Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF)

Overview

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is the most important Latino film festival in the United States. Founded in 1997 and held annually in June in Los Angeles, the festival presents competitive films by and about the Latino experience to the largest Latino urban population in the United States.

Los Angeles's Latino population -- over 4 million people, representing nearly half the city's population -- gives LALIFF an unmatched community connection. The festival serves a community that is simultaneously a domestic US minority and the continuation of Latin American cultural traditions, creating a unique intersection of American and Latin American cinema culture.

LALIFF has been instrumental in developing the careers of Latino filmmakers who have gone on to work in Hollywood, providing early visibility for stories and voices that were underrepresented in mainstream American cinema.

Key Sections

• Feature Film Competition -- films by and about Latino experience
• Mexican American Stories -- Chicano and Mexican American experience
• Latin American Program -- films from Latin America
• Documentary Competition -- nonfiction features
• Short Film Competition -- competitive short programs

What Filmmakers Should Know

LALIFF accepts open submissions. For Latino filmmakers in the US, the festival provides the most important dedicated domestic platform. The Los Angeles location creates strong industry connections, with the entertainment industry's growing attention to Latino audiences creating distribution interest.

Major Awards

• Best Film -- jury prize
• Best Documentary
• Audience Award

Festival History

LALIFF was founded in 1997 and has grown into the most important Latino film event in the United States over nearly three decades.

See Also

For Latino cinema, see International Film Markets. For PAFF, see Pan African Film and Arts Festival.