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.