Breadcrumb
Latino Film Festival
March 2-4 2026 at the Minor Theatre from 6:00-10:20 pm!
Join us for the 27th annual International Latino Film Festival!
This year's festival theme is Desde este lado del sueño: Examining Borders, Dreams, and the Realities in Between.
We'll be screening three feature films and our keynote speaker is María Luisa Ruiz, will give a brief talk about the film each night, followed by a panel discussion.
All screenings are FREE and open to all. No pre-registration needed
Want to get involved?
Festival Program
Each evening begins with an introduction of the film by the keynote speaker. After the screening of the film, the panelists and keynote speaker share their analysis of the film in an interactive audience discussion. An essay is required for those taking the seminar for academic credit.
Monday March 2, 6pm
Sin Nombre (2009) Dir. Joji Fukunaga
Sin Nombre is a adventure thriller about a Honduran girl trying to immigrate to the United States, and a boy caught up in the violence of gang life.
Moderator
Fernando Paz Campus and Community Development Coordinator and Equity Arcata Co-Manager
Panelists
Michelle Cartier Department of Art + Film
Roberto Mónico Department of Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Tuesday March 3, 6pm
Spare Parts (2015) Dir. Sean McNamara
Spare Parts is based on the Wired magazine article “La Vida Robot” by Joshua Davis, about the true story of a group of students from a mainly Latino high school, who competed in the 2004 MATE ROV competition.
Moderator
Fernando Paz Campus and Community Development Coordinator and Equity Arcata Co-Manager
Panelists
Michelle Cartier Department of Art + Film
Roberto Mónico Department of Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Wednesday March 4, 6pm
A Better Life (2011) Dir. Chris Weitz
Based on a story by Roger L. Simon, A Be er Life is about an undocumented immigrant in Los Angeles, who, along with his teenage son, a empts to nd his stolen truck.
Moderator
Fernando Paz, Campus and Community Development Coordinator and Equity Arcata Co-Manager
Panelist
Ángeles Torres Méndez, Assistant Professor of Spanish, College of the Redwoods
Closing Reception at the Wild Hare Tavern to follow
Keynote: Maria Luisa Ruiz
Maria Luisa Ruiz, a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, earned her teaching credential from San José State University and her M.A. and PhD in Spanish and Humanities from Stanford University, and is a Professor in the Department of World Languages & Cultures at Saint Mary’s College of California.
She teaches in the Spanish and Latin American Studies Program and currently serves as interim Senior Diversity Officer, while also directing the Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies and Global and Regional Studies and serving on the Women’s and Gender Studies advisory board.
An internationally recognized scholar of representations of Mexican women, gender, melodrama, and narconarratives, Dr. Ruiz has received numerous honors, including the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Fellowship, the James Street Prize for best article in MARLAS, and the 2024 Saint John Baptist De La Salle Award, and is completing a book on this research with Lexington Press.
The Latino Film Festival began 27 years ago as a partnership between Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. The festival brings together students, community members, and professors to view and discuss films about Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world. LFF receives generous support from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Students from CR and Humboldt have historically been able to receive academic credit for attending the festival.
Special thanks to the founders and visionaries, Rosamel Benavides-Garv and Ana Maria Romo de Mease.