National City is the new host of the Exitos Del Cine Latino Film Festival that will premiere 15 Latino films accompanied by special celebrity appearances, music performances, and exhibits by local artists, from this Friday, August 26 to Thursday, September 1.
The creators of the San Diego Latino Film Festival are the organizers of this event that will take place at the AMC theaters in Plaza Bonita.
“We take great pride of bringing an spectacular event to National City to open doors and support arts and culture in our community,” said CEO and Executive Director of National City Chamber of Commerce, Jacqueline Reynoso. “This is also very good to our economy because we will bring people from all over the county and even from Baja California.”
The festival’s selection features the Spanish-Argentine thriller “Cien años de perdon”, starring Rodrigo de la Serna, Raul Arevalo, and Luis Tosar; the award-winning dramedy “Truman”, featuring Ricardo Darin and Javier Camara; Diego Luna’s emotional “Mr. Pig”, starring Danny Glover and Maya Rudolph; and, “El Tamaño Si Importa”, starring Vhadir Derbez, Ximena Ayala, and Eugenio Derbez.
“Normally the film festival takes place at other places in San Diego, so this will be the first annual event here in National City,” Reynoso said. “National City is going through a full transformation regarding arts and culture.”
The arrival of the Exitos Del Cine Latino Film Festival is an opportunity so youngsters and National City residents are pride of the Latino heritage.
“When we go to the movies here in San Diego or to any place in the world, the majority of the actors are from Hollywood and there is not a Latino representation, not from the actors or the directors.” Reynoso said. “Here, we will see everything from the actors, directors and production made by Latinos, and its something that shows our community that we do have a presence and a future in this business.”
To kick off the festival, an Opening Night Fiesta will take place on Friday, Aug. 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the second level of Westfield Plaza Bonita, outside of AMC Plaza Bonita cinemas. The event will include live music, special guests, drinks, food and more. Party tickets are available for $25.
All Exitos Del Cine Latino Film Festival movies and activities will take place at AMC Plaza Bonita, 3050 Plaza Bonita Road, National City, California, 91950.
Individual movie tickets range from $8.50 to $11.50. Special film festival passes include: $45 5-Movie Ticket Pack, $135 All-Access Pass, and $80 Film Pass.
All proceeds from Exitos Del Cine Latino Film Festival benefit Media Arts Center San Diego’s year-round education and outreach programs and services, such as the award-winning Teen Producers Project.