Launched in 1999, the New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) is now the premier Urban Latino film event in the country.
New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) started in 1999 and takes place in New York, NY, USA
A Thousand Pines, a vérité documentary showing the day-to-day life of migrant workers who labor in America’s lucrative timber industry, will have its world premiere at the New York Latino Film Festival, taking place September 15-24, 2023, and a broadcast premiere on PBS’s Independent Lens next year.
The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) returns September 14 – 20, 2020 with drive-in/ in-person experiences and virtual programming. The Festival opens with Habla Now, the fifteenth installment of HBO Latino’s award-winning Habla series. The documentary special shares personal stories from Latino personalities such as Amara La Negra, Dominican, Singer/Actress/Activist; Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Mexican American, Environmental Activist; Laurie Hernandez, Puerto Rican, Olympian; Diane Guerrero, Colombian, Actress; among others.
Impossible Monsters written and directed by Nathan Catucci, will screen at the 2019 HBO New York Latino Film Festival on Thursday, August 15, 2019 at 10:30pm.
Long Gone By, starring Erica Muñoz who is also the associate producer, and directed by Andrew Morgan will premiere at HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival on Saturday August 17, 2019 at 2pm at AMC Times Square.
The 2019 New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) kicks off on Monday, August 12th with the New York premiere of the film Princess of the Row from director Van Maximilian Carlson and starring Martin Sheen, Edi Gathegi, Ana Ortiz, Tayler Buck, Jacob Vargas, among others. Unflinching and emotional, Princess of the Row is the inspiring tale of a runaway foster child who will stop at nothing to live with the only family she knows: her father… a homeless, mentally ill-veteran fighting to survive on the streets of LA’s skid row.
The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) will kick off its 15th edition on Wednesday, August 22nd with the New York premiere of the film “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name.” Directed by critically acclaimed director, Abner Benaim, the film stars Ruben Blades, Sting, Paul Simon, Residente, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Larry Harlow, Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, Junot Diaz, Luba Mason, among others. The star-studded documentary offers an intimate portrait of Ruben Blades, revealing the artist’s struggle to come to terms with his legacy and influence in elevating Salsa music to an international scale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtDr0q–kbs
This year, the NYLFF will showcase a diverse slate representing 17 countries, spanning all genres and formats including features, shorts, documentaries, web series and experimental films featuring, about and/or for the U.S. Latino community. Highlights this year include: HBO Documentary Films “The Sentence,” which explores the devastating consequences of mass incarceration and mandatory minimum drug sentencing and USA Today’s, “The Wall,” looking at the impact, and unintended consequences of President Trump’s $20 billion promise to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Other notable selections include “La Palabra de Pablo/ The Word of Pablo,” a sexy and tragic film-noirish take on William Shakespeare’s “Othello” featuring a wealthy family in contemporary El Salvador; “Rich Kids,” a vibrant portrait of six troubled teenagers ongoing challenges like economic disparities, gentrification, displacement, and evictions faced through the lens of Latino and Afro-Latino American youth in South Houston; “Heredera del Viento/ Heiress of the Wind,” a highly personal and searing documentary about torture, tragic deaths, doubt, and disillusionment in Nicaragua, “Canal Street,” a heart-pounding tale of faith and justice as a high school teen from the South Side finds himself at the center of a murder investigation, among many others.
“We are proud to be celebrating our 15th year of serving and empowering our community. This important festival, in celebration of inclusion, aims to highlight our untold stories, unique experiences and daily realities in this country. It is important now, more than ever, that we provide a strong platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase films that audiences can truly identify with. NYLFF is you,” said Calixto Chinchilla, Founder of NYLFF.
This year, NYLFF will present, once again, “FUTURO,” a digital conference presented by Google and Driven Society, on August 22rd at the Google NY Headquarters. The one-day conference will feature leading digital thought-leaders, executives, and social media influencers, whom will participate in panel discussions on the most innovative and upcoming trends in the Latino digital space.
The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), presented by HBO, will make its much-anticipated return to the Big Apple October 11-15, 2017. Unveiling a new Logo and website, founder Calixto Chinchilla announced today that submissions for the 13th edition of the iconic film festival are now being accepted through August 4, 2017.
The premier marketplace for Latino films in the U.S., the NYLFF will once again showcase a diverse slate, spanning all genres and formats including features, shorts, documentaries and experimental films featuring, about and/or for the U.S. Latino community. Submission forms and complete information regarding eligibility for the 2017 NYLFF are available at www.NYLatinoFilmFestival.com.
“It’s a remarkable honor to announce the reemergence of the NYLFF to New York City, during a moment where content distribution is taking on this innovative expansion. Our event is about galvanizing and empowering community. It is incredible to have such a strong supporter in HBO, our founding partner, and Time Warner, who have been an integral part through every step of this continuing journey,” said Chinchilla.
