By Rebecca Romani

March 20, 2025

The 32nd San Diego Latino Film Festival continues its packed presentation of films and cultural events across two main venues into Sunday, March 23. It’s an intense schedule with so much to see and do. But here are some recommendations that might help.

The San Diego Latino Film Festival was first conceived of as a student run film festival, but it soon outgrew that category under Founder Ethan Van Thillo, and expanded into a media arts center, and a well-respected Latino film festival whose mission it was to screen work by and about Latinos and to foster greater representation of the Latino community.

The representation eventually grew to include other expressions such as music and art.

This year, as in past years, music sets the ambiance at the Mission Valley location. Curated by Saul Silva, the Sonido Latino stage at Mission Valley welcomes festival goers with a variety of performances, including local Latino musicians.

Art is also a big component of the SDLFF. This year’s poster is by local artist, Paola Villaseñor, known as Panca. A binational artist, Panca’s colorful mural work, rooted in street art and pop culture imagery, is featured in many venues throughout San Diego and Tijuana. She herself was the subject of an Oscar-nominated short. Her original design, which included a migrant in the foreground was altered on the printed version of the program. The festival has posted a public apology but the online discussions have erupted into a broader conversation about the erasure of immigrant communities under the current political climate.

In addition, the Art Latino Gallery and Festival Lounge curated by veteran curator Andy Gonzalez, features work by artists from Mexico and the US, in a variety of mediums from clay to painting.     

You can see these works at the Mission Valley Mall through March 23, and at the Park and Market site on the second floor through the end of April.

Recommendations to Watch:

Day 3:

Various workshops such as pith sessions starting at 1 pm at the Digital Gym.

American Warrior (Gustave Martin Benites): An MMA fighter and immigrant looks to rebuild his life after a stint in jail. There is a q/A with the cast.

Broken Borders (Rodrigo Alvarez Flores)- three members of the same family try to find what separates them and keeps them together.

The Frontera Filmmaker’s Program- ALWAYS a good bet. Don’t miss The Afro Mexpats– an interesting documentary about the increasing number of Black Americans moving to Mexico, Kumeyaay Land, about a Kumeyaay community in Mexico fighting to keep their culture, land, and water, and RPDB-Radio Pulso del Barrio keeps its finger on the pulse of Barrio Logan.

Un Mundo Extraño– a shorts program that sounds really good. Check out Vi A Juan Gabriel-the late singer haunts a village. Also, Hour of Blood merges with Border Noir territory- It’s 1915 in Texas and someone or something is killing the Mexican ranchers. What lurks in the dark on the edges of the ranchos?    

The Directors will be present for a Q&A.      

Day 4:

EL Norte comes home in a new, re-mastered print. Gregory Nava’s film about Mayans fleeing the Guatemalan massacres takes on new resonance.  Nava, a San Diego native, will present with Dolores Huerta for q/a.

American Agitators by veteran documentary director Ray Tellez, follows a father and son duo, seeking to give people the vote, and empower people.

Tellez will be present for the Q&A.

The Hechos en USA shorts program and the Raices short film program can be surprising for the little jewels they serve up. Check out The Park on the Dragon’s Tail– about the fight to keep Friendship Park.  Franciscan Traditions takes a close look at the tension between scholars and the Church over the authenticity of the Aztec Codexes.

Hasta La Raiz– remembers a Tongva woman (Los Angeles) who worked for land return.

Coronas Negras is a rare look at Afro-Mexicans- in this case Senegalese Mexicans, and a cherished expression of their identity- their hairstyles.

Eco de Luz (Misha Vallejo)- is a documentary that reads more like a love letter to Vallejo’s family. Poignant and lyrically beautiful- the film reveals the beauty of Vallejo’s family members as well as painful secrets such as secret families and resentments.   

Day 5:

The Party ends!

Don’t miss ¡Somos! Cine LGBTQIA shorts- Check out La Cumbia and Lolo– two women looking for the way to be themselves.

And then there’s the Closing Night Celebration at Park and Market with the all women Las Sabrosas Latino Orchestra.

Consult https://sdlatinofilm.com/site_2025/ for times, locations, and ticket pricing.

A word of caution, some screenings, such as El Norte, will sell out fast