The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival or LALIFF is a premier international event dedicated to showcasing the entirety of human experience from the Latino perspective, whether through film, television, digital, music, art, or any other vehicle, regardless of platform.
It was founded in 1997. Edward James Olmos, co-founders Marlene Dermer (1997-2014) Kirk Whisler, and the late George Hernandez joined forces with the City of Los Angeles to form the first-ever Latino focused International film festival.
LALIFF has been home to first films by Academy-Award winning directors, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro G. Iñarritu, and Pablo Larrain, as well as home to the first films by Golden Globe-winning actresses, America Ferrera and Gina Rodriguez.
Most recently with the support of Netflix, LALIFF has launched its inaugural Inclusion Fellowship program to develop, fund, and support the work of five emerging Latino filmmakers. This year, the Inclusion Fellowship has identified five emerging Afro Latino filmmakers, whose short films will premiere at LALIFF.
This year, LALIFF features a diverse program that is testament to the creativity and resilience of their artists. Get your tickets HERE.
2021 Films:
La Ciguapa Siempre by Monica Suriyage
USA, 2021, 12 MINUTES
This is a movie about Shy Milagro who has just found out that there is no record of her birth parents so her boyfriend Davis takes her on a camping trip to help her relax. Shy is questioning his loyalty and as she gets more and more angry, she transforms her into what she’s always been meant to be: a Ciguapa.
Loma De Lilí by Lorena Durán
USA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 2021, 15 MINUTES
When an electrical job goes wrong, an unfriendly electrician must accept help from a caring spirit to bury the evidence of a fatal accident.
Period. by Kase Peña
USA, 2021, 26 MINUTES
Vergara is a Trans Latinx woman who has to continue doing sex work on the side while looking after a shy 12 year-old girl to make ends-meet. That is of course a major risk since she just got released from the LA County Jail.
Quinceañero by Justin Floyd
USA, 2021, 20 MINUTES
A whimsical musical about a Catholic boy’s dream of having a Quinceañera.
The Braid of Time by Tamara Shogaolu
USA, THE NETHERLANDS, 2021, 10 MINUTES
After the tragic loss of her grandmother, Estela finds the key to her future in her grandmother’s past.
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Date: June 2-6, 2021
Admission: Get your tickets HERE
Time: Various (check the website)
Location: Virtual Screening + TCL Chinese Theatre
