About the Houston Latino Film Festival

Founded in 2016, the Houston Latino Film Festival (HLFF) is a nonprofit Latino arts organization dedicated to developing, promoting, and increasing awareness of Latino culture through film and the arts. What began as a two-day grassroots festival in Houston’s historic East End has grown into a five-day celebration of Latino cinema, culture, and community.

Each year, HLFF presents a diverse selection of narrative features, documentaries, and short films from Latin America, the United States, and the broader Latino diaspora. Our programming celebrates the richness of Latino storytelling, showcasing diverse cultures, perspectives, themes, genres, and experiences while providing a platform for both emerging and established filmmakers.

Over the past decade, HLFF has grown into an important home for Latino cinema in Houston. The festival has presented award-winning and acclaimed films from around the world, welcomed filmmakers and industry professionals, and built an audience for stories that are rarely seen on Houston screens. The festival has also recognized emerging voices through its annual Ojo Awards, celebrating excellence in narrative, documentary, short, student, Texas, and Houston filmmaking. HLFF has evolved into a cultural and creative gathering featuring filmmaker conversations, workshops, panels, industry programming, visual art, music, and special events.

As we enter our second decade, our mission remains rooted in the belief that Latino stories deserve to be seen, heard, celebrated, and shared.