Celebrate Latin American Cinema's Power

Explore films, connect with artists, and experience 11 unforgettable days of culture.

Our Story

Founded in 2003, the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF) is a registered charitable organization dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of Latin American cinema in Vancouver.

This 11-day annual festival offers a space for dialogue between cultures and celebrates the art of contemporary Latin American, Latin-Canadian, and Indigenous filmmaking.

Since its inception, VLAFF has provided audiences with a unique opportunity to enjoy inspiring and innovative films and connect with filmmakers from across Latin America and the diaspora.

Our Mission

VLAFF is here to:

  • Educate and engage the public with Latin American cinema.
  • Promote independent Latin American films in Canada.
  • Offer a platform for artists to present and discuss their work.
  • Showcase Latin-Canadian talent in film and media arts.
  • Build networks between Canadian and Latin American film communities.
  • Promote cross-cultural understanding and enrich

Canada’s cultural scene.
We believe in cinema as a tool for art, education, and transformation.

Our Values

VLAFF is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and positive environment for all, audience members, artists, volunteers, staff, and partners.

We uphold the values of:

  • Justice
  • Equity
  • Diversity
  • Inclusion (JEDI)

Want to share feedback or ideas on how we can make your festival experience better?

We’d love to hear from you! 💌 Email us at: feedback@vlaff.org

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Valentina Acevedo Montilla

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

(she/ella)

Managing Director

Christian Sida

Christian Sida Valenzuela

(he/él)

Programming Director

Dani Rodríguez Chevalier

(she/ella)

Festival Coordinator | Volunteer Coordinator

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

(She/ella)

Managing Director / Curator ¡Así Suena! Music Nights

Christian Sida

Christian Sida

(he/él)

Programming Director

Dani Rodríguez

Dani Rodríguez

(she/ella)

Festival Coordinator | Volunteer Coordinator

Programming team

Christian Sida.

Christian Sida

(he/él)

Programming Director

Masa’n Galindo

Masa’n Galindo

(she/ella)

Indigenous Programs Co-Curator

Akira Iahtail Headshot.

Akira Iahtail

(she/ella)

Indigenous Programs Co-Curator

Kathleen Mullen

Kathleen Mullen

(she/ella)

Queer Films Co-Curator

José Luis Cano

José Luis Cano

(he/él)

New Directors Co-Curator

Robert Ríos Headshot.

Robert Alejandro Ríos

(he/él)

Queer Films Co-Curator

Mirella Reichenbach Livoti

(she/ella)

New Directors Co-Curator

Dani Rodríguez

Dani Rodríguez Chevalier

(she/ella)

Shorts in Competition Co-Curator

Valentina Acevedo Montilla Headshot.

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

(she/ella)

¡Así Suena! Music Nights

Ana Tonso

Ana Tonso

(she/ella)

Shorts in Competition Co-Curator

Juan Pablo Franky

Juan Pablo Franky

(he/él)

Programming consultant

Board of Directors

Samantha Matute

Samantha Matute

(she/ella)

Lucero Gonzalez
Lucero Gonzalez

(she/ella)

Elvia Pinilla.

Elvia Pinilla

(she/ella)

Semillites.

Semillites Hernández Velasco

(he/el)

Pachi

Pachi Ochoa

(she/ella)

Javier Badillo.

Javier Badillo

(he/el)

Manuel Rodriguez.

