ALEXANDRA ALCALA / ASST. A&C EDITOR

There are several different film festivals in San Diego throughout the year. Some of these include the San Diego Latino Film Festival, the San Diego Asian Film Festival and the San Diego Italian Film Festival. These three events happen at different times every year, but they all hold a very similar objective: to connect communities across San Diego and to give exposure to the different culture that each festival aligns with. 

“[The film festival] is electric,” Artistic Director of the Asian film festival, Brian Hu, said. “Not just to see films in a theater, which doesn’t happen as much these days, but also to watch films before anybody else sees it, or to know that these films might never be released in the United States. This is a rare and precious window into the creativity of artists deemed too ‘marginal’ for the mainstream, but who we in the audience know are making some of the most important and entertaining films in the world.”

The Asian festival is just around the corner. It is held at the beginning of November,  and this year it will be taking place from Nov. 7 to Nov. 16 across various locations, including  the San Diego Natural History Museum and Edwards Cinema in Mira Mesa. The events range from opening night, where the screening for the first movie happens, as well as screenings of shorts and films. This year the festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and  it has  come  a long  way since its  beginning, which was closely connected to USD. 

The San Diego Asian Film Festival in action. Photo courtesy of @SeanEloRiveraD9/X

“Without USD, there would be no SDAFF [San Diego Asian Film Festival],” Hu said. “Our first edition took place at USD. Filmmakers flew in from all over the country to make USD the hub of Asian American cinema that year. None of this would have been possible without the help of Professor Leeva Chung, who was a huge supporter in that first year, and continues to support the festival today. Beyond that, we’ve had SDAFF members teach at USD. I  was  an  adjunct  instructor in  Communication and Art History for several years. This year, Professor Victoria Fu is inviting one of the SDAFF filmmakers [Alison Nguyen] to come to campus to discuss her work.”

The presence of professors during these festivals is not uncommon. Professor Chung has been working closely with the  directors   of  this   festival   since  they  first  started and  she  continues to support them in different ways.

“I was part of the original group that launched this festival at USD,” Chung said. “My part of it was planning it, organizing it at USD — what  room  they  would  use, what dorms the  filmmakers would use to live in during the festival, etc. Back in 1998, there were not a lot of buildings as there are today, so this was a challenge. Now I support the festival by attending, bringing my students and even raising money to help out.”

The participation of USD professors has not diminished, even after years of producing the festival. The same is true for the Italian film festival. The Italian festival took place from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16. Similar to the Asian film festival, this festival has different events but focuses mostly on films instead of shorts. 

“The biggest connection between the festival and USD is me, as I’ve been the artistic director of this organization for 10 years now,” Italian USD Professor Antonio Iannotta said.  “I’m the person responsible for the programs, the choice of the movies and the organization of the competition we have been doing for six years now.”

Professor Iannotta has been part of the Department of Languages, Cultures and Literatures since 2015. He teaches Italian film and the Italian language at University of California San Diego, San Diego State University and USD. As the Artistic Director of the Italian festival, Iannotta oversees the operations it takes to make the festival happen year after year, but one of his biggest  responsibilities is  selecting the films that will be presented. 

USD Professor Antonio Iannotta speaking at the Italian Film Festival. Photo courtesy of San Diego Italian Film Festival

“We accept everybody that is an Italian director, but also everybody else if they deal with an Italian topic or an American-Italian topic,” Iannotta said. “We always try to involve the students, encourage them to come or even to participate in the festival. We have even had students doing internships with the organization and working with our events.”

The participation of USD in the Italian film festival is noticeable, whether this is having students or professors as staff. In addition to this, there are also opportunities for volunteers or interns.  This  can  come  in  handy  as a resource  for students  majoring in film or the language itself. 

The Latino Film Festival is still some time away, taking place from March 19 to March 23 of 2025.  This festival is a nonprofit organization, established 31 years ago. It is held at the Media Arts Center in San Diego every year. The festival is known for the attendance of famous film actors such as America Ferrera, Jaime Camil and Alfonso Cuaron. 

“The San Diego Latino Film Festival, now coming up on its 32nd year, is an annual celebration of Latin American cinema, music, art and cuisine,” Exhibitions Senior Manager Kristian Perez said. “A lot of the films that we present don’t always get distribution in the United States, and so it truly is a special experience for these filmmakers to get to share their work in a cinema with the San Diego community. We got  to bring  in Cheech Marin as a special guest this last edition. It really didn’t hit me until I saw him in the cinema, but it was such a privilege to get to hear him speak on some of his own history. I grew up watching him in Spy Kids, and I couldn’t believe that he was here.”

These types of film festivals not only allow for communities to get together and celebrate their cultures, but it also presents an opportunity for people to meet the actors they grew up watching on television. While these festivals give the audience a new viewing experience, it takes a lot of time and energy to make sure these events run smoothly and successfully. 

“There are a lot of moving parts, but we have an incredible team of people who have been working as organizers of the festival for years,” Perez said.  “It’s a months long process but it starts with our annual call for entries process, which is then followed by a lot of planning & organization internally. As we get closer to the festival, which will take place March 19 – 23, 2025, we also partner with universities and local latinx art institutions and businesses to start promoting the event.”

The planning of the event, which usually  lasts around a week, can take the whole year. Getting the venue ready, choosing  the films and connecting with the directors  and actors can be a hassle, yet these  festivals have  been  pulling it  off  for over a decade. 

USD   Professor  Kristin    Moran   teaches  in   the   Department of Communication and currently serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences. Besides this, Moran is also one of the reviewers for the films that are shared during the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

“I was a film reviewer,” Professor Moran said. “That means I watched films and rated them. Those ratings go to the programming director and team to decide what is shown at the festival. I think it is important to provide venues to movies that are outside the Hollywood mainstream. There are many stories being told through a variety of viewpoints, and festivals allow for that exposure.”

These three festivals are only some of the ones that San Diego offers throughout the year, and these professors are only a number of the ones that participate in events just like these. Every year, there’s around 10 festivals happening in the city, each giving a  community  a space to connect with one another  and  to  enjoy their  favorite  hobbies.  Many   professors offer students discounts and free passes  for these festivals, making this an exciting opportunity for students to get out of their dorm rooms and  to explore local and creative events around San Diego. 

Attendees waiting for a screening at the Latino Film Festival. Photo courtesy of @thelonggamemovie/Instagram