It’s always a great feeling to give love to our community, and because the Latino and African-American lives are so intertwined—especially in New York and almost one-in-same, uptown, with the robust Dominican and Puerto Rican populations shaking down the island flavor to the mix—the announcement of the second Official Latino Short Film Festival, Sept. 16 to Sept. 17, is a cause to celebrate.

The festival is the brainchild of Danny Hastings (Atomicus Films), in collaboration this year with 3L Communiqué. Hastings has spent more than 20 years as a photographer and music video and film director. He founded the festival to “give American Latino filmmakers a creative platform where they can share and support one another, all while gaining recognition for their work.”

This year the ambitious young festival will showcase 86 short films written, directed and produced by U.S. Latino filmmakers from across the nation and eight international films directed by filmmakers from Latin America, which highlights this year’s festival theme, “Latino Unity.”

Mixed into the short films will be webisodes with an eye toward American Latinos who are creating content and telling the stories that reflect our true diversity.

The power of the media is vital. How we see ourselves and how others view us is equally vital, and it’s here that the storytellers can have positive impact that goes beyond the obvious creative and commercial appeal of filmmaking.

“We are tired of the characters Hollywood creates for Latinos,” Danny Hastings said. “It’s always the maid, the gardener, the janitor, the thug, etc. It’s like these Hollywood writers and producers don’t know any other types of Latinos. I constantly surround myself with Latino professionals, business owners, professors, doctors, fathers, mothers, and the list goes on and on. But where are these characters in film? Well, you are going to find them in the official Latino Short Film Festival.”

The festival will also feature a panel discussion, hosted by Louis E. Perego Moreno from Prime Latino Media, on how instrumental short films are in the career development of actors, directors and producers. The panelists will include actor, director, producer Victor Cruz, who has performed in several Hollywood films and utilizes the experience he gains from directing and producing his own short films to assist in career advancement.

Highlights of the festival include the following shorts:

“Toyed,” which won Best Short and Best Actor at the 2016 Urban Film Festival, directed and written by Emmy award-winning director/writer/editor Jokes Yanes, starring Jeffrey Wahlberg, a young actor on the rise and part of the Wahlberg family dynasty.

“Toyed” is about the Miami graffiti art scene of the 90s.

http://officiallatino.com/toyed-by-jokes-yanes/

“Since I Laid Eyes,” starring Gina Rodriguez in an unexpected role, is about a woman’s renewed sexuality once connected with an ex-flame.

http://officiallatino.com/since-i-laid-eyes-by-adel-morales/

“Time Space Reflection,” by animator Alba Garcia, who takes an audience on an amazing stop-motion journey about an inventor who creates a time/space portal that can go to other dimensions.

http://officiallatino.com/timespace-reflections-by-alba-garcia/

“Birth of a Killer,” by Ricardo Chavira (“Desperate Housewives”), who plays a hitman with conflicted morals after an encounter with one of the sons of one of his victims.

http://officiallatino.com/birth-of-a-killer-by-daniel-maldonado/

“Hasta con las uñas: Mujeres Cineastas de Nicaragua” is a powerful documentary that tells the tale of the women pioneers of cinema in Central America.

http://officiallatino.com/hasta-con-las-unas-mujeres-cineastas-de-nicaragua-by-tania-romero/

To learn more about the festival, visit www.officiallatino.com.