The New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF) returns for its 26th edition from Sept. 13-20, bringing together more than 125 films representing nearly 20 countries for eight days of premieres, conversations and cultural celebration.
This year’s festival opens with the New York premiere of “Otra” (110 min., USA), the directorial debut of longtime Tyler Perry collaborator and Bronx native Armani Ortiz. The film is a genre-bending Latino musical told in a single continuous take and featuring music from Bad Bunny, Rosalía, Ozuna, Tainy, Marc Anthony and Aventura.
The festival will also screen Angelina Jolie’s “Without Blood” (85 min., USA/Italy), starring Salma Hayek Pinault and Demián Bichir in a powerful exploration of war, trauma and revenge. “Milly: Queen of Merengue” (118 min., Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico), directed by Leticia Tonos Paniagua and starring Sandy Hernandez in a breakout role, the film chronicles Milly Quezada’s journey from Washington Heights to becoming the legendary multi-Grammy-winning Queen of Merengue.
“As we celebrate 26 years, I’m proud that NYLFF continues to be a place where our stories, our talent and our culture can show up fully,” festival founder Calixto Chinchilla said in a Monday statement to TheWrap. ”Every year, I’m reminded that there is no shortage of incredible voices in our community, what’s needed are more opportunities for them to be seen, heard and supported. That’s what we’ve always been about. I’m grateful to the filmmakers who trust us with their work, the audiences who continue to show up, and the partners who believe in what we’re building together.”
The weeklong celebration will culminate Uptown with NYLFF’s free community block party at Quisqueya Plaza (Broadway and Dyckman Street).
Screenings and events will take place at Regal Union Square (850 Broadway), with additional programming at Berkeley College (3 E. 43rd Street), Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center (530 W. 166th Street) and a special presentation at United Palace (4140 Broadway).
NYLFF will once again present a dynamic lineup of narrative features, documentaries and shorts from the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Highlights include two-time Tribeca Festival winner “Summer of Three” (85 min., Puerto Rico), an intimate coming-of-age story of friendship, loss and self-discovery set in Puerto Rico; “The Long Con” (14 min., USA), starring Emmy-nominated “Baby Reindeer” breakout Nava Mau as a runaway bride reunited with her grifter lover after a con goes sideways; and “Jaripeo” (71 min., USA/Mexico), which arrives at NYLFF following appearances at Sundance and Berlin, with a lyrical exploration of queer identity and cowboy culture in Michoacán, Mexico.
Additional highlights include “West Side Familia” (75 min., USA) a documentary by New York City filmmaker Taylor Hosking following the story of a long-established Puerto Rican-led motorcycle crew and a community grappling with the preservation in the hyper-gentrified neighborhood of Manhattan’s Upper West Side; “Face Love” (94 min., USA), a bilingual romantic comedy uniquely shot twice with the same cast to create independent English- and Spanish-language films; “The Buzz/El Zumbido” (13 min., Mexico), directed by Kate del Castillo (“La Reina del Sur”), about a celebrated actress hiding the abuse behind her seemingly perfect life; and “Have a nICE Day” (8 min., USA), a timely story of a Dominican-American family torn apart by an ICE raid.
Rounding out the highlights are “TheyDream” (88 min., USA/Puerto Rico), winner of the NEXT Special Jury Award for Creative Expression at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, exploring grief, family and the power of art; and “Abril” (105 min., Costa Rica), starring François Arnaud (“Heated Rivalry”), a tender portrait of motherhood, heartbreak and rediscovery.
For more information, visit www.NYLatinoFilmFestival.com
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