Welcome! | Bienvenidos

We made it to our 29th San Diego Latino Film Festival! Hard to believe what a crazy past few years it has been; and the continued upside down world we live in.

Even with all of the ongoing challenges and unrest around the world, I am so proud of our staff, Board of Directors, sponsors, film programmers, and the many volunteers for continuing this important tradition and bringing you 200+ amazing Latinx movies March 10-20, 2022; that otherwise would not be screened in this region.

During the pandemic I’ve been reminded of the importance and power of community, family, and friends. And for that, we dedicate this year’s film festival to all of YOU - community partner organizations, volunteers, movie lovers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, and actors. No matter what is happening around us, we must continue to work together, reach out, support each other and build a more just-world together.

Our non-profit, Media Arts Center San Diego, is committed to this vision and will continue to change lives through media arts and film. Despite the pandemic, our youth filmmaking classes have thrived, we continue to produce stories of communities across the region; and, we’re excited to be opening a new Digital Gym CINEMA in downtown San Diego this upcoming April 2022.

Sit back, INSIDE the movie theater, together; and, enjoy the power of Cinema and incredible stories from around Latin America, Central America, Mexico, USA, and Spain.

Enjoy the amazing 11 days of the best in Latino Cinema!

Nos vemos en el cine,

Ethan van Thillo, Founder / Executive Director Two years ago, the San Diego Latino Film Festival’s 27th edition was postponed on the day of its launch because of the pandemic. Since then… a lot has happened, including a contextualization of our festival in virtual spaces. We were beyond happy to connect with all of you during the height of the pandemic and grateful for your continued support. After much uncertainty, I am thrilled to be back with in-person screenings (and plenty of virtual ones as well) for our 29th edition!

There’s nothing like the communal experience of watching a film on the big-screen with your friends, family, and yes, even strangers. Per usual, the films are the ultimate highlight of the festival and this year is no exception thanks to the thoughtful consideration and selections of our new programmers and selection committee members. We considered 100s of films, and we’re beyond excited to share our official selection with you. As always, I encourage you to take risks with your film selections-- a film festival is the best place to expand your appreciation of all types of cinema. I’m not sure many people accessed the program from our last in-person edition in 2020 but I wanted to re-include the following from that program’s welcome text- I’d like to dedicate this edition to Helen Guzman, a key member of the SDLFF team for many years, who will grace the festival with her spirit and serve as a constant reminder that nothing compares to family. You’re in our hearts forever, Helen.

Welcome back to the cinema!

Sincerely,

Moisés Esparza, Exhibitions Manager