The only thing more impressive than the lineup at the 7th Annual Official Latino Film and Arts Festival is the diverse themes and the talent that are attached to it. Danny Trejo, Emilio Rivera, and Valente Rodriguez to name a few. And that’s just for Welcome to Our World by Alfredo Ramos.
The festival will be presented virtually this year from November 26 – 30. During that time, over 100 films that were written, directed, or produced by our communities from the United States will be shown.
The Official Latino Film Festival only accepts films that were made in the U.S. so that the focus could be on the talent within our communities and what they were producing here in this country. The festival is the first American domestic film festival of its kind.
Most of the selections available this year are found in the Short Film Competition. Under the shorts competition are several themes including “Native Tongue,” “In A Pandemic Era,” and “Puro Pride (LGBTQ+)” among others.
Additionally, the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival is partnering with cable giant HBO. “We are proud to announce that for the third year in a row, the mega-giant network HBO is providing much-needed support to our filmmakers, via the HBO Latinx Short Film competition,” says the festival website. What that means is the festival along with the HBO team will coordinate licenses for three films that will go on to be showcased on HBO.
Brenda Castillo, President, and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, a supporter of the festival, told Deadline, “The NHMC is proud to work with Official Latino and HBO to ensure that our stories are being told and that we are creating space for Latino artists to thrive. The more we can uplift and promote Latinx talent in the entertainment industry, the more we’ll see ourselves represented and truly effect change in Hollywood and beyond.”
Aside from the short films, the Official Latino Film Festival also has blocks for documentaries, dramas, and experimental films. In the features category, the one anchored by Welcome to Our World, fans can also check out other titles like, Superblocked, directed by Romel Rodriguez, and Venus de Macho, directed by Danny Hastings, the festival’s creator.
Tickets go on sale on November 15. More info can be found at officiallatino.com