THE NEW YORK LATINO FILM FESTIVAL, PRESENTED BY HBO,
TO KICK OFF OPENING NIGHT WITH ICON RUBEN BLADES AND THE DOCUMENTARY “RUBEN BLADES IS NOT MY NAME”

The nation’s leading Latino film festival, celebrating its 15^th anniversary, will be held on August 22 – 26, 2018 at various theaters around New York City with films featuring notable stars such as Gilberto Santa Rosa, Brian Kaufman, Liliana Biamonte, Residente, Bryshere Y. Gray, Mekhi Phifer and many more.

Full Schedule and Tickets Available July 31^st at NYLatinoFilmFestival.com

NEW YORK, NY July 30, 2018 — The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), the nation’s largest and most diverse Latino film festival, and a touchstone of the nation’s thriving multicultural cinematic movement, kicks off its 15^th edition on Wednesday, August 22^nd with the New York premiere of the film “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name.” Directed by critically acclaimed director, Abner Benaim, the film stars Ruben Blades, Sting, Paul Simon, Residente, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Larry Harlow, Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, Junot Diaz, Luba Mason, among others. The star-studded documentary offers an intimate portrait of Ruben Blades, revealing the artist’s struggle to come to terms with his legacy and influence in elevating Salsa music to an international scale.

This year, the NYLFF will showcase a diverse slate representing 17 countries, spanning all genres and formats including features, shorts, documentaries, web series and experimental films featuring, about and/or for the U.S. Latino community. Highlights this year include: HBO Documentary Films “The Sentence,” which explores the devastating consequences of mass incarceration and mandatory minimum drug sentencing and USA Today’s, “The Wall,” looking at the impact, and unintended consequences of President Trump’s $20 billion promise to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.  Other notable selections include “La Palabra de Pablo/ The Word of Pablo,” a sexy and tragic film-noirish take on William Shakespeare’s “Othello” featuring a wealthy family in contemporary El Salvador; “Rich Kids,” a vibrant portrait of six troubled teenagers ongoing challenges like economic disparities, gentrification, displacement, and evictions faced through the lens of Latino and Afro-Latino American youth in South Houston; “Heredera del Viento/ Heiress of the Wind,” a highly personal and searing documentary about torture, tragic deaths, doubt, and disillusionment in Nicaragua, “Canal Street,” a heart-pounding tale of faith and justice as a high school teen from the South Side finds himself at the center of a murder investigation, among many others. For a full list of programs and locations, click here.

“We are proud to be celebrating our 15^th year of serving and empowering our community. This important festival, in celebration of inclusion, aims to highlight our untold stories, unique experiences and daily realities in this country. It is important now, more than ever, that we provide a strong platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase films that audiences can truly identify with. NYLFF is you,” said Calixto Chinchilla, Founder of NYLFF.

This year, NYLFF will present, once again, “FUTURO,” a digital conference presented by Google’s Hispanic Googler Network – HOLA and Driven Society, on August 22^rd at the Google NY Headquarters. The one-day conference will feature leading digital thought-leaders, executives, and social media influencers, who will participate in panel discussions on the most innovative and upcoming trends in the Latino digital space.

Sponsors
The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) is presented by HBO. Major sponsors include American Airlines, Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo. Additional support provided by WarnerMedia’s OneFifty, Hennessy, Google’s Hispanic Googler Network – HOLA, Driven Society, AARP, USA Today, SociedAD, The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Third World Newsreel, AMC Independent, The Hispanic Federation and Everybody Digital.  For sponsorship and brand partnership opportunities, please contact: Info@NYLatinoFilmFestival.com

About the New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF)
The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) is the nation’s premier Urban Latino film event founded by Calixto Chinchilla. Since its inception in 1999, each year, the NYLFF brings together more than 20,000 movie fans and industry executives for a celebration of culturally relevant and entertaining experiences that aims to build audiences for Latino cinema, support the film community with professional development and foster relationships for Latino talent. Programming includes the flagship film festival in New York City, the Futuro digital conference, competition programs, as well as community programs. For more information on NYLFF, please visit www.NYLatinoFilmFestival.com.

To connect with NYLFF on social media, follow us on Facebook (@NYLatinoFilm), Instagram (@NYLatinoFilmFestival), and Twitter (@NYLFF). #NYLFF
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Content Source: ©2018 HBO. All Rights Reserved.

———— Posted April 16, 2018 ————

The New York Latino Film Festival, presented by HBO celebrates its 15^th Edition after record breaking return

Festival announces move into the Summer and new strategic alliances with major industry partners

April 16, 2018, NEW YORK, NY– The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), fresh off its highly anticipated return, is excited to announce that its gearing up to kick off its 15^th edition this summer and presented by its founding partner, HBO.  The festival will once again ignite screens with the best the Latino community has to offer.  With the addition of industry partners including AMC Theatres and the Motion Picture Association of America, the move into the summer is a welcome addition to the season’s Latino offerings that will further make New York the place to be for all things Latino. Final dates will be announced soon.

“As we (Latinos) continue to dominate the box office, and the conversation surrounding diversity and inclusion is at the forefront of all things, we are truly proud to be here. NYLFF’s return to celebrate its 15^th edition is a testament to how much we’ve heard from the community including the entertainment industry that the festival is vital at this time.” -Calixto Chinchilla, NYLFF Founder

“Latinos’ high movie-going rate is a fact the entertainment industry is paying attention to. That makes the NYLFF more important than ever. In offering a platform where Latinos are able to develop their own stories and have their voices represented, The NYLFF is the perfect venue to cultivate the next generation in film.  HBO is honored to be a part of the conversation and help showcase tremendous talent during this momentous time in our industry.” – Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, HBO

The festival is also proud to announce a new creative partnership with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).  As THE voice of the entertainment industry this partnership will build on the trade associations long standing commitment to diversity and inclusion in and on tv and on behalf of its six-member studios which include, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios LLC, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

AMC Theatres has come on board as the festival exhibitor partner by hosting this year’s edition, as part of its AMC Pantallas program. The festival will take place at the AMC Empire 25.

For sponsorship and brand partnership opportunities with the country’s leading Latino and Multicultural film event, please contact email: Info@NYLatinoFilmFestival.com. (See the NYLFF 2017 recap video here: https://tinyurl.com/ybawkd3e).

NYLFF is currently accepting submissions until April 27. Projects in a language other than English must have English-language subtitles. Films cannot have been broadcast (television or Internet) or distributed commercially in the U.S. prior to the festival. Exceptions may be granted for short films and documentaries. Submission portal can be found by visiting: NYLatinoFilmFestival.com

About NYILFF
The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) is the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. Since its founding in 1999, the NYLFF produces culturally relevant and entertaining experiences that build audiences for Latino cinema, support the film community with professional development and foster relationships for Latino talent. Programming includes the flagship film festival in New York City, competition programs and community programs. For more information on NYLFF, please visit www.NYLatinoFilmFestival.com.

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Content Source: ©2018 HBO. All Rights Reserved.