by Rebecca Romani
March 17, 2026
As San Diego’s thoughts turn to Spring, the San Diego Media Arts Center turns toward the 33rd annual San Diego Latino Film Festival, opening Wednesday, March 18 at the Mission Valley AMC and the Digital Gym at UC San Diego Park & Market. From its beginnings as a student-run film festival domiciled at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park, under the direction of founder and Executive Director, Ethan Van Thillo, the SDLFF has developed into one of the oldest and largest Latino Film Festivals in the United States, screening a wide selection of films across the Latino film world, hosting many of the top directors, and providing screen time for rising local filmmakers.
Van Thillo is particularly excited for this year’s festival. In a year that has seen an uptick in hateful rhetoric and violence against Latinos and immigrants, Van Thillo is proud of the diversity in this year’s programming that provides a forum for diverse Latino communities from local (Frontera) filmmakers or from beleaguered Puerto Rico- which, as he says, contribute to the dialog around Puerto Rico initiated by Bad Bunny at his recent Superbowl appearance.
Van Thillo also added, “it’s important to show (places like Puerto Rico which are often misunderstood) from other perspectives.”
This year’s festival features a tribute to one of the founding directors of Chicano theatre and film, Luis Valdez, as well as work by up-and-coming Latino directors in addition to country showcases of work from Puerto Rico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Above all, says, Van Thillo, the festival puts a strong emphasis on Chicano culture and the Chicano experience, “it’s in line with how (the festival) started,” he added.
Moises Esparza, the festival’s Director of Development, also praised the lineup, saying the festival “provides entry points for a very authentic look at Latino life from music to stories that speak of the current moment, to joy and grief in community.”
“The audience is in for a very special festival,” says Esparza.
Among the films and showcases not to miss according to both Esparza and Van Thillo are the tribute to the father of Chicano Theatre and Cinema, Luis Valdez, as well as an unusual documentary about a Mexican-Palestinian family coming to terms with the parents’ loss of identity and home.
In addition, Esparza recommends the Raices showcase that includes both feature and short films, many touching on indigenous experiences in various indigenous languages.
The tribute to playwright and filmmaker Luis Valdez is very timely, says Van Thillo, coinciding as it does with the release of American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez directed by David Alvarado (San Diego Premiere). From his groundbreaking Teatro Campesino developed on the picket lines of the Delano Grape Boycott and in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, to boldly told stories of significant moments in Chicano culture in films like Zoot Suit and La Bamba, Valdez has laid the groundwork for a powerful Chicano theatre and cinema. Van Thillo sees Valdez’ work as showing the power of visual representation and the need for social justice in a world that seems to be slipping backwards. Valdez also stands as an inspiration to young filmmakers looking to tell their stories of the struggles and successes of their communities today.
American Pachuco screens 3/21 with a Q&A with the filmmakers at the Mission Valley AMC and 3/22 at Southwestern College.
La Bamba screens 3/21 at the AMC and Zoot Suit screens 3/22 at the AMC.
Another film not to miss is the award-winning Traces of Home, about a Palestinian/Mexican couple looking for their roots and coming to terms with loss.
“It’s a very timely film,” says Van Thillo, in how it looks at what it means to be a country of immigrants. Esparza agrees. “It’s grief at the center of generational trauma.”
The subject matter may seem unusual, until you remember that Latin America was a common destination for thousands of Arab families, many Christian, fleeing the uncertainty of the end of the Ottoman Empire. This is not the first such film the SDLFF has shown. Viewers may remember the Chilean film, La Ultima Luna by Miguel Littin, based on his family’s experience of leaving Palestine for Chile.
Traces of Home is a beautifully shot film, and some of its story may surprise you.
The filmmaker, Colette Ghunim, will be present for a Q/A at the 3/19 screening.
Another documentary that may very well be popular is ASCO: Without Permission. Like Valdez, the Chicano art collective, ASCO powered through boundaries right and left, this time in Los Angeles. The documentary promises to be an innovative look at an unconventional art collective that asked the LA art world provocative questions such as do our voices count and can you see us now?
ASCO screens 3/21 and 3/22 with a Q&A session with the filmmakers.
