Categories: Rebecca Romani, THE BUZZ

THE BUZZ: The 26th San Diego Latino Film Festival Takes Center Stage This Weekend

By Rebecca Romani

March 15, 2019

In previous years, the San Diego Latino Film Festival has often been greeted with drizzle and darkening skies. This year, as the festival confidently strides into its 26th season, the warm weather seems to match the dynamism of this year’s offerings, making the festival, held at Fashion Valley, a great bet for both indoor and outdoor entertainment.

In 26 years, the San Diego Latino Film Festival, helmed by Executive Director Ethan Van Thillo, has come a long way. The festival first started out as a scrappy selection of student films with a Latino theme screening out of the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park. Slowly but surely, under Van Thillo’s guidance, the festival has turned into the largest and oldest Latino Film Festival in the US. Chronologically first on the Latino film festival circuit, the festival attracts major talent from across the Latino world, as well as Spain, often hosting the American debut of many films. The 11-day festival features a broad array of film, as usual, but also packs in some new elements as programmed by Moisés Esparza, the Exhibitions Manager.

So, what to expect this opening weekend?

First, expect music- lots of music both on screen and on stage. With the promise of great weather comes the certainty of some great musical acts.  You can catch a number of diverse performances from Flamenco to folklórico between screenings.

On screen are several films dedicated to music. Among the best is the charming “The Mambonicks”, a film in love with those who love mambo. And not just any lovers. The film follows a devoted and diverse group of Jewish dancers from Cuba to the Catskills, whose love of mambo goes back to the 1920’s.

Another music film not to miss is “Yo No Me Llamo Rubén Blades.” (Ruben Blades Is Not My Name). Devotees of cumbia and la murga might remember Ruben Blades and his extraordinary sound that became the soundtrack for Latin America. Part biopic, part fantastic musical trip into the Ruben Blades repertoire, the film is a chance to meet Ruben Blades up close and personal, with one of the best soundtracks of the festival.

If short films are what you are looking for, this is a good weekend for the various shorts programs at this year’s festival. Notable shorts programs include “Cronicas Españolas”, shorts from Spain (Saturday),  “El Corazon,” shorts about romantic relationships, “¡Somos! LGBTQ+”, and “Mexico Raro y Querido.” While not all the shorts are standouts, there are a number of gems in each program which you won’t want to miss.

One shorts program, curated this year by Miguel Rodriguez of the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival , “El Mundo Extraneo Shorts” certainly lives up to its name.  Strange indeed are these films and there is always a surprise around the corner.

If you are a sports aficionado, a new showcase has you in mind. This weekend, two amazing documentaries are being shown at the San Diego Latino Film Festival’s second screening venue, The Digital Gym. Skating in Cuba? Who knew?  In “Amigo Skate, Cuba”, a grassroots skate club from Miami struggles to help their Cuban counterparts lift their sport from despised illegal activity to a respected team event.  The other documentary, part of the Soccer showcase, looks at the world’s most beloved sport not as a group of people chasing a ball, but as a metaphor for chasing life. Shot in over five countries, “Ordinary Gods” shows how six young players seek to win at the game and life.

Two other pieces with historical relevance can be seen this weekend at the Digital Gym.  One is “Hailing Cesar,” a film about family and legacy. Twenty five years after famed Chicano labor leader and Civil Rights activist, Cesar Chavez passed away, his grandson Eduardo Chavez goes on a journey to understand his grandfather and in the process, finds his own way to honor Cesar Chavez’s legacy.

The other film is the iconic “Soy Cuba,” (I Am Cuba) hailed as a cinematic masterpiece of cinema.  This particular print is a sparkling new remastering, that brings out the extraordinary visuals. Shot in newly post-Revolution Cuba, the film is a wildly poetic account of pre-Castro Cuba and the events leading up to the Revolution as only the Soviets can tell it. Hailed for its innovative cinematography and editing, the film provides a rare glimpse into Cuba on the cusp of a new beginning.

And that is just this weekend, the 26th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival continues through March 24.

For film screenings and tickets, visit https://2019.sdlatinofilm.com/

Vanguard Culture

Vanguard Culture is an online media entity designed for culturally savvy, socially conscious individuals. We provide original interviews and reviews of the people, places, and events that make up San Diego’s thriving arts and culture community, as well as curated snapshots of the week’s best, most inspiring and unique cultural and culinary events. We believe in making a difference in the world, supporting San Diego’s vibrant visual and performing arts community and bringing awareness to important social and community causes.