Latino Film Institute (LFI) has announced the dates for the 24th Edition of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), which will take place from May 28 – June 1, 2025, at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood and the Regal LA Live in Downtown. Further, the festival has been officially added to the list recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an Oscar® Qualifying Festival. Films that win the Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short and U.S. Latino Animated Short categories at the festival will now be eligible for consideration at the 98th Academy Awards.
This edition of LALIFF will feature world premieres, special screenings, features, episodics, documentaries and shorts. The LALIFF Film Market, which was instrumental in securing distribution deals for three films (Las Tres Sisters, Say a Little Prayer and Shaman), will return. Additional highlights include the return of the LALIFF Industry Forum, which will expand LALIFF Animation Day to include gaming and VFX programming. LALIFF Music will showcase performances by U.S.-Latino artists, and the celebrated student film festival, YCP@LALIFF, is expected to feature over 175 student films.
“It is an extraordinary honor to have LALIFF selected as one of the Academy’s recognized festivals, giving winners of two of our award categories eligibility for Oscar consideration,” said Axel Caballero, CEO of the Latino Film Institute. “This prestigious recognition underscores the exceptional talent and dedication of our programming team and stands as a powerful testament to the enduring history and impact of LALIFF. With Latinos comprising about half of LA’s population, this acknowledgment brings us one step closer to cementing LALIFF as not only L.A.’s leading film festival but also the preeminent Latino film festival in the U.S.”
Submissions for films and episodics to the 2025 LALIFF competition will open on Friday, November 1, 2024, and close on Sunday, February 2, 2025. Entries will be accepted in the following categories: U.S. Latino feature films, short films, and episodics, as well as international short films and episodics across all genres.
