Are you looking for a way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Or maybe experience the work of more Latinx artists and support more independent cinema? For the month of May the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) is available for free. This is the 19th year of the festival founded by Edward James Olmos, Marlene Dermer, Kirk Whisler and the George Hernandez. The festival features full length films, shorts, music, animation, and classes for people looking to expand their skills.

This is an international film festival that focuses on the works of Latinx creators telling stories that impact Latinx communities both here in the United States and abroad. It is an opportunity to see some interesting perspectives and new voices in cinema and music. The festival is available to stream at the LALIFF website and is free and open to all.

Additionally, the festival is promoting the work of the Youth Cinema Project. They will be hosting live reading events by student participants on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 am EST. The live readings feature the work of the students in the Youth Cinema Project program paired with a panel discussion. These are great events to inspire teens and young adult filmmakers to tell their own stories and get more involved in filmmaking. More information and past events are available on their website and on their Youtube channel.