Press release:

March 12 22, 2020 marks the 27th edition of Media Arts Center San Diegos acclaimedSan Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF). The festival will take place once again at the AMC 18 Fashion Valley theaters and Digital Gym CINEMA in North Park.

The festival has grown from a modest student film festival (Cine Estudiantil) into one of the largest and most well-respected Latinx film festivals in the world. The SDLFF was born out of a desire to challenge the negative depiction of Latinx in cinema and mass-media. Now, the festivals mission extends beyond this to exist as a direct confrontation to the oppression of the Latinx community by the current administration and its dehumanizing policies.

With the ongoing political divide surrounding The Border Wall and immigration,the proliferation of authentic Latino perspectives is more meaningful now than ever, and the 27th edition of the SDLFF is committed to giving filmmakers a platform to accomplish this,stated festival founder and Executive Director, Ethan van Thillo.

Returning this year is the second annual Migrant Voices Film Competition. Migrant Voices, co-presented with San Diego Union-Tribune and funded by the California Endowment, will expand beyond those arriving in caravans to delve into migrant stories on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border with a focus on migrants who may be seeking asylum, Dreamers caught in ongoing DACA court battles, families split apart by new laws, as well as people living with the everyday realities of immigration policies.

This years celebrations will include a Chicano Film Retrospective made possible by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,SOMOS LGBTQ movie showcase co-presented by San Diego Pride. Along with,75 + guest filmmakers/celebrities,and the 27th Annual Awards Ceremony & Closing Night Gala to be held March 21st at Bread & Salt. Plus, over 170 films from Latin America, the United States, and Spain, celebrity appearances, live concerts & performances at the Sonido Latino stage, and the 5th Annual Sabor Latino Food, Beer & Wine Fest. Learn about the films.