The Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival kicks off on May 29 and features five days of programming that will honor female filmmakers and low-level talent.
This year's new ventures include a film market (a curated set of films that are available to be purchased for distribution) and a venue expansion at Regal LA Live downtown to accompany programming at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
Erika Sabel Flores, vice president of programs and innovation at the Latino Film Institute, the nonprofit that hosts LALIFF, said an ongoing goal of the festival is to represent all contours of what it means to be Latinx.
“You can come to our festival and see yourself no matter who you are,” he said.
“In the summers”
(International Latin Film Festival)
This year’s release is “In the Summers,” a semi-autobiographical drama directed by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio (her first feature film) that received the U.S. Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows two sisters through various stages of their lives as they navigate summer voyages to visit their father in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The film also marks the acting debut of rap musician René Pérez Joglar, better known as Residente.
LALIFF will also feature screenings of the documentaries “Prodigal Daughter” and “Paper Butterfly,” the comedy “Sisters” and the popcorn flick “The Unexpecteds.”
The closing film, “Grassland,” is a tense drama that follows a single Latina mother who risks losing her illegal marijuana business when her son befriends new neighbors. Her goal is to explore the “flaws of the criminal justice system.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What was the vision for this year's programming at the festival? What feelings did you want your viewers to have?
One of the things that was important to us was to really put women at the forefront. There are many women that we have been working with through all of our different programs to empower. The other thing we try to do is highlight the full breadth of the Latino experience. We understand it better than anyone: that being Latino does not mean that we all have the same thing to say or that we have the same perspective.
A good portion of feature films – and also short films – contain representations of the LGBTQ+ community and many are also directed by women. How did you want the festival to continue to shine a light on communities and filmmakers that aren't as represented in the media?
It's a big part of what we do. Approximately 50% are films directed by women. We also have Afro-Latino-led stories, we have Indigenous stories and LGBTQ+ representation. It's really a commitment and it's not just one type of story.
“Paper butterfly”
(International Latin Film Festival)
If you go to a festival that isn't Latin-focused, chances are the type of programming you see will be very specific because, to them, that's what Latin is, right? And for us, it's never really thinking that way. Everything is Latin. We've had stories where someone might say, 'That's not really a Latino movie,' and it's like if a Latino made it, it's a Latino movie.
Also new this year is the film market. How did that come about and why is it so important to sell these films?
We've been thinking about this forever. That's why I'm so excited that we were finally able to make it happen. As an organization, we have the ability to defend and highlight the work and make those arguments that I'm telling you now: it doesn't necessarily have to be just a border-crossing story. We have the opportunity to use our platform to highlight work that we think is important, different and interesting.
We have a curated catalog of films that we determine are commercially viable. And we will introduce them to sales agents and potential procurement and distribution personnel. The end [goal] It's distribution, right? So we wanted to add that piece to really complete the work that we're doing here.
“The unexpected”
(International Latin Film Festival)
What conversations have you had with the filmmakers who are going to premiere their projects at the festival?
That's one of the really rewarding parts of the job. We can really uncover voices and introduce people who might have been underserved or maybe haven't had an opportunity before.
Some people just got their first short film at a festival. Some people who were with us for a couple of years with short films are now with us on their first feature film. Some people who did very well at other festivals now have the opportunity to come be part of a festival specifically focused on Latinos. So I think that part is very rewarding: having all those conversations about what the festival means to the community.
The Los Angeles Times is a major sponsor of the Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival.
