History & Mission

History

The Philadelphia Latino Arts and Film Festival (PHLAFF) was established in 2012 as the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival. PHLAFF has become the Greater Philadelphia region’s only festival showcasing the extraordinary and innovative work of emerging and established Latine/x/a/o filmmakers.

We kicked off our 13th season with a new name and added focus: The Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. Our goal with this change is simple—to celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of the work of our ecosystem

PHLAFF has evolved into a nationally recognized platform, with recent highlights including six weeks of hybrid programming during our 2025 season. Our programming includes the activation of community spaces with screenings of groundbreaking works from all genres: short film, narrative, documentary, animation, emerging media and more. Our programs focus on offering community centered spaces in the Philadelphia region and beyond where content creators, storytellers, filmmakers, actors, producers and creatives can meet with other artists, engage with audiences to present and discuss innovative work and practices.

PHLAFF is committed to engage diverse communities through the execution of collaborative efforts rooted on making our offerings accessible. We collaborate with a diverse network to ensure that we can bring folks together through the universal language of film to create critical connections through shared experiences supporting cross-cultural understanding locally, regionally,nationally and internationally.

Mission

The Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival (PHLAFF) is committed to uplifting emerging and established Latine/x/a/o creatives and filmmakers by showcasing the richness, complexity, and cultural breadth of our communities. Through a year-round constellation of programs, PHLAFF advances cross-cultural dialogue, fosters inclusive storytelling, and contributes to a more equitable cultural landscape.

PHLAFF exists for us—by us. We’re a cultural home for Latine/x/a/o creatives and audiences to share stories, connect across generations, and dream new futures together. Our mission is to celebrate our shared heritage while creating opportunities for artists to thrive and communities to unite through the power of film, food, music, and more.

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Founders

David Acosta & Beatriz Vieira