Border Stories Were Going to Take Center Stage At This Year’s Now Canceled San Diego Latino Film Festival
David Illescas appears 'Sin Señas Particulares' by Fernanda Valadez. Photo by Claudia Bercerril. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
There are very few film festivals around the United States that focus exclusively on Latino content. Which is why, when one of them is inching ever nearer to a thirty year anniversary, you can’t help but beam with pride. For this year’s 27th edition of the San Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF), the programmers have once again curated a lineup that will give local audiences a chance to see both what’s making waves around Latin America and what exciting work is being produced in the U.S. as well. And given the political moment, the fest is well aware of how significant that kind of visibility can accomplish.
“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.
While the entire program deserves your attention — particularly its Frontera Filmmakers Showcase — we’ve picked out 15 films you shouldn’t miss. Whether you’re looking to see what Gael García Bernal conjured up for his sophomore directorial effort, are in the mood for a Peruvian-flavored musical, or are eager to catch some of the most probing examinations of what’s happening at the border, you’ll find everything you want below.
San Diego Latino Film Festival runs March 12-22, 2020 UPDATE: The San Diego Latino Film Festival has been canceled in response to the growing concern over the spread of the Coronavirus.
