by Rebecca Romani
March 18, 2025
One of the signs of Spring in San Diego is the return of Film Festival season. This week heralds the return of one of San Diego’s oldest film festivals and the nation’s oldest Latino Film Festival. Turning a venerable 32, the San Diego Latino Film Festival has set up a well-curated and more compact festival this year, spanning several venues and multiple genres.
The San Diego Latino Film Festival was started in 1983 by executive director, Ethan Van Thillo, who grew the festival into a media arts center, youth film training programs, and production workshop as well as other projects.
The role of the film festival, Van Thillo has said, was to bring forward a diverse look at Latino life and culture, and to provide a source of representation for the San Diego region.
Over the years, the festival has continued to be a strong presence in the border region. Many new Latino feature films have their US premiere at this festival while promising new filmmakers from the US and Mexico, find a welcoming venue for their projects.
The theme this year is especially à propos, given the contested nature of the border, Latino identity, and language in the San Diego/Tijuana region under the current presidential administration. In addition to the standing slogan: Cine Sin Fronteras, (Cinema Without Borders), the SDLFF has added a quote from Director and San Diego Native Gregory Nava, “There is no wall that can hold back dreams.”
This year, these “dreams” hail from across Latin America, and the US, from Native communities to migrants and refugees, from Barrio Logan and beyond.
The festival opens March 19 and runs through March 23 with a schedule full of premieres, parties, showcases, workshops, master classes, and music.
This year’s San Diego Latino Film Festival has a strong open right out the gate on March 19. Mission Valley attendees will be greeted with music from the Sonido stage, which hosts local and out of town Latino musicians all festival long.
To keep an eye on/Days 1-3 + recommendations:
There are some extraordinary film opportunities- some with guests, screening at the festival. Films are in various languages, including indigenous ones, with subtitles. Certain films like “I am Raquel,” “El Norte,” and others will surely sell out early so be sure to read through the online program, get your tickets early, and arrive early so as to get a good seat.
The film, El Norte, shot in 1983, directed by San Diego native, Gregory Nava, is having a homecoming of sorts. Recently remastered in a beautiful print, El Norte is as timely as it is moving. The independent feature follows a pair of Guatemalan Mayan siblings as they flee north to escape the Mayan genocide by the Guatemalan government, only to find the better life they had hoped for might not be possible. Nava wrote the script, and much of his cast came from the local Guatemalan refugee community. Part of the film was shot locally.
Nava and Farm Labor Movement and Civil Rights icon, Dolores Huerta, will be present for the Q/A
Screens 3/22 At Mission Valley, 4 pm.
Another famous San Diegan takes to the screen in Nava’s new documentary, I am Raquel. Welch, née Tejada, was the daughter of a Bolivian father and an American mother, and an SDSU grad. Known for her roles in The Fantastic Voyage, One Million Years, B.C., and The Three Musketeers, among others, Welch is credited with somewhat halting the rise of the blonde bombshell and opening the door to more diverse casting. Her acting career propelled her to international stardom as well as recognition for her positive promotion of Latina representation.
Nava will be present for Q/A.
The film screens 3/20 at Mission Valley at 6.30 pm.
One screening at the SDLFF celebrates the 25th anniversary of the beloved Mexican comedy hit,
Sexo, Pudor, Y Lagrimas. Unfaithful husbands, dissatisfied wives, and a cast of assorted lovers shine in this fun comedy. Screens 3/19, Mission Valley, 6 pm.
American Agitators, directed by Ray Tellez, who has had other documentaries screen at the SDLFF, is a timely documentary about a father and son duo who work to help people vote. Tellez will be on hand for the Q/A.
Screens 3/22 at Mission Valley at 12.30 pm.
Not surprisingly, several local productions also fill the screens.
Catch The Park on the Dragon’s Tail, by Samuel Jones, a USA premiere about the fight to save Borderlands Park.
Screens 3/23 at the Digital Gym
Try not to miss RPDB– a short documentary about Radio Pulso del Barrio, a radio show that keeps its finger on the pulse of Barrio Logan as the forces of economics (rising rents) and others provoke change in one of the oldest Latino neighborhoods in San Diego.
Screen 3/21 at Mission Valley.
Showcases:
Don’t forget to give the showcases and shorts a chance. It’s a great way to delve into many takes on a single subject or region.
Recommendations:
- Frontera Filmmakers Showcase- a lot of interesting takes on the border here
- ¡Somos! LGBTQIA– features a beautiful Brazilian film: Salão de Baille which crackles with energy, joy, and drama.
- – Other showcases include Hecho en America, ¡Viva Mujeres! Raices, and Hay que reirse. Check the schedule for listings and show time.
Parties
The SDLFF parties are always about good music, food, and fun. Check the catalog for the locations for the Opening (3/19) and the Closing (3/22) parties.
For those interested in how creating a film works, there are a number of workshops and master classes from how to get your work on PBS to fundraising. See the online program for more information.
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How to Festival:
The San Diego Latino Film Festival runs from March 19-March 23.
You can find the schedule here
Venues include:
- The AMC Mission Valley, accessible by trolley
- The Digital Gym (1100 Market, 2nd Floor), accessible by bus and trolley
- Southwestern Performing Arts Center, 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista
Please note: While the Digital Gym screening room is one of the best screening rooms in town, it is small, about 50 people.
Check the festival website for times and locations of films
Pricing:
There is a wide range of pricing from festival passes to single tickets. You can buy tickets in sets of 5, or a Film pass (11 screenings), or an access pass (100 screenings + early admittance. There is also a VIP pass which includes all of this + access to various events, parties, and panels.
The box office is open starting March 19 at the Digital Gym and Mission Valley.
Parking
Parking at Mission Valley is general parking. You can park on the street or under the Park and Market venue for $5.
A suggestion: try to go through the schedule thoroughly. Unlike previous years, most films screen only once. Also, try to account for travel between locations or consider staying put at the location that has the most films that interest you.