Manuel Rodriguez

(he/el)

Jean Paul Vizuete

Jean Paul Vizuete

(he/el)

seasonal staff

Festival Consultant

Anne-Mary Mullen

DCP Master + Technical Coordinator

Tadeo Ríos Dávila

Volunteer Coordinator

Daniela Rodríguez Chevalier

Venue Managers

Daniela Rodríguez Chevalier

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

Box Office Supervisors

Vanesa O’Toole

Fabián Uribe

2026 Artwork

Luis David Morán

Community Partnerships Coordinator

Vanesa O’Toole

Lead Photographers

Bruno Martín del Campo

Lead Videographer

Rashi Sethi

Cindy Bourguignon

Frida Guillén

Festival Trailer

Frida Guillén

Program Note Editors

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

Daniela Rodríguez Chevalier

Anne-Mary Mullen

Translators

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

Daniela Rodríguez Chevalier

Mirella Livoti

Youth Jury Coordinator

Ana Tonso

Bookkeeper

Alexandre Nicolaieff, CPA Mindy Abramovits

Youth Jury Workshop Facilitator

Selene Masa'n Galindo

Webmaster

Thamara Jimenez

Meet the jury

View All
Valentina Acevedo Montilla

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

(she/ella)

Managing Director / Curator ¡Así Suena! Music Nights

Valentina (she/ella) is a Mexican-Venezuelan cultural curator/gestora cultural based on the stolen and ancestral lands and waters of the xwməϴkwəýəm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh Nations since 2013. She comes from a family of musicians, incredible cooks, and community builders; she also holds a BA in Art History and Anthropology from UBC, with a focus in museum studies. Valentina has a deep love for art, community engaged arts practices and bringing people together through art, culture and food. She has been involved with VLAFF since its 13th edition; first as a movie-goer, a volunteer, a Youth Juror, and now as its Managing Director since 2020. You can also find Valentina managing The Cultch’s Youth Program and IGNITE!, a beautifully multidisciplinary festival celebrating emerging artists in so-called East Vancouver.

Christian Sida

Christian Sida

(he/él)

Programming Director

Christian has been involved with VLAFF since 2006, first as a member of the Board of Directors, then as the Volunteer Coordinator, Theatre Manager, Box Office Manager, and Shorts Programmer. He was the Programming Director from 2008-2010 and the Executive Director from 2011-2021. In 2022, he became VLAFF’s Programming Director. Christian has been a jury member at film festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Cartagena, Valladolid, Guadalajara, Biarritz, and Huelva, among others. Christian was also a jury member for the Colombian National Documentary Prize. In addition to participating in panels and workshops, Christian is also the founder and director of the Festival del Nuevo Cine Mexicano de Durango in Mexico. During 2018 and part of 2019, Christian was the Head of the film commission of the state of Durango, Mexico. In 2015 he received an official recognition from the Consulate General of Colombia in Vancouver, for his work promoting Colombian cinema. He is the director & co-creator of the 2021 feature Santuario: El viaje perrote de Paty Aguirre. Christian is now finishing his second feature film Historia Miníma de Durango.

Dani Rodríguez

Dani Rodríguez Chevalier

(she/ella)

Festival Coordinator | Volunteer Coordinator

Born in one of the cities of eternal Spring (Cuernava, Mexico) and raised in el Distrito Federal, Dani is passionate about film, food, poetry & hybrid forms, art making in community, translation and independent radio. She is co-founder of multidisciplinary artist collectives *mim* and El Mashup. Also known as DJ D-Rod, Dani is co-host of the CiTR101.9fm show Vivaporú, el ungüento para el alma. Since 2022, she has been one half of the Shorts in Competition Programmers at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival. She loves the short form and appreciates being surprised ~ by story, characters, texture! She lives on the unceded shared territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations with her two dachshunds, Xoco & Rol. 

Christian Sida.

Christian Sida

(he/él)

Programming Director

Christian has been involved with VLAFF since 2006, first as a member of the Board of Directors, then as the Volunteer Coordinator, Theatre Manager, Box Office Manager, and Shorts Programmer. He was the Programming Director from 2008-2010 and the Executive Director from 2011-2021. In 2022, he became VLAFF’s Programming Director. Christian has been a jury member at film festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Cartagena, Valladolid, Guadalajara, Biarritz, and Huelva, among others. Christian was also a jury member for the Colombian National Documentary Prize. In addition to participating in panels and workshops, Christian is also the founder and director of the Festival del Nuevo Cine Mexicano de Durango in Mexico. During 2018 and part of 2019, Christian was the Head of the Film Commission of the state of Durango, Mexico. In 2015 he received an official recognition from the Consulate General of Colombia in Vancouver, for his work promoting Colombian cinema. He is the director & co-creator of the 2021 feature Santuario: El viaje perrote de Paty Aguirre. Christian is now finishing his second feature film Historia Miníma de Durango

