Dates & Deadlines
About festival
About
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is an international event dedicated to excellence in filmmaking. Through film, television, music and education, LALIFF offers a vibrant stage to celebrate the richness and diversity of Latino cinema through distinct directorial voices and culturally significant narratives. LALIFF is an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival in two categories – Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short and Best U.S. Latino Animated Short.
For the first time, LALIFF is expanding its eligibility to welcome filmmakers from Haiti and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana). Filmmakers from these regions, whether they live there or elsewhere in the diaspora, are now invited to submit to the Short Film and Episodic categories, and U.S.-based filmmakers with roots in Haiti and the Guianas are eligible for the U.S. Latino Feature Films category. We can’t wait to share these new voices with LALIFF audiences.
Filmmakers and producers are also invited to explore the LALIFF Connect: Market & Creative Forum, where creators connect with industry leaders, financiers, distributors, and film commissions from across the Americas. Whether you’re developing your next project, seeking partners, or looking to expand your network, the Market & Creative Forum is designed to help bring your stories to the next level. Learn more HERE.
Awards & Prizes
Returning awards include Best U.S. Latino Live Action Short (Academy Award® Qualifying Festival in this category), Best U.S. Latino Animated Short (Academy Award® Qualifying Festival in this category), and Best U.S. Latino Episodic Short, and Best Feature Film Award.
Trailer
Awards
Festival Amenities
Filmmaker pass
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF)
9 perks included
Amenities
Filmmaker Lounge
Dedicated lounge space
Swag Bags
Gift bags
Green Room
Private backstage area
Events
Filmmaker Events
Filmmakers networking events
After Parties
Post-screening events
Industry Panels
Panel discussions
Q&A Sessions
Audience interaction
Press Events
Media opportunities
Marketing
Social Media Spotlight
Online promotion
Accepted Content
Submission Categories
U.S. Latino FeaturesMore than 30 days to submit
Feature submissions are open to fiction, documentary, and animated films of any genre with a running time of more than 50 minutes, made by U.S.-based filmmakers of Latin American and Caribbean descent, including filmmakers with roots in Haiti and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana). Films must have had their world premiere on or after January 1, 2026. Films that have had commercial, theatrical, television, or online distribution in the United States are not eligible. All selected films must hold, at minimum, Los Angeles premiere status.
Deadline: December 11, 2026
U.S. Latino ShortsMore than 30 days to submit
Short film submissions are open to fiction, documentary, and animated films of any genre with a running time of less than 30 minutes, made by U.S.-based filmmakers of Latin American and Caribbean descent, including filmmakers with roots in Haiti and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana). Films must have had their world premiere on or after January 1, 2026. Films that have had commercial, theatrical, television, or online distribution in the United States are not eligible. All selected films must hold, at minimum, Los Angeles premiere status.
Deadline: December 11, 2026
International Latino ShortsMore than 30 days to submit
Short film submissions are open to fiction, documentary, and animated films of any genre with a running time of less than 30 minutes. Eligible filmmakers include Latino filmmakers residing in the United States, Latin America, Haiti, and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana), as well as filmmakers from these regions living elsewhere in the diaspora. Films must have had their world premiere on or after January 1, 2026. Films that have had commercial, theatrical, television, or online distribution in the United States are not eligible. All selected films must hold, at minimum, Los Angeles premiere status.
Deadline: December 11, 2026
U.S. Latino EpisodicsMore than 30 days to submit
Episodic submissions are open to scripted or non-scripted series of any genre made by Latino creatives residing in the United States. Applicants may submit a single episode or multiple episodes of the same project, as long as the total running time, including credits, does not exceed 90 minutes. Multiple episodes should be submitted as one continuous video file. Individual episodes may not exceed 60 minutes in length. Open submissions in this category are not eligible for the Festival if the submitted content has been made available to the general public via any platform (broadcast television, Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in the United States. If the submitted content is a continuation of an existing series, only new episodes are eligible for open submission to the Festival. The festival requires a minimum of a Los Angeles premiere status.
Deadline: December 11, 2026
International Latino EpisodicsMore than 30 days to submit
Episodic submissions are open to scripted or non-scripted series of any genre made by Latino creatives residing in the Latin America, Haiti, and the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana), as well as creatives from these regions living elsewhere in the diaspora. Applicants may submit a single episode or multiple episodes of the same project, as long as the total running time, including credits, does not exceed 90 minutes. Multiple episodes should be submitted as one continuous video file. Individual episodes may not exceed 60 minutes in length. Open submissions in this category are not eligible for the Festival if the submitted content has been made available to the general public via any platform (broadcast television, Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in the United States. If the submitted content is a continuation of an existing series, only new episodes are eligible for open submission to the Festival. The festival requires a minimum of a Los Angeles premiere status.
Deadline: December 11, 2026
Festival Rules
Last updated
