Laimir Fano is a filmmaker and writer whose work explores national identity and cultural memory through narrative form, particularly in the context of Cuba and its diasporic communities. His films have been showcased at major festivals and venues such as the Tribeca Film Festival (US), Shanghai International Film Festival (China), Huesca Film Festival (Spain), Institute of International Visual Arts (UK), Anthology Film Archives (US), Kustendorf Film & Music Festival (Serbia), Ícaro Film Festival (Guatemala), Vieques International Film Festival (Puerto Rico), and the Maryland Film Festival (US). They have received multiple awards, including the Sara Gómez Prize at the Havana Film Festival (Cuba) and a Special Jury Mention at the Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (Colombia). Ode to the Pineapple, his 2008 film, was recognized by the International Film Guide as one of the five best Cuban films of that year.
Fano is currently working on two narrative projects. National Hero, developed from his graduate research on screen acting, questions the use of mimetic impersonation in historical films to convey authenticity. It centers on an actor whose transformation into a historical character becomes irreversible. His second project, A New Man, examines the intersection of migration and tourism through the lens of an immigrant who seeks rootedness in the host country by reimagining himself as a tourist returning to his place of origin.
Before transitioning to film, Fano worked as a theater actor, radio host, and acting instructor at Cuba’s National School of Art (ENA). He holds a Ph.D. in Film and Digital Media from the University of California, Santa Cruz; an M.F.A. in Performing Arts (concentration in film) from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Diploma in Film Directing from Cuba’s International School of Film and Television of San Antonio de los Baños (EICTV).
At Boston College, Fano teaches courses that integrate production with the history and theory of moving image media from a global perspective. He advises film minors and serves as the faculty advisor to the Film Club.