“We have been eagerly awaiting the rebirth of the NYLFF. The importance of Latino voices in our industry is evident to anyone watching television, going to the movies, listening to music, or just walking and breathing in this country,” said Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility, HBO. “As a founding partner of the NYLFF, we are once again lending our support as presenting sponsor to what we believe is one of the most groundbreaking Latino film festivals in the United States.”
To be considered, all projects must have been completed by deadline of August 4, 2017. Projects in a language other than English must have English-language subtitles. Films cannot have been broadcast (television or Internet) or distributed commercially in the U.S. prior to the festival. Exceptions may be granted for short films and documentaries.
New York agency sociedAD led the rebranding efforts, including the creation of the Festival’s new logo. The website was created in partnership with Gala Festival Engine.
Since its inception in 1999, each year the NYLFF brings together more than 20,000 movie fans and industry executives over the course of several days.[caption id="attachment_2832" align="alignnone" width="640"]
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The films Under My Nails took the top US film prize, and the Venezuelan film The Rumble of the Stones took the top international prize as well as best director prize for Alejandro Bellame Palacios at the 2012 HBO® New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF). The festival presented its 2012 awards at a ceremony on Sunday, August 19, in the categories of Best Domestic Feature, Best International Feature, Best Director, Best Documentary and Best Short.
“This year’s festival line up was outstanding in its quality and range of diversity,” said Calixto Chinchilla, NYILFF Founder and Co-Executive Director. “We hope to continue to bring the highest quality films and stories to the New York community.”
2012 NYILFF WINNERS
BEST SHORT: “PESCADORA“
20 Min. – PERU & USA
Directors: Daniel Enrique García and Ahna Terpstra
Dora has always dreamed of becoming a fisherman like her father. However, everyone in her Peruvian fishing village wants her to marry instead. Presented by Avid. Winner receives a Media Composer 6.
BEST DOMESTIC FEATURE: “UNDER MY NAILS“
NY Premiere/100 Min.
Director: Arí Maniel Cruz; Writer: Kisha Tikina Burgos; Producers: Martín Arias, Arí Maniel Cruz, Kisha Tikina Burgos, Enrique Julia, Bobby De Jesús, Andrei Nemcik.
Cast: Marilú Acosta, Maite Bonilla, Kisha Tikina Burgos, Iván Camilo, Dolores Pedro.
Solimar, a Puerto Rican woman who works in a nail salon, becomes intrigued by the violent sexual practices of her new neighbors, Roberto and Perpetuel. When Perpetuel returns home to the DR, Solimar goes from voyeur to participant in Roberto’s games of sex and power. Presented by HBO®. Winner receives $5,000 cash award.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: “EL RUMOR DE LAS PIEDRAS” (The Rumble of the Stones)
New York Premiere/Venezuela/ 100 Min.
Director/Producer: Alejandro Bellame Palacios
Writers: Alejandro Bellame Palacios & Valentina Saa
Cast: Alberto Alifa, Veronica Arellano, Aminta de Lara, Rossana Fernandez, Ariette Torres
Single mother Delia struggles to raise her sons, William and Santiago, in a shantytown of Caracas, but it seems that everyday they slip farther away from her and closer to a life of crime and delinquency. Presented by El Diario-La Prensa. Winner receives $1,000 cash award.
BEST DIRECTOR: ALEJANDRO BELLAME PALACIOS for “EL RUMOR DE LAS PIEDRAS“
Best Director Award Presented by Tribeca Film Institute and Heineken Voces. Winner receives $1,000 cash award.
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “EL MÉDICO: THE CUBATÓN STORY“
New York Premiere/Cuba, Sweden/85 Minutes
Director: Daniel Fridell
Producers: Thomas Allercrantz, Daniel Fridell, Ingemar Johansson, Adel Kjellström, Margus Öunapuu, Petri Rossi
High up in the Sierra Maestra mountains, where Castro’s revolution began, “El Médico,” a doctor and musician, serves the cause. When a Swedish music producer sees “El Médico” as the next big thing, Communist ideals collide with capitalist dreams, with the magic and beauty of Cuba and her music as backdrop. Presented by HBO®. Winner receives $1,000 cash award.
HBO®/ NYILFF SHORT FILM COMPETITION WINNER: “THE ACTING LESSON” by Carmen Peláez
Written by: Carmen Peláez
Directors: Carmen Peláez and Nicolas Calzada
Cast: Brigitte Khali and Wanda Arriaga
“The Acting Lesson,” an original screenplay by Carmen Peláez, was chosen as the 2012 winner of the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition. The screenplay tells the story of Emily, a rising starlet who interviews her director’s maid Pepa, claiming that she is doing research for her next big movie role. But when the questions get personal, Pepa is forced to delve deep into her own history, erasing the line between telenovela and real life.
In addition to receiving the $15,000 grand prize, an HBO creative executive will serve as a mentor to Peláez and consult during the production of the winning script to film. The short, which is being shot in the Miami area and co-directed by Peláez and Nicholas Calzada, was exhibited during screenings at the New York International Latino Film Festival, August 13-19, in New York City.
