The San Diego Latino Film Festival began on Thursday, Mar. 9 celebrating its 30th anniversary. The event is an independent film festival in San Diego, California produced by the non-profit San Diego Film Foundation.
What began as a modest student film festival in 1994 has grown into a well-known 11-day celebration of the arts and culture while also showcasing the directors, actresses, and other creatives who bring the Latino experience to the big screen.
About 300 people and 30 movies were present when it first began, according to founder Ethan van Thillo.
Some 15,000 visitors are anticipated for the most recent iteration, which runs from Mar. 9 to Mar.19 at the AMC Mission Valley cinema, and more than 160 films will be screened, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The festival's early years included young individuals who went on to become accomplished filmmakers, according to Van Thillo. Among them were cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto ("Babel") and directors Carlos Carrera ("El Crimen del Padre Amaro") and Carlos Ávila ("Price of Glory").
Ávila, then a UCLA graduate student, presented his thesis film "Distant Water" during the festival's first edition.
"You are always looking to find ways to exhibit your work, and there was the opportunity to show it at the film festival in San Diego," Ávila recalled in a phone interview.
The filmmaker, who has created films, television programs, and commercials throughout his career, will return for the festival's 30th anniversary to screen his short film "The Kill Floor," which examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Latino workers.
On Mar. 18, the movie will be shown as a part of the festival's "Hecho en USA" showcase.
"To see what Ethan (Van Thillo) has done with this festival, which has become not just a film festival but also a celebration of Latino culture ... I'm so proud to be a part of that," said Ávila.
The festival has attracted numerous Latino movie stars throughout the course of its three-decade existence, including Alfonso Cuarón, Edward James Olmos, Demián Bichir, Kate del Castillo, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.
Actors Joaquín Cosío, Juan Manuel Bernal, Roberto Quijano and Diana Bovio are among this year's special guests.
Many types of short and feature-length movies will be screened at the festival. Moreover, it will support upcoming filmmakers.
"It is important to keep that balance because, at the end of the day, the film festival is really about supporting emerging talent and filmmakers," said Van Thillo. "You never know who is going to be the next Alfonso Cuarón."
The goal of the festival from the start was to dispel inaccurate film representations of Latinos.
Van Thillo acknowledges the advancements made through the years but stated that there is still more work to be done.
"It's definitely a challenge," he said. "There has been progress for sure."
He cites as examples new Latino actors and filmmakers in Hollywood and great achievements by Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu.
"There's the dialogue about stereotypes, and things we really didn't talk about 30 years ago. I believe the festival helped push that dialogue into the forefront and really helped celebrate and support Latino filmmakers," he added.
One of the festival's greatest achievements, in Van Thillo's opinion, is the 1999 founding of the nonprofit Media Arts San Diego.
Media Arts Center San Diego offers educational programs and services.
In addition to other events, festival ticket holders can take advantage of live music, a Latino arts market, and a culinary festival.
The event's final evening event at 7 p.m. Mar. 18 will include a concert by La Sonora Dinamita at The Forum by UC San Diego Park & Market at 1100 Market St., San Diego.
The 30th Anniversary Of The San Diego Latino Film Festival Celebrated
The San Diego Latino Film Festival began on Thursday, Mar. 9 celebrating its 30th anniversary. The event is an independent film festival in San Diego, California produced by the non-profit San Diego Film Foundation.
What began as a modest student film festival in 1994 has grown into a well-known 11-day celebration of the arts and culture while also showcasing the directors, actresses, and other creatives who bring the Latino experience to the big screen.
About 300 people and 30 movies were present when it first began, according to founder Ethan van Thillo. Some 15,000 visitors are anticipated for the most recent iteration, which runs from Mar. 9 to Mar.19 at the AMC Mission Valley cinema, and more than 160 films will be screened, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The festival's early years included young individuals who went on to become accomplished filmmakers, according to Van Thillo. Among them were cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto ("Babel") and directors Carlos Carrera ("El Crimen del Padre Amaro") and Carlos Ávila ("Price of Glory").
Ávila, then a UCLA graduate student, presented his thesis film "Distant Water" during the festival's first edition.
"You are always looking to find ways to exhibit your work, and there was the opportunity to show it at the film festival in San Diego," Ávila recalled in a phone interview.
The filmmaker, who has created films, television programmes, and commercials throughout his career, will return for the festival's 30th anniversary to screen his short film "The Kill Floor," which examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Latino workers. On Mar. 18, the movie will be shown as a part of the festival's "Hecho en USA" showcase.
"To see what Ethan (Van Thillo) has done with this festival, which has become not just a film festival but also a celebration of Latino culture ... I'm so proud to be a part of that," said Ávila.
The festival has attracted numerous Latino movie stars throughout the course of its three-decade existence, including Alfonso Cuarón, Edward James Olmos, Demián Bichir, Kate del Castillo, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.
Actors Joaquín Cosío, Juan Manuel Bernal, Roberto Quijano and Diana Bovio are among this year's special guests.
Many types of short and feature-length movies will be screened at the festival. Moreover, it will support upcoming filmmakers.
"It is important to keep that balance because, at the end of the day, the film festival is really about supporting emerging talent and filmmakers," said Van Thillo. "You never know who is going to be the next Alfonso Cuarón."
The goal of the festival from the start was to dispel inaccurate film representations of Latinos. Van Thillo acknowledges the advancements made through the years but stated that there is still more work to be done.
"It's definitely a challenge," he said. "There has been progress for sure."
He cites as examples new Latino actors and filmmakers in Hollywood and great achievements by Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu.
"There's the dialogue about stereotypes, and things we really didn't talk about 30 years ago. I believe the festival helped push that dialogue into the forefront and really helped celebrate and support Latino filmmakers," he added.
One of the festival's greatest achievements, in Van Thillo's opinion, is the 1999 founding of the nonprofit Media Arts San Diego. Media Arts Center San Diego offers educational programs and services.
In addition to other events, festival ticket holders can take advantage of live music, a Latino arts market, and a culinary festival. The event's final evening event at 7 p.m. Mar. 18 will include a concert by La Sonora Dinamita at The Forum by UC San Diego Park & Market at 1100 Market St., San Diego.
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