Masa’n Galindo

Masa’n Galindo

(she/ella)

Indigenous Programs Co-Curator

Masaꞌn is Oꞌdam from Durango, México. Filmmaker, writer, translator and cultural manager with experience in education, research, public sector and civil society initiatives. Content creator for Oꞌdam audiences in social media and founder of the Circuito de Cine gio Arte Sierra Oꞌdam that takes place every year in Oꞌdam territories. Member of YI Hagamos Lumbre collective and the CEDECINE Film Exhibition Community. She received the Jury Prize from the Cátedra Bergman de Cine y Teatro and DocsMX for the short film Luisa gu mejikan (2021), alongside Zulema Sánchez. She was part of the producing team for Bucan tu rhachhidu’ (2023), directed by Luna Marán, premiered at FICUNAM 2023. She’s working on her debut film Gu juk gio gu YooxiꞋ (🌲&🌹).

Akira Iahtail Headshot.

Akira Iahtail

(she/ella)

Indigenous Programs Co-Curator

Akira Iahtail is from amiskwaciwâskahikan, also known as Edmonton, Alberta, and is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation. She is a student at Simon Fraser University, majoring in Indigenous Studies. She began her programminging career in 2021 with the Skoden Indigenous Film Festival, and has been co-curating the Turtle Island and Beyond program at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival for four years. She currently curates Our Stories to Tell, a monthly series at The Cinematheque.

Kathleen Mullen

Kathleen Mullen

(she/ella)

Queer Films Co-Curator

Kathleen Mullen is a professional film programmer and festival director with a passion for curating inclusive and impactful film experiences both nationally and internationally. Currently, Kathleen is the lead programmer for Frameline: San Francisco LGBTQ+ Film Festival, and a programmer for the Victoria Film Festival, Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Skoden Indigenous Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and VLAFF. She also works with the Sustainable Production Forum, an initiative advocating for sustainability in the film industry. For over 8 years, Kathleen was the Festival Director of the Seattle Queer Film Festival. She has an MFA in Film Production from York University and has directed several films including the documentary Breathtaking.

José Luis Cano

José Luis Cano

(he/él)

New Directors Co-Curator

José Luis Cano is a director and producer from Durango. He participated in various documentary cinema formation programs such as Docs Lab, Norte Docs, Impact Lab and the IMCINE National Network of Audiovisual Poles. Since 2019 he is one of the programmers of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival. “Carnalismo”, his first documentary feature film, has been screened in multiple film festivals such as Ambulante and FIC Monterrey. He is currently working on independent and non centralized feature films as a producer and also as a music video director.

Virginia rico

Virginia Rico

(she/ella)

Film Historian | Film Critic | Exhibitor | Curator

Robert Ríos is a 27-year-old Ecuadorian, a professional filmmaker and passionate entrepreneur.

In 2021, he graduated as a filmmaker from INCINE, where he directed several films. He was part of the VLAFF Youth Jury that same year. He co-curated Queer Pix at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival in 2022, 2023, and now 2025.

Robert has led civil initiatives seeking social change.He started his business in 2023, KineMotion: Digital Marketing and Communication Agency. Leading the agency has allowed him to work with different sectors; from startups to SMEs to the US Embassy in Ecuador.

After intense years of experience, Robert continues to believe that “art heals souls” and that social struggles go hand in hand with an active, awake, demanding, and proactive civil society.

