In this two-day event, which brings together all those who wish to exhibit their work with other filmmakers and professionals from the Hollywood industry, films and television content made “by Mexican Americans, starring Mexican Americans and defended by Mexican Americans” will be screened.

José Luiz Ruiz, MACEF president and founder, stated:

For over 100 years, Hollywood has ignored the presence and contribution of Mexican-Americans and mainly represented them as maids, gardeners, and gangsters.

With the goal of changing the narrative around Latino talent in this industry, the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation (MACEF) offers aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to network with industry professionals and the public through 8 different categories:

1. Best Television Program
2. Best Short Film
3. Best Film Script
4. Best Television Program Script
5. Best Film
6. Best Performance by an Actor
7. Best Performance by an Actress
8. Best Director

About the festival

“Changing the Narrative, Recognizing Who We Are” is this year's theme, an approach that aligns with MACEF's mission to transform the negative image of Mexican Americans by highlighting their stories and positive contribution to the United States. 

The annual Mexican American Film and Television Festival (MAFTF), to be held at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, promotes positive and accurate portrayals of people of Mexican descent, both on the big and small screen, and encourages new generations of filmmakers from this group.

“Our festival will address a need for the increase in representation on the screen, as well as a change on how we are represented,” stated Ruiz. 

Participants

MACEF applicants can be of any origin, but the production team must include at least one producer, writer, director, or lead actor who identifies as Mexican-American or Chicano of any mixed generation or ethnicity.

All projects submitted to the festival, which will be judged by industry professionals for story quality, production value, and submission guidelines, must be original works and not yet in distribution.

Prioritizing stories that are culturally positive and non-stereotypical, entrants will be responsible for obtaining all rights to third-party materials included in their submitted work, and a digital link to the film or TV pilot is required.

The deadline for registrations is January 15, 2023.

“There are 40 million Americans of Mexican descent, approximately 70 percent of the Latino demographic, a key group to the success of any film premiere. Our festival will address a need for the increase in representation on the screen, as well as a change on how we are represented,” concluded Ruiz.