Hollywood Still Undervalues Latinas. Life Film Festival Gives Them The Spotlight

LIFE Film Festival (Latina Independent Film Extravaganza) returns to Los Angeles this week for its 13th year. Founded by “Real Women Have Curves” playwright Josefina López, nan show will surface complete 60 short films and 4 characteristic movies astatine Casa 0101 successful Boyle Heights, and for nan first clip astatine Cinépolis successful Pico Rivera.

From Thursday to Sunday, LIFE Film Festival will connection a bid of workshops and networking opportunities wherever aspiring filmmakers will person a chance to study from Latinas successful Hollywood, for illustration Emmy Award-winning editor Michelle Tesoro, who worked connected Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” and nan 2023 movie “Maestro.”

Since López founded LIFE Film Festival successful 2013, her committedness remains nan same: to observe Latino stories successful cinema and empower nan adjacent procreation of Latina filmmakers.

As a Chicana screenwriter and shaper for complete 30 years, López knows firsthand nan underrepresentation of Latinos successful Hollywood films. “Latinos are nan mostly present successful California, and we’re still rendered invisible, moreover though nan manufacture is correct successful our backyard,” López said. “They conscionable really don’t want to put successful our stories.”

According to UCLA’s 2025 Hollywood Diversity Report, which looked astatine nan 104 top-performing English-language movies released successful 2024, only 1% of starring roles went to Latinos; little than 5% of board were Latino; and astir 2% of writers were Latino successful past year’s apical movies. Latinos dress up astir 20% of nan U.S. population.

When it comes to gender, nan disparities were moreover much glaring. There were zero Latina board and screenwriters successful nan apical theatrical movie releases of 2024. In beforehand of nan camera, nan numbers weren’t that overmuch better. Less than 1 successful 50 movie roles went to Latinas.

“I ne'er knew anybody successful my family who was a screenwriter, and now I’m a WGA screenwriter and I’m giving backmost to my community,” LIFE Film Festival co-director Cristina Nava said. “I could beryllium nan tia [to] 1 of these filmmakers.”

López’s consequence to underrepresentation extends beyond opening doors. With LIFE, she says she wants to support storytellers who are challenging Latino stereotypes. “There are each sorts of Latinos,” López said. “Yes, we are nan immigrants, nan servants, but we’re much than that.”

Every year, LIFE recognizes a Latina moviemaker whose activity has reshaped practice wrong nan intermezo industry, pinch nan Lupe Ontiveros Award.

Created by López to grant nan legendary Mexican American actress, nan grant is bestowed to a filmmaker whose activity amplifies Latino voices. This year’s honoree is “Encanto” Oscar-winning shaper Yvett Merino.

In her 35 year-long career, Ontiveros played nan domiciled of maids and housekeepers complete 150 times. López believed that Hollywood was wasting her friend’s talents and promised to formed her arsenic a much analyzable and absorbing character.

López kept her word, casting Ontiveros arsenic Carmen, nan hardworking, panic mother successful “Real Women Have Curves.” “We person to support telling stories truthful that each these talented Latino actors person amended opportunities than to play stereotypes,” she said.