The San Diego Latino Film Festival

It’s that time of year again. The return of the San Diego Latino Film Festival!

I’ll proudly admit to being a part of the festival’s PR team for 4 years straight! This year I’m heading to the theater as a regular moviegoer. The 10-day juried film/video exhibition of work by/about Latino artists and Latino genre runs from March 15 to the 25 at AMC Fashion Valley.

The festival that began as a student film festival twenty-five years ago, and now hosts guest filmmaker and actor appearances, workshops, live music, art exhibitions, and gala celebrations throughout the duration of the festival.

I’m particularly excited about this year’s 25 Year Anniversary Showcase which brings past festival-favorites and classic-international-hits back to the big screen. What fun way to introduce your family to Bajo La Misma Luna, or awkwardly squirm during everyone’s favorite scene in Y Tu Mama Tambien.

There are 160 films to choose from! Sifting through the entire Festival Catalog or website can be a daunting task. Festival organizers make it easy to narrow down your selections by grouping similar films into easy to select from genres also known as ‘showcases.’ Here is a list of some of my favorite showcases:

Spotlight Films: Superstars abound in this selection of entertaining, alluring, and fun spotlight films that cover a range of genres. Hint hint, these are the films that draw the crowds and often bring celebs so get your tickets early.

Para la familia: Although there is only two this year, these are the heartwarming films perfect for the entire family including the most beloved comic strip in Latin America coming to life in Condorito.

Shorts Programs: Short attention span? Go with a ticket that gets you a ton of short films instead of a feature film. Great films come in all shapes and sizes, these happen to be short like me.

Somos! LGBT Flicks: The festival furthers its mission to correct the often distorted and cliche images seen on television and movies by revealing LGBT lives and experiences through dynamic films and documentaries.

Ritmo Latino: These films are jam-packed with music and each tell stories of star-bound individuals and has-been rockers.

You can purchase a festival pass and check out the entire line up of films on the site. Don’t forget to check the parties to socialize, and filmmaking related workshops too! Need a movie buddy? Let me know which films are on your radar and let’s meet up! Comment below with your Latino Film Festival experience.