LatinHeat Partners With The Official Latino Film and Arts Festival Which runs from Oct. 31 – Nov 2nd in Palm Desert , CA
The Official Latino Film and Arts Festival (OLFAF) is back for its fifth edition and will be showcasing over 100 short films written, directed and/or produced by U.S. Latinx filmmakers from diverse communities across the United States. The film festival happens in Palm Desert, CA where the films will screen at the College of the Desert, Palm Desert Campus with the rest of the nation’s official selections. Purchase tickets.
The festival’s mission is to showcase, nurture and support emerging creative U.S. Latinx filmmakers, as well as support culturally inclusive films and filmmakers that represent true American diversity. To help achieve this mission, the 2019 OLFAF is partnering with HBO Latino. HBO Latino will select three films from this year’s 2019 OLFAF alumni and offer each of the selected filmmakers an opportunity to have their film licensed for exhibition on the HBO distribution platforms.
“As a network, we are thrilled to partner with a festival that has a mission to elevate unique, bold and emerging talent,” said Lucinda Martinez, EVP Brand Marketing at HBO. “Now more than ever, we want to continue supporting programs that highlight films and filmmakers that represent the diverse American experience.”
Festival founder Danny Hastings added, “This is a dream come true for me and especially for the community. As a Latino filmmaker, I created the festival five years ago because I recognized that the U.S. Latinx filmmaker’s voice was lost in the conversation. I’m very happy and proud that HBO Latino recognizes the importance of elevating the U.S. Latinx filmmaking community, a community that has been underrepresented for far too long.”
The Official Latino Film and Arts Festival is a different kind of film festival. In addition to having a four-day festival that culminates with an award ceremony, the festival also holds local, preliminary “semi-finals” film screenings in New York City and in Los Angeles, making it a bi-coastal screening platform. The semi-final screenings are a great way for local filmmakers to network and provide mentorship within their own communities.
This year the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival will highlight Native Indigenous Spirit, by showcasing films about Natives from this continent. “Stereotypes End Here” is this year’s theme. In spite of the continuing struggle for more positive portrayals of Latinos, filmmakers have been writing, directing, producing short films here in the U.S.A., but they are no longer waiting for “the powers that be” to tell their stories.
Filmmaker Danny Hastings created the Festival in 2015 in response to the lack of Latino representation in Hollywood films and TV shows. Our mission is to showcase, nurture, and support the emerging creative Latino and Latina filmmaker that produces, directs or writes their films and videos in the United States. We also support films and filmmakers that showcase our true American Diversity in their films, so we accept Non-Latino Films that showcase Diversity – Black, White, Asian, Native American, All Genders, LGBTQ+….All – You are all invited to submit.
Films selected for this year’s festivals were produced from January 1, 2017 – July 2019 to give an opportunity for filmmakers that still wish to have their film seen before live audiences.
In addition to the usual screenings, sponsors of the festival are going a step further, some by some licensing projects to air on their respective platforms and some by awarding cash prices.
HBO Latino Licensing Awards
HBO Latino will select three films from this year’s 2019 OLFAF alumni, and offer the selected filmmakers an opportunity to have their
film licensed for exhibition on the HBO distribution platforms.
Nominated For The 2019 Official Latino Film Fest Best Film | $2,000.00 Prize
Each Short Film, Sketch, Music Video and Webisode produced in the United States that has been accepted to the Fifth Annual Official Latino Film and Arts Festival is automatically nominated for Best Short and competing for the Grand Jury Prize/Best Short Film.
For more information, please visit www.officiallatino.com
