Official Latino Short Film Festival

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN!!!

We are a Latino Short Film Festival for everybody because we focus and embraces Diversity and Inclusion.

The 4th Annual Official Latino Short Film Festival will take place in the city of Coachella, California during Hispanic Heritage Month. This year dates are October 12-14, 2018.

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 American Latino filmmaker in the United States as well as supporting films and filmmakers that showcase our true American Diversity by inclusivity in their films.

This year's theme is "The Awakening of the Sleeping Giant". For many years Latinx Filmmakers and Filmmakers of Color have been writing, directing, producing short films here in the U.S.A., that for whatever reason struggled to get any type of attention or recognition. Our actors usually get the one or two lines and most of them just get the supporting roles to the supporting actors in a film. This year more than ever, we are thirsty to see more diverse projects and we are doing it ourselves. No longer are we waiting for "the powers that be" to tell our stories. We are the powers that Be.

We want to see the Female Hero/Shero, the African American Excellence, The Latina Doctor, The Latino Family Man or Good Guy. We are tired of Stereotypes, its 2018 are we are not having any of that non-sense anymore from writers, directors and producers who only see people of color as a menace to society or housekeeping help. We want to see films that change the narrative. At the Official Latino Short Film Festival we intent to focus on inclusivity and diversity and bring that awareness as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our brothers and sisters of Film from all different backgrounds .

Another Big Important detail is that we take films that have been produced from January 1, 2016 to July 2018. So if you have a film that started collecting dust, for a year or two, send it our way, it might have a chance to still get in.

TOP AWARDS:
"GRAND PRIZE" = $ 2,000.00
"BEST INTERNATIONAL" = $ 1,000.00
AMERICAN DIVERSITY AWARD = $1,000.00

ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES AND AWARDS FOR U.S. SHORTS:

BEST DRAMA AWARD
BEST COMEDY AWARD
BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD
EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTRY AWARD (Animation/Stop Motion/Experimental)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO AWARD
BEST Webisode
BEST Sketch Comedy
BEST VIDEO BLOG
BEST OUT OF THIS WORLD AWARD (Horros and SCI-FI)

BEST ACTRESS
BEST ACTOR
BEST LATINO VIDEO BLOGGER
BEST LATINA VIDEO BLOGGER

All films created in the United States submitting for the following categories: U.S. DRAMA, U.S. COMEDY, U.S. DOCUMENTARY, U.S. EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTRY (Animation/Stop Motion/Experimental), U.S. MUSIC VIDEO, U.S. WEBISODE, U.S. SKETCH COMEDY, U.S. VIDEO BLOG AND U.S. OUT OF THIS WORLD AWARD (Horros and SCI-FI) will compete for the GRAND PRIZE of $ 2,000.00. These films must be written, directed or produced by an American Latino or Latina filmmaker and must feature at least one Latino or Latina LEAD actor, but the content should not be limited to the Latino culture. For example, it could be a film set in outer space with the last NASA astronauts, who all or at least one happen to be Latino, searching for signs of life. Let your imagination run wild!

All Films produced outside of the United States can only submit for the "CORTOMETRAJE INTERNACIONAL" Category.

All Films submitting for the "AMERICAN DIVERSITY" category must be created in the United States and should be written, directed or produced by filmmakers of any race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identification, people over 40 and/or individuals with disabilities and should reflect a cast from a diverse background.

SUBMISSIONS

The short films submitted should be recorded and edited on 720 or 1080 HD format. The length of the films should be no shorter than 3 minutes and no longer than 45 minutes. Short films must have been produced between January 1, 2016 and July 4, 2018.

If you've previously submitted a short film to our festival, you can submit it again this year. Filmmakers can submit multiple entries throughout the Festival's various categories.

Previous winners of the Official Latino Short Film Festival cannot re-submit the same 'winning' films, but can submit new work.

We are only accepting online submissions trough FilmFreeway. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT DVD's so please do not send them as they will NOT BE VIEWED.

Submitting your short films does not guarantee screening or acceptance. A notification of acceptance will be sent by written email from the Official Latino Office. Submission fee is non-refundable.

AGE REQUIREMENTS:
U.S. filmmakers must be 14 and older. All U.S. filmmakers under the age of 18 must include the contact information for a parent/guardian. Filmmakers outside of the U.S. submitting short films for the International category must be 18 and older.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Genaro Dominguez

A quality festival and great at communicating with filmmakers. Was so happy they branched out the semi finals into New York.

January 2019

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Gabriela Lopez de Dennis

Keep up the great work of supporting Latino content!

January 2019

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Melissa De Leon

I loved this festival! This was one of the festivals that I hoped my film would show at and was super excited when I got in. The festival director was good with communication and kept us posted on what was going on. I liked the selection of films. They had different stories and were diverse. They had blocks like Las Jefas, LGBT, Horror, etc. What I also loved was that it was a festival catered to Latinos which was awesome and it felt great to watch films from people who look like me. It was empowering.

December 2018

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Daniel Bethencourt

This Festival it's a Most, Networking, social activity the best.

November 2018

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Ruben Ramirez

I left Coachella feeling inspired and motivated! Danny Hastings and his familia are a MAJOR FORCE when it comes to "UNITING LA GENTE". Hollywood doesn't tell our stories but you will see and hear "Our Stories" at this festival. It was also very refreshing that Danny had created a Special Block called "Las Jefas" for all the new upcoming Latina filmmakers. Way to honor our Women! Thank God this festival exists and continues to promote new Latino talent, American Latino talent and offer amazing opportunities to present our films that we sacrifice so much for. My short film El Rosario was nominated for Best Actor Joseph Campos. It's nice that this festival recognized all of his and our hard work. The film selections that were chosen for awards were all "well deserved". Mar Adentro, Hit me Up, Pa' Lante, ICE Cream, The Wetback and many more were powerful and inspiring to say the least. Thank you again Official Latino Short Film Festival for the memorable, rewarding, priceless experience. This is more than a festival, this is a MOVEMENT! The REVOLUTION in Media is being "LED" by Danny Hastings and family! Thank you hermano! It's our TIME!

November 2018

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