Mistura is yet another must see feature film. A dark comedy from Peru, Mistura follows a wronged wife as she learns through cooking classes not only how to transform food but transform herself.
The film screens 3/18 and 21, with the director, Ricardo de Montreuil, present for the Q/A.
The festival has also broadened to include an exhibition of Latino artists from both sides of the border, curated by Andy Gonzalez of La Onda Arte Latino, and an ongoing series of musical guests performing outside the festival. Many of the featured artists will be on display at UC San Diego Park & Market downtown while the Sonido Latino Stage will be in front of the AMC theatre. Among the musical guests are Somos la Voz, DJ Viejo Lobo, and Flamenco With Roots.
Day 1 (Wed) starts off with some very strong shorts programs and country showcases.
Not surprisingly, Puerto Rico opens the country showcases with Street Smarts: Lessons from a TV Icon. The film revisits one of Sesame Street’s beloved Puerto Rican icons, “Maria” (Sonia Monzano), exploring how Sesame Street was one of the pioneers of representation on TV.
A number of other showcases debut opening day, including ¡Somos! the LGBTQ screenings, and ¡Hay Que Reirse! comedy shorts from all over the Latino world.
Like usual, the SDLFF never mises a chance to celebrate. The festival opening party takes place at the El After Hours Social Club downtown on 5th Avenue, with a DJ and live acts, which include Quetzal, from Let the City Speak (Day 2) For more information about tickets and time, see: Opening Party.
Day 2 (Thurs) features several outstanding shorts programs, including Cine Mujer, with shorts from Mexico, Columbia, Spain, and the USA, about women’s stories. The Frontera Filmmakers: Narrative Shorts features work from the prolific community of local filmmakers working on stories on the border. There are several standouts on the lineup. Local Neil Kendricks is an imaginative artist and filmmaker who has screened at the SDLFF before, and his award-winning works have shown in festivals and exhibition. In his latest, The Book of Skin, he reimagines the myth of Pygmalion as artists/actors creating drawings for a narrative.
Day 2 also features Traces of Home, by Collette Ghunim, a somewhat unexpected documentary in that it looks at a Mexican-Palestinian couple who explore loss and grief as they search for their roots.
Documentaries about music stars are also a staple of the SDLFF, not a surprise with so many Chicano acts just up the road. Let The City Speak: The Sonic Journey of Quetzal promises to be a unique musical journey, combining Chicano rock from East Los Angeles and activism in the mountains of Chiapas. This is also a San Diego premiere.
Other Highlights
Workshops/Lectures (Digital Gym)
Because there are so many aspiring filmmakers and working filmmakers in San Diego, the SDLFF often includes Master Classes. This year, the Master classes include:
3/21 Beyond the Interview: Ethical Storytelling– meant to introduce filmmakers and documentarians to oral history interviewing and trauma-informed techniques.
Lecture: Ethical Storytelling in Immigrant Communities – A look at how to approach storytelling as an act of solidarity
3/21 Masterclass: Directing With Vision: A look at how to direct work that explores authenticity, culture, and identity. Led by Ricardo de Montreuil, director of Mistura.
All workshops are free, but prior registration is encouraged.
How to festival:
It’s a big festival with a lot of choices from animation, documentaries, short programs, and features. Your best bet is to get a program and plan out your viewing according to your interests and who the guests are.
If the days seem packed, it’s because they are, with over 147 films in a busy 5 days, spread over several venues, including the Digital Gym at UC San Diego Park & Market, and the AMC Mission Valley.
In terms of tickets, some screenings such as films directed by Luis Valdez will almost certainly sell out, so get your tickets early.
While the festival sells individual tickets, passes are also available. In addition, although many of the films are features, the shorts programs such as Hecho en USA, promise both diversity and excellence.
You can buy your tickets online or at the box office.
Parking is relatively easy at the AMC.
You can park on the street or under the building ($5)
You can also use public transit.
For UC San Diego Park & Market, you can take the blue line (San Ysidro) and get off at Park & Market and walk over.
For the AMC, you can google the line for your area.
NB: Some films may sell out quickly. Buy tickets early to get a seat or come at least 15 mins before to try your luck at the box office.
