Inaugural Chicano Hollywood Film Festival to Launch as a Cultural Response to Injustice

The Chicano Hollywood Film Festival is set to make its debut from July 17–20, 2025, in Pomona, CA, at The Union. This event emerges as a cultural response to the ongoing injustices faced by the Chicano and Latino communities, particularly the targeting of undocumented farm laborers by ICE raids across Southern California. The festival aims to celebrate Chicano storytelling while serving as a platform for protest, highlighting the community's struggles and resilience.

Opening the festival is The Last Brown Beret, a feature film directed by Del Zamora, based on Alfredo Ramos's book. The film revisits the legacy of the Brown Berets, Civil Rights activists from the 1960s, drawing parallels to today's challenges. Johnny Murillo, founder of Chicano Hollywood, emphasizes the festival's role in continuing the fight for justice through storytelling.

With over 90 short films, television pilots, music videos, and digital projects from emerging Chicano and Latino filmmakers, the festival showcases a wide range of narratives. Highlights include documentaries and comedies that explore themes of identity, resistance, and healing, such as Ugly Little Monkey and Horchata With Oat Milk.

The festival also introduces the Chicano Hollywood Academy, an initiative to nurture the next generation of Latino creatives. Festival Director Francisco Roel views this as the beginning of a movement to empower Chicanos and Latinos in the entertainment industry. For more information, visit https://www.ChicanoHollywood.com.