The SF Latino Film Festival will kick off September 15th and run through the 25th. Its mission is to showcase the work of emerging filmmakers from the US, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. This year the festival has over 40 films that are made up of shorts, features, docs and narratives. There will be a few blockbusters at the festival but it’s mostly independent and local film.

The movies that caught my eye this year are Hell and The Open Sky. Hell follows a man who has just been deported from the US and finds that his village has been overcome by violence and corruption, with no alternative he joins the drug trade and begins to prosper. However, like most illegal jobs, his new life comes with a price. The Open Sky, winner of  the Journalists Prize at the 2011 Guadalajara International Film Festival, is a doc about the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero who spoke out for his peoples rights during the El Salvadoran Civil War.  Make sure to check out the full list of films below and come out to enjoy the Latino Film Festival!

For the full schedule and more information follow the jump below.

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Still from opening night film, Undertow

Grab your churros and some frosty cervezas and come on down to The Roxie, The Mission Cultural Center, Ichtus Gallery, and The University of San Francisco next week as the 2010 Cine+Mas SF Latino Film Festival kicks things off with its opening film on Thursday, the 16th, Undertow.  The unusual ghost-themed gay drama made waves in Sundance, receiving the audience award for best world cinematic drama and was nominated for the Grand Jury prize.  Should be muy bien.

From there, hang on to your sombreros, because this year’s line-up is filled with informative documentaries, shorts, and narrative features from over 11 countries, including Cuba, Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Mexico.  No habla espanol?  No worries, I’m sure there will be subtitles.  Click on the jump for the festival’s complete line-up and locations Read More…