About 30 years ago, I enthusiastically went to a meeting with the editors of Voz Fronteriza, the Chicano student-run newspaper at UC San Diego, Gene Chavira and Adolfo Guzmán-López. I had recently moved to the San Diego-Baja California region and, having produced a Chicano film festival at UC Santa Cruz from 1989 to 1992, thought it would be a good idea to start a similar film festival here.
Thus was born what is now known as the San Diego Latino Film Festival, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary from March 9 to 19. Initially called Cine Estudiantil, the festival was created to highlight Latino filmmakers and actors, as well as to combat long-repeated negative stereotypes in the mainstream media.
In terms of technology and consumer habits in the world of cinema and film festivals, a lot has changed since that first festival held in 1994 at UC San Diego, San Diego State University, the Autonomous University of Baja California and the Cultural Center of the Race.
It has long been cheap and convenient to watch movies at home. But in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has made some moviegoers even more reluctant to get off the couch and watch a movie at the cinema. All media platforms offer millions of hours of content for all tastes and distribute it instantly. Although the big box office releases please Avatar: The Path of Water or Top Gun: nonconformist are the main exceptions, the data of the national box office show annually that total profits are significantly lower than pre-COVID times.
When it comes to independent and foreign films, the San Diego Latino Film Festival used to be the only place to see Spanish-language American films. Now, a quick internet search brings you thousands of movies and TV shows available to you as a viewer.
So where does this go for a film festival and non-profit organization like ours? Well, despite the advances in technology, the need for such an event still exists. There have been improvements over the past 30 years in terms of Latino representation in front of and behind the cameras, however we still have a long way to go. Negative stereotypes continue to plague the media, political discourse, and all aspects of Hollywood movies and television shows.
On a positive note, Guillermo del Toro (PinocchioJenna OrtegaWednesday), Selena Gomez (Only homicides in the building), Aubrey Plaza (The White Lotus), Diego Luna (Andor), Ana de Armas (blonde) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The menu) are just a few of the Latino actors and directors being talked about this awards season. But all of his productions can be seen in homes and on TV or computer screens.
Where does this end those who still wish to come together as a community, talk about movies and see Latin stories in the best audio and on the big cinema screens?
As our small staff and many volunteers do all the work necessary to select more than 100 films and bring together directors and actors from Latin America, Mexico, Spain and the United States, I reflect on the importance of celebrating our 30-year history, but I also think about the next 30 years. Will film festivals still exist then?
For us, the experience of going to the cinema is sacred and this shared community space is vital for us humans. Furthermore, the Latino Film Festival has become an institution where diverse members of the Latino community, representing all countries and groups, can come together to celebrate each other’s heritage, language, identity and culture.
The pandemic and the new giants of stream Have they changed us forever? Can we get young people to put away their smartphones and quit YouTube to sit in a dark cinema for a couple of hours to watch an independent film from Argentina, for example? Or can we persuade recent grads to ditch Instagram and watch a collection of short films celebrating the stories of the Latino LGBTQ+ community on the big screen?
Our festival team will engage audiences by hosting never-before-seen film premieres, introducing top-notch actors and directors and Q&A during film screenings, coordinating parties, hosting our annual Sonido Latino concert series, hosting our annual Sabor Latino beer and wine festival and doing so much more to bring people to AMC Mission Valley and our Digital Gym Cinema in March. None of this can be enjoyed from the sofa.
Yes, the pandemic and the giants of live entertainment have changed us forever, but the anticipation, excitement and most importantly the connections that can be made at a festival are unique and more necessary than ever.
I invite everyone to actively adhere to this vision for the next 30 years by participating in the 30th anniversary of our San Diego Latin Film Festivalwatching an independent film in our Digital Gym cinema room and/or enrolling your children in one of our media production courses.
Your support is vital in telling Hollywood that we need to see positive representations of the Latino community on screen, as well as showing ongoing support for film festivals and the space they give to diverse voices.
By Thillo He is the founder and executive director of the Media Arts Center San Diego and the San Diego Latino Film Festival. He lives in South Park.
