33rd San Diego Latino Film Festival

Michael Caro
18 hours ago
2 min read

Axel Arevalo created the image titled Friday Family Film Night to fuel this year’s San Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF). Now in its 33rd year, the festival had much to celebrate! The AMC 20 Mission Valley was the location where films, art exhibitions, and music came together in a recipe for immersion. Arte Latino had several spaces where artists invited viewers to participate in their vision. Sonido Latino had musical artists performing throughout the five days of the festival. Quetzal played the opening night party leading the way for an entertaining week.

All of it was inspiring. The air was electric with possibility. Workshops and events propelled participants into spaces that helped them grow their knowledge from well-known guests attending like Luis Valdez and Josefina Lopez among the filmmakers. The presentation of full length and short films of subjects that tend to be marginalized were the bread and butter as they are every year!

I focused on independent filmmaker, actor, comedian Joey Medina and his short film Arthur Ave that was part of the ¡Somos Cine LGBTQIA+! Showcase. This was one of eight different showcases.

Frontera Filmmakers Showcase

¡Somos Cine LGBTQIA+! Showcase

Para la Familia Showcase

Chicano Film Showcase

Narrative Short

Sonido Latino Showcase

Un Mundo Extraño Showcase

Youth Visions Showcase

The drive and dedication of these filmmakers is hard to understand unless you equate their film projects to living things!“No film wants to made" said Joey when relating his own journey.

Joey began wanting to be a filmmaker in grade school. ”I watched a movie my teacher showed on the 16mm projector that a previous year's class made, and I said to myself I want to make something like that!” That was when he was in the fifth grade. He didn’t know how it was made, but he wanted to do it. Life continued and then he found himself in the position to create film. ”I learn from every film I do,”Joey said about his present body of short film work.

I wondered do all these filmmakers have similar experiences that shape them? The world needs those who create something from an idea on all the world’s stages. This is not easy; many try and fall short. I am humbled by those who persevere to bring a vision to reality.