SAN DIEGO–Media Arts Center San Diego will host the 27th edition of the San Diego Latino Film Festival on September 17 to 27 on the virtual screening platform Eventive.
The festival was originally scheduled to open on March 12, but was postponed on its inaugural day due to statewide regulations against mass gatherings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Festival organizers said they were hopeful for an in-person event being possible but ongoing theater closures have made this an untenable expectation. Given the virus’ disproportionate effects on the local Latinx community, event organizers want to ensure that they do their part in reducing the number of transmissions of this virus.
All festival related activations will be produced virtually including the cartoon coloring pages, which include access to over 120 feature and short length film premieres, Q&As with filmmakers, Sonido Latino concerts, press conferences and more.
“Our curatorial team has done an amazing job in pivoting these past months, and providing online movies during this Pandemic. So, we’re excited to bring this new virtual experience to our acclaimed annual San Diego Latino Film Festival,” said San Diego Latino Film Festival founder, Ethan van Thillo. “We know it’s not the same as being in-person all together; but we invite filmmakers, community partners, and residents to sit back in the comfort of their home; watch some amazing Latinx movies, and actively participate in the many online Q&As with the guest filmmakers and celebrities.”
The programming for the festival will remain primarily intact from what was originally announced in February 2020 with the exception of titles now unavailable due to release plans with distributors and/or studios. Films scheduled to screen include Pablo Larraín’s pulse-pounding dance melodrama “Ema” starring Gael García Bernal, Arturo Ripstein’s latest provocation, “El Diablo Entre Las Piernas,” and Argentina’s dark comedy sensation, El Cuento De Las Comadrejas.”
The festival will give customers who purchased film passes and/or individual tickets for the in-person event earlier this year the option of using them during the virtual relaunch or rolling them over for the 28th edition of the festival set to take place in-person, regulations permitting, in March of 2021. The festival will be transferring purchases for Sabor Latino and parties to our 28th edition as well since these gatherings are prohibited under current regulations. The festival has been in awe by the amount of patience and support our patrons have demonstrated. We are fully committed to producing a dynamic and exciting virtual film festival.
A full schedule of film screenings and events will be published on August 14 at www.sdlatinofilm.com.