Mirella Reichenbach Livoti

(she/ella)

New Directors Co-Curator

Mirella Livoti (she/ela) is an emerging scholar and educator. Originally from Brazil, she is grateful to have been living and (un)learning as an uninvited guest in so-called Vancouver for the past six years. She recently finished her master’s degree in Hispanic Studies from UBC with a focus on contemporary Latin American literature, and is now the Development Coordinator at VLAFF. Her work is driven by a sense of boundless curiosity and her mind is constantly looking for words in Spanglish and Portuñol.

Dani Rodríguez

Dani Rodríguez Chevalier

(she/ella)

Shorts in Competition Co-Curator

Born in one of the cities of eternal Spring (Cuernava, Mexico) and raised in el Distrito Federal, Dani is passionate about film, food, poetry & hybrid forms, art making in community, translation and independent radio. She is co-founder of multidisciplinary artist collectives *mim* and El Mashup. Also known as DJ D-Rod, Dani is co-host of the CiTR101.9fm show Vivaporú, el ungüento para el alma. Since 2022, she has been one half of the Shorts in Competition Programmers at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival. She loves the short form and appreciates being surprised ~ by story, characters, texture! She lives on the unceded shared territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations with her two dachshunds, Xoco & Rol. 

Valentina Acevedo Montilla Headshot.

Valentina Acevedo Montilla

(she/ella)

¡Así Suena! Music Nights

Valentina is a Mexican-Venezuelan cultural curator (gestora cultural) born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in el Distrito Federal. She comes from a family of musicians, incredible cooks, and community builders, and holds a BA in Art History and Anthropology from UBC with a focus on museum studies. Valentina is the creator and curator of ¡Así Suena! Music Nights at VLAFF, a series launched in 2021 out of a deep love for music and a longing to build joyful, dance-filled spaces for community connection. Her curatorial vision brings together Latine artists across genres, generations, and geographies to celebrate the soundtracks of our lives.

Ana Tonso

Ana Tonso

(she/ella)

Shorts in Competition Co-Curator

Born into a family deeply involved in political and human rights activism, Ana is an artist and cinematography graduate raised in Buenos Aires during the 90s amid an extreme social and economic crisis. This upbringing forged her interests and passion for archival, documentary projects, and film works centred on social matters. She has directed two short films on political activism and worked as a staff member at various international film festivals for over eight years involving cultural diversity, documentary and human rights themes. Currently, she is a member of the Shorts in Competition programming team and Youth Jury Coordinator at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival.

Juan Pablo Franky

Juan Pablo Franky

Juan Pablo Franky is artistic director of MIDBO, film festival programmer, journalist and film teacher. He studied film at the Black María Film School and film criticism in El Amante (Bs As). He also studied Literature at the National University of Colombia and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at the same institution. He worked as press officer for FECIVE (Venezuelan Film Festival of Buenos Aires), directed and programmed the Buenos Aires headquarters of the shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival during its first five years and was Publications Coordinator for Cinemancia Metropolitan Film Festival (Medellín, Antioquia) . He currently works as delegate coordinator of the Central and Eastern European Film Festival Al Este Colombia.

Samantha Matute

Samantha Matute

(she/ella)

Samantha (she/ella) is a first-generation uninvited settler in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy ̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and səl ̓ ílwətaʔɬ peoples. Born in Venezuela, raised in México and Colombia – Sam has a strong belief in the power of story as a weaver for our shared realities across our lands. Sam is embedded in the non-profit sector with a background in settlement work, currently working in gender-based violence. Sam values connections built with intention and respect, transparent and accountable organizations, and policies that are equitable and adaptable. You can often find her reading at the beach, belting out to her Julio Iglesias records (badly), or comfort-watching Medianeras (again).

Lucero Gonzalez

Lucero Gonzalez

(she/ella)

Lucero is a young Mexican immigrant of ñha-ñhú ancestry who currently resides as an uninvited guest on the continuously occupied unceded xʷməθkʷəy ̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ territories. She has been involved in the social and environmental justice movement since she was in high school, including environmental justice, migrant justice, MMIW and calls for Palestinian liberation. She is passionate about the power of policy change driven by grassroots movements, human connections and deep community relations. In her current role, she focuses on at-risk species in BC and across Canada. In the last few years, she has focused on reconnecting with her indigenous ancestry and trying to learn her ancestral language.

