The Mexican-American Film & Television Festival & Awards (MAFTF) returns for its milestone fifth year with growing momentum, expanding its footprint as a vital platform for Chicano and Mexican-American storytellers.  The two day festival will take place from March 25 and 26, expanding into two locations, Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood and Milagro Cinemas located in Norwalk.

Founded with a mission to showcase, promote, and celebrate Mexican-American/Chicano filmmakers, MAFTF has steadily positioned itself as both a cultural and industry touchpoint—spotlighting voices too often underrepresented in mainstream Hollywood while championing authentic storytelling across all formats.

The festival has grown exponentially since it began in 2022. The projects were selected from over 200 submissions which included a wide variety of  film, documentary, television, and emerging vertical formats—underscoring both the demand and the creative surge within the community.

“MAFTF 2026 Theme: “Our Stories Must Be Told To Defy Adversity”, reminds us of how by telling our stories we inform, help heal and resist the forces which are hurting our community,” said Dr. Jose Luis Ruiz President & Festival Director of MAFTF.

In addition to the screenings, MAFTF features panels discussion, workshops, and Fireside Chats. 

The following panel discussion will be held on Saturday from 11:00AM – 6:00PM.

– Funding, Marketing & Distribution Panel

-The World of Vertical & How To Make Money With Them

– Casting & Production for Ultra Low Budget SAG Film

– Fireside Chat with Actor/Director & Producer Enrique Castillo

Special Honors Spotlight Industry Excellence

The culmination of the festival is the highly anticipated closing night Illustrious Awards, a recognition of the best of the festival and, this year the recognition of five individuals whose contributions—both in front of and behind the camera—exemplify the depth and range of Latino talent shaping today’s entertainment landscape.

Honorees

Veteran actor, writer, and director Enrique Castillo will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a decades-long career that spans theater, film, and television. Castillo’s performances in films such as El Norte, Nixon, My Family, and Déjà Vu among many others, have consistently brought nuance and dignity to Latino characters. He remains indelibly associated with his iconic role as Montana in Blood In Blood Out, as well as his work on the Showtime series Weeds.

Rising multi-hyphenate Annie Gonzalez will be honored with the Illustrious Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting. A Chicana actress, singer, and producer, Gonzalez has built a dynamic career with standout roles in Gentefied, Flamin’ Hot, and her portrayal of Jenni Rivera in the biopic Jenni. Her television work—including Shameless, American Horror Story, and Vida—reflects her ongoing commitment to advancing Latinx representation on screen.

Also receiving recognition is Mishel Prada, receiving the Illustrious Award for Trailblazing Excellence in Acting. Prada is best known for her groundbreaking role as Emma Hernandez in Starz’s Vida, portrayed a queer/pansexual Latina character with complexity and authenticity. She has also appeared as Detective KD Silva in Peacock’s The Continental, further expanding her range across genres.

Acclaimed television director Felix Alcala will receive the Trailblazer in Directing Award. With credits including Lone Star and 9-1-1 among many, Alcalá has helmed episodes of some of television’s most prominent series, helping shape the visual and narrative language of contemporary TV.

Rounding out the honorees is respected entertainment journalist Naibe Reynoso, who will be presented with the Excellence in Journalism Award and 

A Growing Cultural Force

According to several studies, although Mexican-Americans make up more than 11% of the U.S. population, they are significantly underrepresented or completely ignored by Hollywood. The Mexican-American Film & Television Festival stands as a beacon for inclusive storytelling for these filmmakers by creating space for narratives that are culturally specific yet universally resonant.

In just five years, MAFTF has evolved from a grassroots platform recognized for its significant cultural event, championing a new generation of storytellers while honoring those who have paved the way. With record submissions and a powerful slate of honorees, this year’s festival signals not just growth—but impact.

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The 3rd Annual Mexican Film & Television Festival (MAFTF) is doing something that is long overdue “Celebrating the Mexican-Amerian/Chicana Filmmaker”. The celebration will be the culmination of their two day film festival that which takes place on Saturday 20 and the 21 at Harmony Gold in Hollywood with the Illustrious Awards closing the festival the evening of April 21.

“Mexican-American woman have always been in the forefront of the progress of our community, including film,” said Dr. Jose Luis Ruiz, President of the Mexican American Cultural Education Foundation, the entity that produces the MAFTF.  “I felt it was time to thank and recognize this effort”.

Noted filmmaker Lourdes Portillo, a documentarian originally form Chihuahua, Mexico is epitome of the Chicana Filmmaker.  Although her first films were focused on the experience of a Nicaraguan refugee of the 1972 Managua earthquake and the  Argentinian story of The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, her work has been dedicated to documenting the stories of the Chicano/Mexican-American experience. Her projects have won Oscar and Emmy nominations and Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival among other accolades.  A true pioneer in filmmaking and someone whose work cannot be forgotten for lack of attention.

Not many film festival dedicate space to Chicano filmmakers. The two that come to mind are the Chicano International Film Festival which has been around for 20 years in Los Angeles and the Xicano Independent Filmmakers Festival in Denver. However, neither have dedicated a whole festival to the Mexican-American filmmakers and in particular Chicana filmmakers.

Indeed, MAFTF decided it was time to shine a bright light on Mexican-American filmmakers and the stories they tell, to document their excellence and inform and showcase their work that will live on through generations.

It was with this in mind that MAFTF selected their 2024 Mexican-American/Chicana filmmaker honorees to recognize their artistry with the Illustrious Award. The Honorees are, Academy Award winning producer Yvette Merino for her work as a producer for Disney’s  hit film Encanto, Patricia Riggen (Miracles From Heaven, Under the Same Moon)who started her career by winning a student Academy Award, has two major box office hit movies and just wrapped her  film G20 in South Africa. Real Women Have Curves playwright and screenwriter Josefina Lopez, whose play is on the way to Broadway as I write this.  Esperanza Esparza will receive the Pioneer award in recognition of her film work in the 70’s, and Academy Award nominated short documentary, Agueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country.  The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Bel Hernandez Castillo (Latin Heat Magazine) for providing media coverage and documenting the expansion of Latinos in Hollywood for over 30 years.

Looking towards the future, there is a wave of upcoming Latina storytellers, directors, producers and writers.  One of those new directors is Academy Award nominee America Ferrera who is currently in pre-production to direct her first film, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.  Eva Longoria’s first time out directing resulted in last year’s hit film Flamin’ Hot.  Gigi Saul Guerrero another Mexican American via Canada, is fast becoming a talent in the horror genre.  Selected as a filmmaker to watch by Variety Magazine, she directed the film Bingo Hell and various episodes of TV shows The Purge and Into the Dark. Linda Yvette Chavez’s writing career is on the fast track.  Having co-written and produced the hit TV show Gentefied, she then went on to co-write the hit film Flamin’ Hot and just finished penning Ferrera’s directorial film.

The group of Latina filmmakers continues to grow and this year, over a dozen Latina directors, producers, writers whose projects are screening at this year at MAFTF.  Among them, we are sure, are the filmmaking start of tomorrow.

MAFTF’s celebration of the Chicana/Mexican-American filmmaker, was long overdue.  It’s an exciting time for women filmmakers, Latina filmmakers, Chicana/Mexican-American filmmakers…!Que Viva La Mujer! 

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