Looking for LALIFF? It's right here!

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival

About LALIFF

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is the premier international event dedicated to reveling in the Latino human experience through film, television, music, visual art, or any form of expression that defies category. With five days of both in-person and virtual screenings, masterclasses, panels, and performances, LALIFF is a garden of creativity and a celebration of Latino life. LALIFF was founded in 1997 when Edward James Olmos and 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.

Recognized by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its discovery of emerging Latino talent, LALIFF has been home to debut films by incredible Academy Award-winning directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro G. Iñarritu, and Pablo Larrain, as well as home to the debut films of Golden Globe-winning actresses America Ferrera and Gina Rodriguez.

Mission

About Us Mission

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is a premiere 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.

LALIFF was founded in 1997 when Edward James Olmos and 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.

Recognized by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its discovery of emerging Latino talent, 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.

HISTORY

LALIFF History

LALIFF was founded in 1997 when Edward James Olmos and 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. Recognized for its discovery of emerging Latino talent, 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, Gina Rodriguez and America Ferrera.

Throughout its history, LALIFF has bestowed the Gabriel Figueroa Lifetime Achievement Award to such industry icons as, Raul Julia, Pedro Almodovar, Carlos Saura, Maria Felix, Anthony Quinn, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Federico Luppi, Rita Moreno, Ricardo Montalban, Antonio Banderas, Ignacio Lopez Tarso, Gustavo Santaolalla and, of course, Gabriel Figueroa himself.

The LALIFF Youth Program, a screen education program that took place at the festival, set the groundwork for what would eventually become the statewide, public school educational film program known as, the Youth Cinema Project.

The Academy Film Archive houses all of the past LALIFF Collection.