The New York Latino Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary from September 13-21, 2025, with an expanded program featuring 120 films from 15 countries screened at Regal Union Square and United Palace theaters. This milestone event underscores the festival's enduring commitment to showcasing Latino storytelling and cultural representation in the film industry. Festival founder Calixto Chinchilla emphasized the personal significance of this anniversary, stating that it celebrates the people, stories, and culture that have shaped the organization's identity. Since its inception, NYLFF has worked to create spaces where Latino voices are seen, heard, and valued, representing a testament to the community's resilience and creative power.
The festival's growth has been supported by corporate and studio partners who believe in its mission. Warner Bros. Discovery returns as presenting sponsor, with Dennis Williams, SVP and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, expressing pride in supporting the festival since its founding. The NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment also endorsed the event as part of the city's Latino Heritage Month celebrations, with Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman congratulating the festival on its continued expansion. This institutional support highlights the festival's importance as a cultural institution and its economic impact on New York City's creative sector.
This year's opening film is Joel Alfonso Vargas' Sundance Award-winning Mad Bills to Pay, a gritty Bronx tale of young love and community presented by Amazon MGM Studios. The festival culminates with a free block party in Quisqueya Plaza featuring a live performance by two-time Latin Grammy nominee J Noa. Special anniversary programming includes an encore screening of Karyn Kusama's Girlfight, followed by a post-screening Q&A and full cast reunion, with star Michelle Rodriguez receiving NYLFF's Impact Award for her influential legacy in Latino representation. These programming choices demonstrate the festival's dual focus on celebrating established icons while providing platforms for emerging talent.
Additional highlights include the pulse-pounding Dominican action drama A Tiro Limpio, La Salsa Vive documenting Afro-Antillean salsa's journey from New York to Colombia, and the FUTURO Digital Conference presented by Audible and Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages. The conference features top content creators and distributors, complemented by the web series NATIVES following queer native New Yorkers navigating life in city projects. The festival's diverse programming reflects its core mission to cultivate audiences for Latino cinema, strengthen the film community, and foster industry collaborations.
The festival's quarter-century milestone solidifies NYLFF's position as the nation's premier Latino cinematic event celebrating 25 years of cultural impact and representation. Its continued expansion and corporate partnerships indicate growing recognition of Latino stories' commercial viability and cultural significance within the broader entertainment industry. By providing both artistic celebration and professional development opportunities through events like the FUTURO Digital Conference, the festival serves as a crucial bridge between creative expression and industry access, ensuring Latino voices continue to shape cinematic narratives for years to come.
