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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young person must decide between falling in line with the hopes and dreams placed upon them by their family or following their own desires for authentic self-expression. Gabriela, a coming-of-age short film, written and directed by Evelyn Lorena, follows a young Latina immigrant woman (also played by Lorena) who dreams of becoming a great swimmer in the American South. Even though she is undermined by her overprotective mother’s worries stemming from the looming insecurity of the family’s legal status and societal discrimination, Gabriela’s passionate tenacity sets her on a journey toward self-discovery.

Here, the filmmaker talks to Deadline about overcoming challenges, self-acceptance and subverting stereotypes for immigrant families.

Deadline: Where do you think you got your passion for filmmaking? Are your parents creative?

Evelyn Lorena: Honestly, it was some weird gift from the heavens because I had already...

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (Laliff) announced the call for submissions for its third annual Laliff Inclusion Fellowship which aims to champion underrepresented filmmakers within the Latino community. With continued support from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, ten visionary self-identifying Indigenous Latino and Afro/Black Latino directors will each be awarded 30,000 for the production of their short films.

“Last year, Laliff and Netflix expanded the Inclusion fellowship by adding the Indigenous Latino cohort to the existing Afro/Black Latino cohort with the goal of uplifting Latino voices and moving representation forward. As we begin our third year, we are proud to announce the fellows will be receiving larger grants in order to bring their stories to life. It is fantastic to see Netflix realize the need to invest more in the Latino community and our stories,” says Academy Award®-nominated actor, founder of the Latino Film Institute (Lfi) and co-founder of Laliff,...

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival announced its 2022 lineup including Disney’s documentary Mija and the Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max film Father of the Bride bookending the celebration. Laliff will run from June 1 to 5 at the Tcl Chinese Theater and Tcl Chinese 6 in Hollywood.

The full lineup includes feature films, short films, episodics, animation, master classes, and musical performances.

“Laliff Is proud to present a diverse line-up of Latino storytellers,” said Edward James Olmos, co-founder of Laliff. “The festival has seen tremendous growth, with support from both the film industry and our audience, allowing us to showcase and nurture important voices that the world needs to hear.”

In addition to Mija and Father of the Bride, the section includes A Place in the Field directed by Nicole Mejia, All Sorts directed by J. Rick Castañeda, and Blood Red Ox directed by Rodrigo Bellot.

Also part of the program:...

Exclusive: The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival announced today the ten visionary Afro Latino and Indigenous Latino directors selected for its second annual Latinx Inclusion Fellowship in collaboration with Netflix.

The fellowship was created to increase opportunities for underrepresented groups within the Latino community.

Indigenous Latino cohorts include William D. Caballero, Evelyn Lorena, Nicole Mejia, Sebastian Rea, and Kristi Uribes. Selected Afro Latino cohorts are Elyssa Aquino, Jeanette Dilone, Alexis Garcia, Gabriella A. Moses, and Eli Vazquez.

Each fellow will be awarded a $20k grant to produce a short and will receive individualized mentorship, as well as various networking opportunities. Their completed films will premiere as part of the 2022 version of Laliff, where the fellows will also participate in the festival’s Industry Week to further develop their careers and gain industry access needed to succeed as working artists.

“We are honored to be able to provide this unique fellowship that,...