Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos, founder of the Latino Film Institute, today announced this year’s full lineup Los Angeles International Latin Film Festival (LALIFF) taking place June 1-5 at the iconic TCL Chinese Theater and TCL Chinese 6 in Hollywood.
This year’s edition will open with Disney Original Documentary’s mijadirected by Isabel Castro, and ends with Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max The father of the bride, directed by Gaz Alazraki. The complete lineup includes 17 feature films from North America and Latin America; animated and live action shorts and episodes; master classes and musical performances. Toon enthusiasts will find even more to enjoy with the second annual Animation Day, which builds on the success of the 2021 edition.
“You’ll find some of the most daring films, TV series and music, with 50% of the program directed by women,” said Diana Cadavid, artistic director of LALIFF. “One of our goals at LALIFF is to ensure that Latino storytellers have a world-class venue to showcase their work. We provide a platform for our artists to connect with a diverse and multicultural audience, as well as with major industry players.
Entertainment dayorganized with LFI LatinX in animationwill include the premieres of two Mexican animated series: Frankelda’s Ghost Bookby Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz, and Rey Mysterio Against Darkness by Los Hermanos Calavera.
This animation festival will also present Cafecito talks which cover a wide range of perspectives in the world of animation, featuring industry leaders and various talents and artists, as well as a special presentation and Q&A from the Oscar-nominated Brazilian filmmaker Ale Abreu (The boy and the world) on his upcoming animated feature, Perlimps. Guest speakers include:
- Octavio Rodriguez (Spider-Man: Through the Spider-Verse)
- Abe Audich (Bugs Bunny Builders)
- Luis Gadea (Bugs Bunny Builders)
- Karissa Valencia (Spirit Rangers)
- Aaron Davidson (Senior Director, Original Programming, HBO Max)
- Gita Rebbapragada (Marketing Director, Crunchyroll)
- André de Abreu (Senior Director of International Business Operations, Crunchyroll)
- Raphael Chaidez (Marvel’s Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur)
- Janelle Martinez (fire buttons)
- Melinda Carrillo (Alice’s Wonderland Bakery)
- Christine Benitez (SVP Multicultural and Brand Marketing, Paramount Pictures)
The festival offers three juried film competitions: the brand new Short Episodic category, Live Action Short and Animated Short. The entertainment jury includes Guillermo Martinez (director, Sony Pictures Animation) and Nicole Rivera (VP, Original Series Development, Cartoon Network Studios).
LALIFF 2022 animated shorts:
- Canicas – Eduardo Altamirano (Mexico)
- Chilly and Milly – William D. Caballero (USA)
- It is raining – Carolina Corral & Magali Rocha (Mexico)
- It was raining – Ignacio Lillini (Argentina)
- My year of dicks – Sara Gunnarsdottir (USA)
- Repairs – Wilson Borja (Colombia)
- something in the garden – Marcos Sánchez (Chile)
- Tamgu – Isabel Loyer & Luis Paris (Argentina/France)
- The girl behind the mirror – Iuri Moreno (Brazil)
- The weight of it – Olivia Marie Valdez, Sandra Afonso Rodríguez, Einar Soler Fernández (Spain)
- Uninhabited – Camila Donoso Astudillo (Chile)
- We are here – Domenica & Constanza Castro (USA)
Other highlights of the program include the return of LALIFF Music, amplifying exceptional and diverse Latin talent, building community through its Music Industry program, music panels and networking lounges. In collaboration with AltaMed Health Services, LALIFF will celebrate the work of Harry Gamboa Jr., Chicano artist, author, educator and current Director of Photo/Media Program at CalArts, with a showcase of his photography and video works spanning more than six decades . And in partnership with TVCortos for its second year, the festival’s best selection “LALIFF en TVCortos” will reach global audiences, airing on TVCortos in Latin America and Spain and sister channel ShortsTV in the US and Europe.
The event will also feature LALIFF’s Industry Days, a flagship program designed to connect filmmakers, musicians and artists with industry professionals including sales agents, buyers, producers, production managers, artisans, financiers, festival programmers and publicists. In addition to one-on-one meetings and networking events, the festival will feature a series of panels and talks, tackling relevant topics such as crowdfunding, navigating a screenwriting career, the art of sound production and a panel of actors from the Latino National Committee of SAG-AFTRA.
Legacy, LALIFF’s student film festival, will be back for this edition and will present more than 100 films shot and produced by the students of the Youth Cinema Project. YCP works in California public school classrooms, implementing a rigorous filmmaking curriculum that incorporates social-emotional learning and English language arts. The two-day event (June 4-5) will include student film premieres, panels, Q&As, special events, workshops, and special screenings and performances.
Find the full program and buy your tickets for LALIFF 2022 on laliff.org.