
The Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC) was the first cultural institution created by the Revolutionary Government on March 24, 1959. Its objective was to organize, establish and develop the movie industry in Cuba. It has contributed to the emergence of a number of moviemakers, such as Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Humberto Solás, Santiago Álvarez and fernando Pérz, to name a few, as well as groundbreaking movies that have been regarded as Cuban cinema classics, including La muerte de un burócrata (1966), Memorias del Subdesarrollo (1968), Lucía (1968), Vampiros en La Habana (1987), Plaff (1988), La bella del Alhambra (1989) Clandestinos (1987) and Oscar nominee Fresa y Chocolate (1993). The Chaplin Theater hosts premieres, presentations and festivals, including the International Latin American Film Festival. The theaters’ lobby features a poster gallery of great Cuban classic films