Celebrating 22 Years: The San Diego Latino Film Festival
Article by Sherehe Hollins
The San Diego Latino Film Festival returns for its 22nd year to celebrate the best in Latino cinema. This year’s festival features an exciting line up of films, art exhibitions, live musical performances, film workshops, “Talk Backs” with directors and artists, and a “Creative Career Expo” that provides attendees with knowledge on how to pursue a profession within creative industries.
The festival, held from March 12th through March 22nd, has expanded its reach by moving to a new location, at Fashion Valley Mall’s AMC theatre, as well as screening films at the Digital Gym CINEMA in North Park. The Digital Gym is also home to the Media Arts Center, a non-profit organization created by the festival’s founder and director, Ethan Van Thillo that “promotes access to film and video as tools for community self-expression and social change and supports the professional development of media artists.”
Each year the Media Arts Center coordinates the SDLFF with the support of a host of sponsors and community partners. When asked, what makes the SDLFF an annual success, Festival Programmer, Moisés Esparza states, “We don’t play it safe. We experiment and take risks. We listen to what our patrons want. We showcase commercial films in addition to avant-garde films. As a result we are able to please and surprise our audience (in ways that) push them in unexpected directions.”
The array of films shown during the festival range from narrative, documentary, as well as shorts. The films represent stories from throughout Latin America, as well as works by emerging Latino artists from the United States. Year after year the festival demonstrates to attendees that there exists a space where diverse perspectives are seen and celebrated.
The films showcase themes that are universal to the human experience, relating the journeys of individuals, families and communities on a quest for love, success, opportunity, happiness, self-realization, healing and a sense of belonging. These innovative and inspirational stories are told through drama, comedy, action, thriller, science fiction, and animation.
In addition to spotlighting the voices and stories of Latin America, which are oftentimes underrepresented and misrepresented by mainstream media, the festival also provides a platform for women filmmakers through its “Viva Mujeres” series, and for youth filmmakers through its “Youth Visions” series. In addition, the festival highlights LGBTQ cinema, through its “Cine Gay” showcase.
Whether telling the story of an 11-year-old Cuban boy who is tasked with providing for himself and his addict mother, or bringing to light the incredible journey of one of Latin America’s, and perhaps one of the world’s most legendary soccer players, Argentine Lionel Messi, the San Diego Latino Film Festival opens viewers eye’s to a world of compelling storytelling. The festival’s hand full of sold-out screenings, are a testament to its growing success.
As theatergoers anxiously awaited the opening credits for “Amor de Mis Amores” one of this year’s highly anticipated films, I found one of the last empty seats between a couple of strangers. Neither of us were of Latino heritage, yet we felt at home amongst a culture that is different and yet in so many ways similar to our own. The woman next to me, of European American ancestry, and I of African American ancestry, struck up a short conversation en español as if we had been native speakers our entire lives.
It was evident that our journeys had led us down a similar path where we developed a deeper understanding of ourselves through learning to respect and embrace another culture. The unforgettable moment reminded me of what the festival truly represents: a place where everyone is welcomed to share who they are, learn from one another’s unique stories, and in the process, deepen the connection, one to the other.
The San Diego Latino Film Festival excels at expanding its reach to diverse audiences through a simple recipe: it is committed to creating an undeniably powerful sense of community by connecting individuals through the visual and universal impact of film.
For more information on the San Diego Latino Film Festival please visit: www.SDLatinoFILM.com
