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The Latino Film Institute, founded by Academy Award-nominated actor Edward James Olmos, announced the complete lineup for the 2023 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), which will take place from May 31 through June 4 at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre and TCL Chinese 6 in Hollywood, CA.
This year’s edition will open with the much anticipated and discussed premiere of Eva Longoria ’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot . The drama tells the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez, who, as a Frito Lay janitor, disrupted the food industry by creating people’s favorite Flamin‘ Hot Cheetos.
© Richard MontañezFlamin‘ Hot brings a compelling story to the big screen, with outstanding performances from Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, and Emilio Rivera. Flamin’ Hot will be showcased on Wednesday, May 31, at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, followed by a gala.
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival will close with the premiere of Problemista, written and directed by Julio Torres and starring Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton. According to the synopsis, the film follows the story of an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream.
“We kick off our 22nd edition of LALIFF convinced, now more than ever, of the importance of our mission. We are doubling our efforts to build infrastructure for the Latino community in the entertainment industry while remaining focused on excellence”, said Edward James Olmos, Co-Founder of LALIFF. “At a time when our industry is faced with the responsibility of evaluating our commitment to fair practices, LALIFF is proud to offer a safe space for dialogue and the enjoyment of the work by the filmmakers and artists of our community.”
© GettyImagesThe full lineup includes feature films, short films, episodic works, animation, master classes, panels, networking sessions, and 15 musical performances. The event also features 44 females (representing over 50% of the program), 13 Afro/Black Latinos, nine Indigenous, and 16 LGBTQ+ directors, with 19 countries represented.
Find below the complete Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival 2023 Lineup
Features
The program is composed of 18 feature films from the U.S., Latin America, and Canada, including Moe, directed by José Luis Valenzuela, and director Miguel Angel Ferrer’s feature film The Shadow of the Sun, which tells the story of a deaf young man who asks his estranged older brother to join him in a musical contest.
The program also include films that touch on subjects of self-discovery, forgiveness, and freedom, such as Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, directed by Tomás Gomez Bustillo, and Èṣù and The Universe, directed by Thiago Zanato.
Some of the films in the program having their Los Angeles debut hail from the world’s most important film festivals like Berlinale, Annecy, TIFF, and Sundance, including Hummingbirds, a self-portrait documentary directed by young filmmakers Estefanía “Beba” Contreras and Silvia Del Carmen Castaños; Diego Guzmán’s animated feature The Other Shape; the darkly humorous Charcoal, directed by Carolina Markowitz; Daughter of Rage, directed by Laura Baumeister; So Much Tenderness, written, directed and produced by Lina Rodriguez and The Eternal Memory, directed by Academy Award nominee Maite Alberdi.
The lineup also features the documentaries Patria y Vida: The Power of Music from director Beatriz Luengo, and The Team, by Bernardo Ruiz.
Live-Action and Animated Shorts
56 short films in various genres will be presented. 33 by U.S. Latino directors. Highlights include El Tesoro, featuring Academy Award nominee Mexican actress Adriana Barraza; How To Lasso, and Detox, directed by Dominican-American Frida Perez. Pedacito de Carne; Prelude of a Story, and Translators, directed by Rudy Valdez are also part of the event.
LALIFF will premiere Brujas; La Curandera Cumbiambera, and Song of the Lake. directed The program also includes animated shorts from around the world, including the U.S. premiere of “Lucky Brave’s Sunshine” from illustrator and filmmaker Joseph Game.
“We are proud to present a robust program of films, TV series, and music that reflect important conversations happening around the world,” said Diana Cadavid, LALIFF’s Artistic Director. “Aside from ensuring that Latino storytellers have a world-class platform to present their works, we offer a space for artists to connect with a diverse audience and important players in the industry in an environment conducive to empowerment and artistic growth.“
Episodic Works
This year the festival will screen seven episodes, including the “Mexico” episode of De La Calle , a Paramount+ Original docu-series hosted by journalist Nick Barili that takes a journey into the Latine diaspora to explore the evolution of Urbano music and the cultures that ignited the musical revolution of Rap, Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin trap, Cumbia and other sounds that influence music and culture worldwide. The event will also screen the “Shari” episode of the Stoned Breakups series.
© Courtesy of Nicolas BariliSpecial Screenings
The festival will feature the special screenings of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; a sneak peek of the second season of With Love; Hip-Hop X Siempre, executive produced by Jessy Terrero and Primo from Freeve.
