/blogs, 2D&3D animation), and social media execution as an end-to-end solution to support in-house marketing teams. Our team has one goal in mind - draw trackable results and demonstrate clear ROI. We’re experts in creating meaningful stories that enhance brand image and set you apart from the competition. Let’s elevate your brand, together.
Established in 2012, Enderly Coffee exists to provide OPPORTUNITY through RELATIONSHIPS in order to ADD VALUE to Enderly Park and Charlotte. They seek to encourage and inspire others to live for others. Co-owners Becky and Tony Santoro focus on business to business relationships, distributing freshly roasted coffee daily around Charlotte.
CCSC provides Workforce Development training and job placement assistance in the food service industry for adults who face barriers gaining long-term successful employment. Their vision is to transform the lives of their students and their families and positively impact our community.
Boingo Graphics is a full service commercial and digital printing company serving the Charlotte business community for over 35 years. Boingo helps their clients communicate creatively and effectively with their intended audience – from brand management to all of your marketing and print solutions needs. Their 24,000 square foot facility is located just minutes from Uptown.
Charlotte Is Creative has become our city’s creative connectors, conveners, and collaborators. We spark surprising and engaging connections between Charlotte’s artists, creative entrepreneurs, and established business community to help them boost opportunity, livability, and success by working together. Follow us on Instagram at @cltiscreative
Location
Hosted at
Independent Picture House
4237 Raleigh St.
Charlotte, North Carolina United States 28213
When
–
Videographer Levin Chaskey
