A newly launched film festival dedicated to Latino cinema is taking place across London this week, featuring works from across Latin America and beyond. The event showcases 60 films from 27 countries over five days at multiple venues including the Barbican, the ICA, Ciné Lumière, and BFI Stephen Street. The program includes features, documentaries, animated films, and short works selected from hundreds of submissions.
The festival was founded by Cuban actress Ketty Rodriguez, who conceived the idea after noticing a significant gap in Latin American film representation within London’s cultural landscape. Rodriguez described the festival as the first competitive event of its size focused on Latino cinema in the city. She stated that the initiative emerged from a desire to build community and connection among Latino residents who felt underrepresented in the city’s vibrant cultural ecosystem. Cuban dancer Javier Torres, who helped develop the concept, characterized the festival as addressing a clear market need and an opportunity for Latin American filmmakers to gain visibility and voice.
The festival has attracted prominent guests from the entertainment industry, including Carlos Acosta, a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet; Argentine actor Óscar Martínez; Cuban actor Jorge Perugorría; and Chilean screenwriter Gonzalo Maza. The program also includes films made by and about British-Latino communities, reflecting the lived experiences of Latin Americans and their descendants in the United Kingdom.
Filmmaker Victor Rios, who is British-Bolivian and has two short films in the selection, emphasized the festival’s broader significance in affirming the presence and contributions of Latino communities in British society. He noted that the event celebrates both individual national identities and the distinct experience of being both Latin American and British. The festival receives financial backing from the BFI through National Lottery funding and support from the City of London Corporation.
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