The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), the leading Hispanic film festival in the United States, announced its return to face-to-face film screenings at its traditional headquarters located in Regal Union Square (850 Broadway, NYC).

Taking advantage of the magnificent framework provided by Hispanic Heritage Month, this year's Festival puts the spotlight on Latino filmmakers and content creators through the presentation of the award-winning HBO series “Habla Loud” (2022, 60 min. USA), a special that counts with the participation of important Latin American artists, including René Perez-Joglar (also known as Residente), and U.S. Congressman Ritchie Torres, among others.

“New York City is back and so is the New York Latino Film Festival! Thanks to our committed partners, we are excited to return to theaters and celebrate our culture and stories at Regal Union Square. Connection is central to who we are, and this year we will once again be able to offer our communities an opportunity to see themselves reflected on the big screens,” Said Calixto Chinchilla, Founder of the New York Latino Film Festival.

Highlights 

There will be 105 films, from 10 different countries, that will be part of the select list of the NYLFF. Among the most important stand out:

• Mija (2022, 85 min., USA), directed by Isabel Castro: Learn about the story of Doris Muñoz, a woman who begins a career in musical talent management and meets Jacks Haupt, an auspicious young singer with whom she share the ever-present guilt of being the first US-born members of their undocumented families.
• Allswell (2022, 95 min., USA), starring and co-written by Elizabeth Rodriguez: Is a Nuyorican odyssey of new family, old trauma, and struggling to make peace with it all.
• Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way (2022, 98 min., USA): Get up close to MTV's The Real World story, Pedro Zamora, and a true tale about the pandemic, politics, and AIDS.
• Cadejo Blanco (2022, 125 min., Guatemala): An intense and biting thriller set in the youth gang culture of Guatemala City.
• Parsley/Perejil (2022, 85 min., Dominican Republic): A violent test of survival set in a border town with the Dominican Republic and Haiti, inspired by the little-known Perejil Massacre in 1937.

The NYLFF will also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the celebrated film La Bamba (1987, 108 min., USA), about the life of rock & roll legend Ritchie Valens with starring performances by Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie, and Esai Morales as his half brother, Bob.

Group Sales On Deck#GroupSales are open for all of those organizations big & small that are looking to partake in the premiere Latino film event in the country during #HispanicHeritageMonth. #WeAreNYLFF #NYLFF #NYLFF2022 #NYLFF22 #ThisIsNYLFF #Latino #Latinx #Hispanic pic.twitter.com/LP7X2Gix0L

— NYLatinoFilmFestival (@NYLFF) August 12, 2022

The FUTURO Digital Conference Returns

This new edition of the NYLFF also marks the return of the Digital FUTURE Conference, presented by The Quintessential Gentleman and American Airlines with a one-day forum, which highlights the leaders and main social influencers in digital content (creators and distributors), mobile application companies, and mobile technology leaders targeting the market.

This return also includes the presentation of a new list of web series, among which the following stand out:

• Más Latina (2022, 14 min., USA) -– Focuses on a Latina with no children, no suitors, and a long-term dream trying to break into a male-dominated comedy scene.
• The Last Bodega in Brooklyn (2022, 6 min., USA): Directed by Mosiah Moonsammy and Jared Glenn, this series tells the story of an Afro-Latino family in Brooklyn who run a local bodega in their neighborhood threatened by gentrification.

Date and Sponsors

The NYLFF, which will take place from September 12 to 18, 2022, is sponsored by these important firms:

HBO Max, Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, American Airlines, with additional industry support from the Motion Picture Association. Additional sponsors include Regal Cinemas, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Disney Documentary Films, Jim Beam, El Tesoro, Nielsen, The Quintessential Gentleman, and Third World Newsreel. This event is also possible thanks to the support of the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.

Reactions

“We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with The New York Latino Film Festival and celebrating the return of our celebrated doc-series Habla Loud, which features amazing filmmakers and content creators and we are proud to showcase them as they share their stories with the world,” noted Dennis Williams, SVP, Corporate Social Responsibility at Warner Bros. Discovery.

“Congratulations to the NY Latino Film Festival on their return to fully in-person programming for all New Yorkers to enjoy. We are proud to support the festival’s work to celebrate Latino representation and achievements in film,” pointed out Anne del Castillo, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

The Festival closes with a garden party at Plaza Quisqueya in Washington Heights with live music, food, and a screening of Winter Ball (2022, 102 min., USA/Dominican Republic), a coming-of-age story that works as a love letter to the Dominican Republic, a culture that has helped shape some of the greatest baseball talent in the world.

About NYLFF

Founded by Calixto Chinchilla in 1999, the NYLFF, which is the nation's premier urban Latino film event, aims to build audiences for Latino cinema, support the film community, and foster relationships with Latino talent. Programming includes the flagship film festival, the Digital Future Conference and more.

About Warner Brothers Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that distributes the world's most differentiated and comprehensive portfolio of content and brands across television, film and broadcast. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and in 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences around the world through its iconic brands and products.