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. Co-founded by Edward James Olmos in 1997, the festival celebrates its 25th edition from May 27 to 31, 2026, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The 2026 edition introduces a new Best Feature Film Award and debuts LALIFF Connect: Market and Creative Forum, a combined film market and industry forum creating opportunities for financing, co-production, and creative collaboration.

LALIFF is now in its second year as an Academy Award qualifying festival. Winners of the Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short and Best U.S. Latino Animated Short categories are eligible to submit their films for Academy Award consideration at the 98th Academy Awards, without the standard theatrical run requirement.

The festival is a program of the Latino Film Institute (LFI), which platforms culturally focused storytelling by Latino filmmakers. Over 25 years, LALIFF has showcased actors, filmmakers, and industry pioneers including Guillermo del Toro, Eva Longoria, Diego Luna, and America Ferrera. The 2026 features jury is headed by Emmy nominee and Independent Spirit Award winner Nava Mau.

Submission Details

LALIFF accepts open submissions through FilmFreeway. All films and projects must be submitted through FilmFreeway. Films not submitted through FilmFreeway will not be considered.

Submission deadlines for LALIFF 2026:

• Early Submission Deadline: Monday, December 15, 2025
• Regular Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 15, 2026
• Late Submission Deadline: Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 11:59pm PT

Submission categories:

• U.S. Latino Feature Films - fiction, documentary, or animation films by Latino filmmakers in the United States, running time over 50 minutes. World premiere must have occurred no earlier than January 1, 2025. No commercial, theatrical, television, or internet distribution in the United States. Requires a minimum Los Angeles premiere.
• U.S. and International Latino Short Films - fiction, documentary, or animation films by Latino filmmakers (in the U.S., Latin America, and the diaspora), running time under 30 minutes. World premiere must have occurred no earlier than January 1, 2025. No commercial, theatrical, television, or internet distribution in the United States. Requires a minimum Los Angeles premiere.
• U.S. and International Latino Episodics - scripted or non-scripted series by Latino creatives. Single or multiple episodes allowed, total running time not exceeding 90 minutes including credits. Individual episodes may not exceed 60 minutes. Content must not have been made available to the general public via any platform in the United States. Requires a minimum Los Angeles premiere.

Submission format requirements:

• Only one film per entry form. Multiple entries on one application will not be considered.
• LALIFF only accepts submissions via Vimeo web link. Password-protected videos must include the password, which must not change for the duration of the decision-making process.
• Non-English language films must have English language subtitles at the time of submission.
• If selected, films must be available for projection in DCP and digital file.

Exact submission fees for each deadline tier are listed on the LALIFF FilmFreeway page.

Key Sections

• U.S. Latino Feature Films - competitive feature program, new for 2026 with the Best Feature Film Award
• Short Film Competition - U.S. and international Latino shorts competing for Oscar-qualifying awards
• Episodics - scripted and non-scripted series programming
• LALIFF Connect: Market and Creative Forum - new for 2026, combining the festival's Film Market and Industry Forum into a program for filmmakers, producers, and financiers to connect through financing, co-production, and creative collaboration
• Works In Progress - finishing fund program sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios, supporting filmmakers in the final stages of their projects
• Opening Night - Valentina, the 2026 opening night film

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Short Filmmakers

LALIFF's Oscar qualifying status makes it one of the most valuable festivals for Latino short filmmakers in the United States. Winners of the Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short and Best U.S. Latino Animated Short categories become eligible for Academy Award consideration. The 2025 winners received $4,000 cash prizes. The Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short is presented by Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, and the Best U.S. Latino Animated Short is presented by the Latino Film Institute.

The 2025 Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short winner was "Beyond (Mas Alla)" by Bettina Lopez Mendoza. The Best U.S. Latino Animated Short winner was "No Vacancy" by Miguel Rodrick.

For Feature Filmmakers

The 2026 edition introduces the Best Feature Film Award for the first time. This is a significant development for Latino feature filmmakers, as LALIFF has historically focused its competitive awards on shorts and episodics. The new award, combined with the LALIFF Connect market forum, positions the festival as a more competitive platform for feature films seeking distribution and financing.

For Episodic Filmmakers

LALIFF is one of the few festivals with a dedicated episodic category for Latino creatives. The Best U.S. Latino Episodic Short award is presented annually. The 2025 jury included executives from Disney Entertainment, National Geographic, Onyx Collective, Hulu, and FX, making the category a direct pipeline to streaming and television development opportunities.

Premiere Requirements

LALIFF requires a minimum Los Angeles premiere for all submitted films. Films that have had commercial, theatrical, television, or internet distribution in the United States are not eligible. This is a strict requirement. If your film is already available on any US streaming platform, it cannot be submitted.

Industry Value

The 2026 debut of LALIFF Connect: Market and Creative Forum significantly upgrades the festival's industry value. The program creates curated opportunities for filmmakers, producers, and financiers to connect through financing, co-production, and creative collaboration. This is in addition to the existing Works In Progress finishing fund, sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios.

The festival's Hollywood location at the TCL Chinese Theatre puts screenings in the heart of the entertainment industry. The 2026 edition also introduces the Adelante Award for Industry, honoring individuals whose contributions have created lasting impact and opportunity within the entertainment landscape.

Awards

LALIFF 2026 presents the following awards:

• Best Feature Film - new for 2026, the festival's first competitive feature award
• Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short - Oscar qualifying, presented by Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo. 2025 prize: $4,000 cash.
• Best U.S. Latino Animated Short - Oscar qualifying, presented by Latino Film Institute. 2025 prize: $4,000 cash.
• Best U.S. Latino Episodic Short - juried award for episodic content
• Works In Progress - finishing fund sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios
• Adelante Award for Industry - new for 2026, honoring individuals who have created lasting impact in entertainment
• Adelante Award for Education - honoring contributions to educational opportunity

Festival History

LALIFF was co-founded by Edward James Olmos in 1997. The festival was created to address the underrepresentation of Latino voices in mainstream American cinema and to provide a dedicated platform for Latino filmmakers in the United States. Over nearly three decades, the festival has grown into the most important Latino film event in the country.

The festival is a program of the Latino Film Institute (LFI), which also operates year-round programming and filmmaker support initiatives. 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.

The 2025 edition ran from May 30 to June 1, with awards presented on closing day at the LALIFF Industry Forum and Lounge at The Kookaburra Lounge in Ovation Hollywood. The 2026 edition moves to the TCL Chinese Theatre and expands to a 5-day program from May 27 to 31, marking the festival's 25th anniversary.

LALIFF received Academy Award qualifying status in 2024, making the 2026 edition its second year as an Oscar-qualifying festival. The festival's growing industry infrastructure, including the new LALIFF Connect market and the Amazon MGM Studios-financed Works In Progress fund, reflects a broader industry trend of increased investment in Latino storytelling.

See Also

Use the Festival ROI Calculator to weigh the submission fee against potential returns from attending. For festival strategy and Oscar qualifying pathways, read Film Festival Strategy. For international film markets and distribution, see International Film Markets. For similar cultural and diaspora festivals, see San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.