HispanicBusiness

NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 07/25/12 -- The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF), the premier Latino film festival in the country, opens its 13th edition with FILLY BROWN, starring breakout actress Gina Rodriguez (GO FOR IT, OUR FAMILY WEDDING), and closes with LEMON, the raw story of three-time felon and one-time Tony Award-winner, spoken word artist Lemon Andersen. The NYILFF is presented by HBO®. Schedule information and tickets will be available online and at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas box office beginning July 27: nylatinofilm.com.

NYILFF kicks off on Monday, August 13 with a 15th anniversary presentation of SELENA at Cinema Under The Stars, a free outdoor screening presented by HBO® at St. Nicholas Park on St. Nicholas Avenue and 135th Street in Manhattan. Opening Night on Tuesday, August 14, through Closing Night on Saturday, August 18, panel discussions and other festival activities will take place at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street, NYC 10011. The 2012 NYILFF Awards presentation will take place on Sunday, August 19.

NYILFF also presents a World Premiere exclusive screening of THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE, a special presentation attended by stars Wilmer Valderrama and Columbus Short, and will include a Q&A. The film will be distributed theatrically by RCR Media Group. In addition, the heartwarming ELLIOTT LOVES, winner of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Audience Award for Best Picture, will headline the festival's Dominican Night.

"HBO has been the proud presenting sponsor of the NYILFF since its inception in 1999," said Lucinda Martinez, vice president, Domestic Network Distribution & Multicultural Marketing at HBO. "We commend the festival on its success and ongoing efforts to raise the profile of Latino films and take special pride in our HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition partnership which offers new Latino talent a chance to produce a winning script to film."

"In thirteen years, NYILFF has grown in prestige and stature around the country and internationally," explained Calixto Chinchilla, founder and co-executive director. "We continually strive to provide a platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their work to New York's diverse audiences."

"On behalf of everyone involved with NYILFF, we would like to thank our sponsors whose consistent support has allowed NYILFF to become an internationally renowned Latino film festival in the U.S. We pride ourselves on providing our sponsors, filmmakers and audience with an elevated film-going experience," says Elizabeth Gardner, co-executive director.

HBO®/NYILFF SHORT FILM COMPETITION
The 2012 HBO®/NYILFF Short Film Competition winner is Carmen Peláez for her script THE ACTING LESSON. The film will be co-directed by Nicolas Calzada. Held earlier this year, the competition awards the writer of the winning script $15,000 in HBO funding to produce and direct the script and present it at NYILFF. In addition, HBO provides an executive to mentor the winner and her production team through the completion of the project. Jointly created in 2004, the competition seeks to foster films by Latino filmmakers and/or about the Latino experience.