Elvia Pinilla.

Elvia Pinilla

(she/ella)

Elvia Pinilla is a Colombian-born marketing professional and MBA graduate based in Vancouver. With experience across industries—including education, banking, publishing, and market research—she also champions Latin culture through volunteer work and digital media. A rising voice in Canadian stand-up comedy, Elvia debuted her one-woman show “Vaginal Vision” in 2024, blending storytelling, humor, and social insight. She continues to build bridges between communities through her work on and off the stage.

Semillites.

Semillites Hernández Velasco

(he/el)

Semillites (he/him) is an immigrant, trans visual artist, filmmaker, and communication designer based in Vancouver, Canada, on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam Nations. Born in Mexico City, he migrated north at 19. His work is rooted in using art and design as accessible, inclusive tools to support marginalized communities. He currently works with the Migrant Workers Centre and WePress Arts Society. Over the past eight years, he has collaborated as an artist and workshop facilitator with non-profit organizations including: Vancouver Foundation, Watari, the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Vines Art Society, and HIM.

Pachi

Pachi Ochoa

(she/ella)

Pachi Ochoa is a Venezuelan-born new media designer, community builder, and cultural promoter based in Vancouver, BC. Through digital communications, branding, and marketing, she helps organizations and communities tell their stories and engage their audiences with intention. She’s especially drawn to work that celebrates culture, inclusion, and civic participation, supporting events and programs that strengthen social ties and give people a reason to show up for one another. Through her platform @pachiochoa.info, she keeps Vancouver’s Latin American community informed and connected, spotlighting local events, cultural activities, and opportunities worth knowing about.

Javier Badillo.

Javier Badillo

(he/el)

Javier Badillo is a Leo-nominated, Venezuelan-Canadian film producer, writer, director, and musician. Immigrating to Canada to work in animation, Badillo later found a natural fit in independent film. Since 2008, his films have been selected and won awards at numerous festivals, including the Chicago Children’s Film Festival, Cinéfest Sudbury, Reelworld, and many others. Deeply supportive of his community, Javier mentors youth and worked as the Programming Director for the Vancouver Short Film Festival. He served on the board of directors of the Venezuelan Canadian Society of BC, as well as the boards of VSFF and the DOXA Documentary Film Society. In 2019, Javier was awarded the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award for his contributions to Canada’s pluralistic society. He currently performs music for Spanish-learning children as “Hola Javi”. His teen sci-fi comedy movie “Lupe Q and the Galactic Earworms,” will be released in cinemas in 2027.

Manuel Rodriguez.

Manuel Rodriguez

(he/el)

Manuel is a marketing leader who has spent the last decade helping organizations turn storytelling into trust and growth. He has led teams, advised executives, and built strategies across marketing, sales, fundraising, and communications for nonprofits and businesses. He believes strong organizations are built on stories people believe in. Film, much like advertising, captures the zeitgeist, shaping how we remember the present and what we imagine for the future. A lifelong lover of cinema, he sees storytelling as both record and direction, memory and momentum.

Jean Paul Vizuete

Jean Paul Vizuete

(he/el)

Jean Paul Vizuete is a Vancouver-based Panamanian writer and filmmaker specializing in speculative fiction. He holds degrees from Universidad del Cine in Argentina and Vancouver Film School and serves as Programming Director for the HAYAH International Short Film Festival of Panama. His storytelling explores mental health and the human condition, as seen in his novel The Elven Messenger and film Memory (2025). He is currently developing the TV series Arpía, winner of the 2024 Panama National Film Fund, the feature Between the Sky, and his next novel, The Light Thief. His short film, A Friend, is slated for release in 2027.